How to care for a new lawn

10 November 2022

So, your new lawn is now installed, and you’re unsure what to do next? This blog covers a few simple steps on how to care for your new lawn.

Watering For a New Lawn

Ensuring your lawn has enough water, especially for the first few days after installation, is essential to help stop the grass roots from drying out.

For the first few days after receiving your lawn, you will need to irrigate more frequently. This is because the grass roots won’t have had the chance to grow into the soil. The duration and number of times you need to water will depend on a few factors, including temperatures, location, and rainfall.

As a general guide, you want to ensure your grass roots stay damp. If you are experiencing lots of rainfall in your area, you may not need additional irrigation. However, if your temperatures are hotter without rainfall, you may need to irrigate a few times a day.

For more information on watering your lawn, it is best to reach out to your local turf supplier. They will be familiar with the current weather conditions and local area.

Once the roots of your lawn have established into the soil, you can start reducing the number of times you need to irrigate. Once your lawn is fully established, you should only need to irrigate when there is not enough rainfall to meet the needs of your lawn. Some tell-tale signs that your lawn needs water are:

• Leaf is wilting or losing colour.
• If you walk across your lawn and leave a footprint behind, then your lawn is likely lacking in water. If it bounces back, your lawn should be well hydrated. This is known as the footprint test.
• During hot weather, if it’s looking dry.

Mowing Your Lawn For the First Time

Your new lawn should be ready for its first mow once the grass roots grow into the soil profile. To see if it is ready, try lifting the corner of a turf roll from the ground. It is ready to mow if you can’t lift the roll from the ground.

With your first mow, raise the mower’s height so only the top of the leaf blade is removed. Then, slowly bring the height back to your preferred mowing height over the next few mows.

Should I Fertilise My New Lawn

Once the lawn has been down for 6 – 8 weeks, it will be ready for its first fertiliser application. For fertilising a new lawn we recommend using a well-balanced fertiliser, like our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser. This contains all the nutrients your lawn needs to thrive over the coming months and is safe to use on lawn types.

If you want to apply products during the lawns first few weeks, you can use a soil conditioner like Lawn Kelper, this will help stimulate and strengthen roots and shoots.

Can I Use Herbicides on a New Lawn?

If you notice weeds starting to grow in your new lawn, it is best to hold off from using herbicides till the lawn has fully established. However, most lawn weeds should be able to be removed by hand.

If we haven’t touched on any inquiries you have about caring for your new lawn, reach out to your local turf supplier, or get in contact with the Lawn Solutions Team.

As always, if you have any more questions please don’t hesitate to contact us for free expert advice on 1800ALLTURF (1800255873) or 07 5543 8304.