Did you know?
Now is the magic window for lawns, it opened about August 15th and does not close until the end of September. This window only comes once a year. What makes this time frame so magical with lawns?
How many lawns have you installed in your lifetime… one, two, three? Have you paid much attention to the difference in watering schedule, lawn seed germination percentage, weed germination percentage or even the time it took for the lawn to reach full establishment?
Every task in life has tricks to make the task easier or more efficient, in twenty years of lawn establishment and being an active participant in literally hundreds of lawn installs I have gathered the following ten tricks and believe me they will make your life much easier.
- Do Not attempt to install a new lawn in early spring – this is prime season for weeds to germinate – most weeds will be stronger than newly germinating lawn seed & you will not win this battle. You cannot apply herbicide to a newly establishing lawn.
- Do Not attempt to install a new lawn in late spring or early summer – This is the time of year, usually beginning around June 20th, the temperatures rise to the high 80’s and the soil dries out – with water restrictions over so many cities it is almost impossible to keep the germinating lawn seed moist enough. Also most lawns go dormant when the temperatures reach over 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
- DO install your lawn late summer within the time of August 15th through September 30th – The temperatures have normally cooled off to a perfect variance of day to night temperatures between 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit – perfect lawn germination temperatures – most weeds are not in major propagation mode and are tapering off at this point eliminating the weed vs. lawn seed battle – The lawn can be watered less often as the temperatures are not causing any extreme evaporation
- Do keep your lawn seed moist once you have wet it for the first time – Once grass seed has been moistened it must remain moistened – if lawn seed is allowed to dry out it will die – when you moisten the lawn seed make sure to moisten it enough that the soil and seed are both saturated but not so much that you cause puddles. The newly seeded lawn should be watered as needed while establishing to keep it moist.
- Do spray a vegetation killer over the area intended to seed if needed a couple weeks before installing the lawn – repeat this process after one week if you see weeds germinating once again.
- Do till the existing soil to a depth of 4-6inches and or add newly amended soil to create the proper depth – most lawn varieties have a root system 4-6 inches deep – creating the proper medium for seed germination will create a much healthier lawn in the long run with the least amount of future issues.
- Do make sure you have proper seed to soil contact when installing your lawn seed – It is usually beneficial once you have applied your lawn seed to go over it with a leaf rake that has been tipped on its back side or some use hurricane fencing attached to chains on the back of a tractor for larger areas.
- Do apply a starter fertilizer such as 12-12-12 with your lawn seed to help it to germinate a little quicker and create a stronger root system – your lawn seed will establish more quickly if the nutrients for a successful root system are on hand.
- Do not mow your new lawn until it has reached a height of 5-6” – Make sure your mower blades are sharp as well – both of these will prevent you from ripping your new seedlings out by the root.
- Do not apply an herbicide to your newly established lawn until you have mowed it at least 5-6 times – Applying herbicide while the grass seedlings are still too young can create a weakening of the root system and make for a tougher establishment with many future touch ups
If you’d like to install your lawn only using four of the ten steps above – Install Sod
- Spray existing vegetation to kill and remove to prep soil
- Till to a depth of 4-6 inches
- Install 12-12-12- starter fertilizer and install sod overtop
- Water in and keep root system moist for approximately two to three weeks
A lawn-seeding install will establish in one year and must be watched
A lawn sod install will be established in two to three weeks
As Tom Dayton might say….
Ready….Set…..GROW!!!!!
