[Ryan7]

hey all,
looking for possible suggestions for proper lawn care after a seeding was done. i had lawn doctor come out and seed the entire lawn (had many base spots, and mis matched grass) and it's been a week since. i've seen some light growth in those areas so far, which is nice, but not sure if there is anything else i can do to aid in this growing nice and lush sooner rather than later. i water twice a day (once at 6AM and again at 8PM) but is there anything else i can do to make sure i get great results?

also, is it safe to mow the lawn at this point without disturbing the seeding since it's only been a week since it was seeded?

thanks in advance

 

[DexterII]

Personally, I would ask the guy(s) who seeded it these questions, but in my opinion, it sounds like you should be fine. Keep in mind that while better quality, more durable grasses are more lush, once they mature, their initial rate of growth is not as fast as rye's and other lesser quality, less durable grasses. Again, I would ask the guy(s) who seeded it, but, as for mowing, I would let it grow to at least 3" before mowing, so that it has a chance to develop good roots. Plus, it is not uncommon for certain areas to develop a bit faster than others, so by cutting it too soon, you increase the chances of damaging some of the tender grass that has not yet had a chance to develop. Everyone enjoys a lush, mature lawn, but patience can be key at this point in the game.

 

[LawnRanger]

Hi Ryan,
I'm guessing that you planted fescue grass seed. That type of seed requires two weeks to germinate completly, so try not to walk on it for at least another week.

The new grass should get up to six inches tall before you mow it the first time. Then mow it as tall as you can, four inches is optimum, but most mowers go to about 3 to 3 1/2 inches.

Keep it watered and feed it according to the Doctor's orders. Feed it every month if you use 10-10-10, or every 12 weeks if you use a slow release lawn food like Lesco or Scott's or Vigoro.

If you must mow, at least cut it as tall as possible to avoid damaging the new growth. Maybe use a weedeater to cut the tall stuff.

LawnRanger

 

[DexterII]

Also, unless you intend to continue watering your lawn twice a day, I typically start cutting back on the water after a week or so, when I can see that grass is actually growing in all of the areas. First of all, it prevents the shock that could occur if you all of a sudden stop watering at all one day, and secondly it lets the ground firm up a bit, so that your mower does not compress the new lawn as much. Just some opinions.

 

[Ryan7]

thanks for the suggestions.

so wait for the lawn to grow six inches first before i mow? i'm concerned with the lawn looking sloppy being six inches high, but if that's ideal i suppose so.

the issue is that there are patches of grass growing in one area. there was an oil tank that was removed before i bought the house, and grass was seeded, but it never took. that was my catalyst for having lawn doctor do this.

i had also heard about not cutting too close for the first mow to try to keep things in place. i'll take that suggestion for sure. but as far as the watering...is there a consensus? i have an irrigation system, so it goes on when i set it so it doesn't effect me either way to keep watering twice a day, but i don't want to over water/under water...

 

[Ryan7]

Hi Ryan,
I'm guessing that you planted fescue grass seed. That type of seed requires two weeks to germinate completly, so try not to walk on it for at least another week.

The new grass should get up to six inches tall before you mow it the first time. Then mow it as tall as you can, four inches is optimum, but most mowers go to about 3 to 3 1/2 inches.

Keep it watered and feed it according to the Doctor's orders. Feed it every month if you use 10-10-10, or every 12 weeks if you use a slow release lawn food like Lesco or Scott's or Vigoro.

If you must mow, at least cut it as tall as possible to avoid damaging the new growth. Maybe use a weedeater to cut the tall stuff.

LawnRanger

yes, i believe it was fescue. but i don't remember seeing anything in lawn doctors instructions that included feeding the lawn. can you suggest something to use, and frequencies?

 

[LawnRanger]

Hi Ryan,

It's critical to find out if the Doctor applied starter (high middle number) fertilizer at the time of seeding. If the lawn was not fertilized, do so now, with starter fertilizer. If it was fertilized at that time, apply maintenance fertilizer 8 to 12 weeks after the starter was applied.

Sterter fertilizer is typically 18-25-10, or there about. The actual numbers are not that critical, but the ratio is. a ratio of 2-3-1 is very good for starter fertilizer. Maintenance food has less phosphorus (middle number) than starter does. A ratio of 3-1-2 is better for maintenance feeding. 24-2-11 is an example of maintenance fertilizer from Lesco. Premium lawn fertilizers will feed over a longer period of time, providing better nutrition.

All purpose fertilizers, like 10-10-10 are fast acting and short lived. A Snicker's candy bar will get you through, but you don't want to make it your exclusive diet. These fertilizers lose their nitrogen (first number) quickly and therefore, have to be re-applied every month.

Premium lawn food lasts 8 to 12 weeks between applications. Apply every 3 months.
All purpose food last half that long, 4 to 6 weeks.

LawnRanger

 

[user1007]

You really should not be watering turfgrasses late in the day so they stay wet overnight. You are just inviting bugs and diseases that love moist, dark breeding ground.