CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF YOUR NEW LAWN
What next?
The hydroseeding is complete and the truck has left. Now what?
- The first step in caring for your new lawn, is understanding what to expect in the next few weeks. Even with regular watering your new lawn will at first look a bit patchy. Does this mean that the seeds weren’t distributed evenly? No. Not at all.
- For a traditional lawn, we use a combination of Kentucky Bluegrass, Creeping Red Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass and an Annual Ryegrass as a nurse crop to aid the permanent species during their infancy.
- The rye grasses are the first to germinate and you’ll notice them as tiny, slender shoots. The annual ryegrass inhibits weed growth as much as possible thereby allowing the other plants to establish themselves. The annual grass will die off during the winter, but by that point the other species will have grown to a point where they can support themselves.
- Kentucky Blue is added to provide the lush colour for your lawn. They are the last to germinate and can take up to 30 days for germination during optimal conditions.
- Because each seed germinates at a different rate the lawn appears patchy at first. Once all the seeds have germinated and grown to a length of about 6 cm, (usually after about 7 weeks) the lawn will start to come together. Remember that a mature lawn takes about 5 months to complete. Your lawn will look full grown after 2 months, but the plants are still young and still require tender care.
| Watering Tips |
You can begin watering your lawn after the mulch has cured for 24 hours. Mulching seed serves several purposes. The cover helps keep the seed in place (so seed doesn’t blow away or get eaten by birds); it helps retain moisture, aiding germination; and, as it breaks down, the cover adds organic matter to the soil.
Keep the mulch moist but don’t over water. Try to avoid pooling of the water, or rivers that could wash the seed away.
Once the seedlings start to emerge you can water for longer periods of time.
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| MOWING TIPS |
Once your grass is approximately 5 to 6 cm high you can safely mow it.
Your lawn will look “patchy” at this point but it is very important to maintain a regular mowing schedule as this helps the plants to spread and grow thicker.
Make sure you mow when the grass is dry, and always ensure the blades of the mower are sharp to prevent damage to the young blades.
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| FERTILIZING TIPS |
The grass seeds are mixed with mulch and an 18-32-6 fertilizer to promote root growth upon application. A regular maintenance of fertilizer is recommended starting as early as the 5th week after your lawn has been hydroseeded.
Fertilizer requirements will vary depending on the time of year and soil conditions. Check with your local nursery to determine the type of fertilizer that is right for your lawn.
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| WEEDING TIPS |
King Hydroseeding does not recommend using any herbicides on your new lawn. The plants are in their infancy at this stage and are vulnerable to any products that you may apply. We never advocate use of a weed and feed product at any time, even once your lawn has been established.
While the seeds used for your lawn are of highest purity, there are always native weeds inherent in the topsoil. Over time the grass seeds will take over and weeds will be choked out leaving you with a mature, beautiful, healthy lawn.
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| FINAL TIPS |
You can walk on your newly hydroseeded lawn, but please try to limit it as much as possible. Avoid heavy traffic and try to keep pets from the area as much as possible. There is nothing toxic that could hurt a pet, however any heavy traffic on a newly seeded lawn can permanently damage the new grass. |
