Tip #1 - Watering Sod

For the first two weeks it is essential to keep the sod moist. We recommend watering at least twice a day and up to three times a day when it is 80 degrees or above. A minimum of 20 minutes for rotor sprinkler zones and 10 minutes for mister zones. If your lawn has a greyish hue, it needs water immediately. If your lawn turns brown you have bigger issues, but most of the time it will regenerate from the roots if you continue to water it. Please watch your lawn and keep it watered!

Established lawns - Bluegrass only requires 1" - 1 ½" of water a week. We recommend irrigating around sunrise because of environmental factors. We also recommend less frequent watering with longer cycle times, this creates a healthier lawn because it promotes a deeper and denser root zone.

Tip #2 - Watering Seed

As with sod, it is essential to keep seed moist throughout the germination process. This could mean that you set your sprinkler system to run six cycles a day at short durations (5-10 minutes) to keep moisture on the surface. Once your seedlings start to develop you will want to shift your watering to less frequently, but longer durations. This will cause the seed to develop a deeper root zone which creates a healthier plant. In the end your grass will need 1" – 1 ½" of water a week to prosper. Remember, water less frequently and make your run times longer to make your roots work.

Tip #3 - Fertilizing

Just as water, fertilizing is a crucial part of a healthy lawn. It is alive, like us, so it needs nutrients to grow and stay healthy. We recommend 4-6 applications of fertilizer per year with spring and late fall being the most important.

Here is an example fertilizing program:

• April 20th – May 5th | A combo fertilizer (with crab grass control if needed)
• June 1st – June 5th | A slow release fertilizer Ex: 26-0-2 or Molorganite
• June 25th – July 5th | A slow release fertilizer (with grub control if necessary)
• August 27th – September 15th | A balanced fertilizer Ex: 19-19-19 or 32-0-10
• October 25th – November 15th | Most important fertilizer application Ex: 32-3-8

Tip #4 - Mowing

Your new sod will need to be mowed roughly two weeks after the installation. We recommend letting the yard firm up for a day or so, then mowing the grass at the highest setting on your mower. After your first cut you can gradually lower your mower height to get to your preferred grass height. We never recommend mowing more than the top 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. We recommend keeping the grass around 3 ½" inches tall. We also recommend leaving grass clippings on the yard to decompose; they will help feed the lawn. If the clippings are clumpy you will need to spread them out so they do not smother the grass below.