Watering Instruction for Newly Seeded and Sodded Lawns

Thank you for your confidence in using Cumberland Valley Tree Service to improve your landscape. Watering the new grass seed or sod is the single most important factor in having successful germination and establishment for your new lawn. Please follow these watering instructions or contact us for more information.

Once the seed is watered, it must remain moist by rainfall, irrigation or hand watering. Watering should begin immediately. The soil should be moistened to a depth of 2 to 3 inches to help encourage the roots to grow. Deep watering promotes deep roots and deep roots help grass to stay healthy.

Unless you have an in-ground irrigation system, gentle watering through a sprinkler is the best method. If you hand water, use a spray nozzle that is adjusted for a soft mist. Hand watering takes a long to time to penetrate to the 2 to 3 inch depth necessary for thorough watering. If you are going to hand water, be prepared to stand there for an hour or longer!

When using sprinklers, please move them periodically to better distribute the water in a consistent pattern and to avoid puddles. Sprinklers need to run for extended periods of time, as much as 2 to 3 hours to put enough water to penetrate to a depth of 2 to 3 inches.

Natural precipitation should be not be considered when meeting the needs of newly planted grass during the first two months. Temperature also greatly affects new grass. During hot periods, lawns need more water. Look for wilting or drooping blades and increase watering. The best things to do is test the soil to see if it is moist to the proper depth. Avoid over-watering and saturating the soil. The soil should be moist, not dripping wet. After the first month, water less frequently unless the soil dries out.

Other recommendations include:

• Stay off the lawn (except for mowing) while it gets established; about 2 months.
• Mow when the grass reaches 3 ½ to 4 inches. Mow at a height of 3 inches.
• Sharpen the blade before mowing the new grass.
• Do not spray weeds for the first few months.
• Lightly fertilize after the third mowing.

Our goal is for you to have successful lawn. If you have questions regarding your recently seeded or sodded lawn, please contact us at 717-263-8657.