Caring for Your Hydroseeded Lawn
It may surprise you how quickly newly-hydroseeded lawn will spring up. But this is not the time to be complacent! Applying best lawn care practices in the first season ensures a thick, healthy lawn for years to come. Not to worry, though – Green Acres Hydroseeding has you covered! Here are some lawn care tips for your newly hydroseeded lawn:
Watering. The number one cause of any lawn failure – whether seed or sod – is a lack of consistent, measured watering. Generally speaking, an established lawn requires an inch of water per week. Newly seeded lawns are a little bit fussier. They must remain moist – but not drenched – over a period of 6 weeks, or until the first mowing. A light watering twice a day is ideal for establishing hydroseed. Once the lawn is established, manual watering with a conventional sprinkler every other day should do the trick. Automatic irrigation system watering times can be set per zone.
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Fertilizer. Applying another shot of starter fertilizer around six weeks can help boost your lawn into the next phase of growth. A good starter fertilizer has less nitrogen and more phosphorus and potassium. Avoid applying any fertilizers with herbicides or insecticides in the first year. During the summer months, wait for a cool stretch to before spreading it on your lawn. Grass goes dormant when temperatures are over 80°, so you may be wasting material or even worse – fertilizing weeds! Green Acres Hydroseeding recommends hiring a lawn care service to treat the new lawn the following year. If you are going to treat it yourself, use a 4-step program and apply each treatment at the recommended time.
Mowing. Don’t be afraid to cut your new grass after it has been growing for five or six weeks. If possible, don’t bag the clippings but rather allow them to stay in the lawn. This will help retain moisture and provide organic nutrients that stimulate new root growth. Make sure that your mower blades are sharp, set to a height of 3 inches and cut your lawn weekly. Mowing the lawn too short inhibits the lawn’s ability to make food through photosynthesis. Leaving your grass longer also helps to shade the developing root zone from a scorching summer sun.
We don’t just spray and walk away. Green Acres Hydroseeding provides continued support throughout the growing season if you are struggling with getting your new lawn established. Simply call our office or send us a contact form with your questions. We always answer when our customers need us!