(03) 9108 1128
So your freshly lain grass is looking green and fresh, and ready for life in your yard. In this blog, we will go over how to care for your new lawn and make sure you can get a head start in keeping it healthy. There isn’t too much to do, we promise, but it does still require some regular attention from you to ensure the best lawn establishment for the soil beneath. Follow these easy lawn care tips, so your lawn keeps on growing healthy and green.
Steps for a newly established Lawn
A new lawn will need a lot of attention and care, the following subheadings will outline some tips to get the best results for a healthy lawn.
Watering
With a newly established lawn, it’s essential to give it a deep watering each day. You cannot let the soil dry out, as it will become too stiff for the new roots to grow, causing the grass to die.
It’s a good idea to water it twice a day, the best time is to water it for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 in the afternoon. This is the perfect time for your morning coffee and evening beer. Keep this up for about 2 weeks to keep the first few centimetres of the soil moist. Then after 2 weeks, you can water it every second day, to allow for the roots to fully establish themselves in the soil. As your lawn matures and sets, it will become less reliant on you. After about a month of watering every second day, move it to once a week, keep in mind you’ll still need to water it for around 10 minutes as you want the water to go deep into the soil.
Weather
When thinking about how to care for a new lawn, remember to keep an eye on the weather too, depending on whether it’s been raining or dry. You might need to water it three times a day if it’s especially dry – keep in mind your watering restriction in your area if any. However, you don’t want to over-water your lawn if it’s been raining regularly.
Limit foot traffic
Your new lawn will need time to properly merge itself with the soil beneath, and root itself in properly, so you need to make sure you keep all, or as much traffic off it as possible. Allow for up to 2 weeks to let the roots set in before walking on the lawn. This includes children, pets, heavy objects, and vehicles. Feet direct a lot of weight into one spot that can damage any of the roots on a newly laid lawn. If you need to get across your lawn layout some flat wooden boards to displace your weight across a wider surface, remember to remove them once you’re done so the grass can still get the UV from the sun.
Maintaining your lawn for the long term
Once your lawn has fully established itself, after about a 6 week period, here is what we recommend doing:
Fertilising
As your new lawn begins to establish itself properly, you’ll need to start thinking about fertilisers. Your lawn will need fertilising so it can be as healthy and strong as possible, helping prevent puddles and brown patches. After about 6 weeks of your lawn being laid, spread out some slow-release fertiliser and water it straight away.
Get out the lawnmower
Mowing your lawn regularly ensures that it will grow thick and strong. By mowing consistently you not only keep the length down, but you’re encouraging your lawn to grow thick. If you don’t keep up with regular mowing, your grass will become thinner and longer, and allow for nasty weeds to grow through.
Make sure your mower blades are sharp so they cut the grass cleanly, and don’t rip them up from the root as you mow. Give your new lawn about 2 weeks before your first mow, but after that, the general rule of thumb is to mow it once every week, so on the weekend when you have nothing to do, go mow your lawn!
Some common issues that may arise
Sometimes weeds will grow unexpectedly, or brown patches will appear, or maybe your dog’s pee is killing patches of grass. These things can happen even if you’ve been careful. Not to worry, there is almost always a solution to a problem. We’ll list a few common issues here for you to follow.
Brown Patches
They’re ugly and they’re annoying and usually brown patches appear as a result of underwatering. There could be a number of reasons as to why it’s being underwatered, it could be from a lack of time or the solid could be hydrophobic.
If you’re lacking in the time department, that’s okay! There are an array of sprinkler systems you can set up with a timer to water your plants to make life easier for you.
A lot of coastal areas have sandy soils that are hydrophobic, which means they drain water quickly before it can do anything to help your lawn. To help your water absorb water, try wetting agents, and installing a sprinkler system that can keep your lawn watered at a more regular rate.
Weed growth
During the hotter seasons, weeds are more likely to grow and thrive in annoying places, like between pavers and even throughout your lawn. Mowing and fertilisers are the best combatants to weed growth. If you don’t keep up a regular mowing schedule you’re giving space to weed seedlings to take root and wedge themselves between the grass. Make sure you have a sharp blade on your mower, so it can cleanly cut the grass.
Damage caused by pets or animals
Pets love to pee in the same spot on the lawn, and unfortunately, that can damage the grass. Urine has chemicals in it such as nitrogen that can brown and kill your grass. The best thing to do is to dig out the affected area and fill the hole with topsoil, resow with grass seed and fertilise again. To ensure it doesn’t happen again, ensure your animal doesn’t consistently pee on the same spot all the time. Treat your pet for peeing somewhere else, or take them for regular walks. If none of that helps, designate specific play areas for the pet.
Are you looking at getting a new lawn?
We hope that the information provided on how to care for a new lawn will help you on your new garden journey. If you need any more information on the topic or looking at getting your garden refreshed, get in contact with us at Waddell Landscaping. We have some of the best Melbourne landscapers, with a keen eye for attention and detail and will work with your existing backyard and front yard landscaping to make sure your new lawn fits right in. Get in touch with us by phone: (03) 9108 1128 or by email: info@waddelldesign.com.au for all your landscaping needs and advice.
