Care Instructions

Care and Watering Successful seed germination depends on a few days of special care that starts the day after your lawn is hydro seeded.  The 1 day waiting period is necessary to allow the tackifier to set which will hold the mulch, seed, and soil together.   To assure proper germination water regularly.  We suggest two times a day in warm weather for a period of 3 to 4 weeks.  The best time to water is in the morning and early evening.  You want to avoid watering in the heat of the day or late in the evening.  The goal is to keep the soil moist but not saturated.  If you notice the water starting to run or puddle then you are watering too much.  If it rains then you should avoid watering to prevent over watering.  Keeping the yard moist will maximize seed germination.   You may walk on the hydro seeded surface when watering.  Try to walk only on areas that are dry, and try to not disturb the mulch mat.   After the initial 3 to 4 weeks you can decrease your watering frequency but increase the depth of watering to reach the roots.   Watering requirements for the next 4 to 6 weeks will be about 1/2“ of water every 3 to 4 days.  This can easily be checked using a rain gauge or a coffee can to catch the water from your sprinkler. Please remember, watering your new lawn is as important as the money spent to have the work done. The more frequently the seed is watered, the more quickly the lawn will establish and the overall quality of the lawn will be enhanced. By watering regularly and keeping your new seedlings from drying out you insure the beginnings of a lawn that will make your neighbors green with envy. Mowing Mowing can begin once the new lawn is 3 - 4" tall.  Mowing stimulates growth and increases thickness.  Set the mower high at first, and then gradually lower to your desired cut height.   Never cut more than 1/3 of the grass at a time.  Make sure that your mower blades are sharp to prevent tearing as this can uproot your newly established lawn. One general rule for mowing is that the shorter you want to mow the more often you need to mow to maintain healthy grass. Fertilizing About one month after seeding, fertilize your new lawn using a high nitrogen (the first of the 3 numbers on the bag) fertilizer.    When we installed your lawn we used a high phosphorus or "starter fertilizer".   The phosphorus will stimulate root growth, and in the early stages it is important to get good root growth before you stimulate a vigorous top growth with nitrogen.  Turf may be injured or die out if too much fertilizer is applied. Care should be taken not to over apply or spill fertilizer when fertilizing. If your fertilizer application is within 10 to 15 percent either way of the manufactures recommended application rate, you should be okay. Depending on the time of year, weed growth may occur with newly seeded yards. There is no weed seed in the Hydro seeding mixture. Weed seed is prevalent in soil. It is very common for birds to distribute these seeds as well as the wind carrying them through the air. Most weeds are annuals and will usually start to die out after the first frost. But their seeds will bed in the soil until the environment it right for them to germinate and grow. Weeds like warmer, drier conditions. By not letting your lawn dry out for extended periods of time, you will reduce the favorable conditions required for weed growth.  We recommend that the lawn should experience at least 12 weeks of favorable growing conditions before any applications of selective herbicides (weed killers) or pre-emergents. Most of our seed blends used contain varieties of Kentucky Bluegrass. Kentucky Bluegrass takes roughly 21 to 28 days to germinate. This is 3 to 4 weeks under optimum conditions. If one of the conditions is not met, the germination process would more than likely be prolonged. If a pre- emergent is used before seeds have germinated, it will prevent them from germinating. If a selective herbicide (weed killer) is used before the turf is established or during times when the turf is under stress, it may severely injure or kill the turf. Some people feel the need to pull that weed out of the ground. Unfortunately when doing so these weeds can have a large root base and when pulling them out of the ground you could also pull out seeds or seedlings that are around this root base causing a bare spot in your lawn. We suggest that you leave the weed there and when the time is right, have a selective herbicide (weed killer) applied to remove these pests from your lawn.