Guides

Watering Guidelines

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Water twice per week for the first two weeks after planting. Then once per week, dependent on rainfall, for the first summer they have been planted. Putting mulch around the base of plants and trees helps hold in the moisture longer than bare soil.

After the first year, they should be established enough that normal rainfall will take care of watering needs. In dry years, water once per week.

Plant Specific Water Guidelines

Large Deciduous Trees

• Water 3-5 minutes at full stream
• You’ve watered enough when water emerges to surface of the ground and no longer soaks in

Deciduous Shrubs

• Water two times per week for about one minute on full stream

Junipers

• One thorough watering each week for about one minute

Perennials

• Water for 30 seconds, 2 - 3 times per week
• Some perennials will need more water than others
• Watch for wilting and always water from the base

Yews

• Water once a week for 30 seconds

Ground Covers

• Water 30 seconds every other day

Suggestions

• Purchase a watering wand
• Water at the base of plant instead of from the top
• Do not overwater evergreen trees
• Keep in mind the location of plants. For example, plants located on the south or west side of a structure will get more sun, therefore will need more frequent watering.

New Sod Care

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Watering

Watering your new sod is after it has been installed is very critical. Regular watering is necessary until the root system has become deeply established, it usually takes one full summer. Occasionally, it will take two summers, especially if the soil is heavy clay or compacted.

Example: Sod that is laid in August should be given frequent, shallow watering during the hot weeks of August and September, then watering can be reduced as the weather cools. However, due to a not completely established the root system, a careful watering program should begin again the next spring, and should continue through the hot months. Failure to do so could result in a “burned” lawn when the temperatures reach 80 degrees.

Sod Watering Schedules

Sod Installed During Warmer Weather

High Temperatures 75 Degrees Fahrenheit or Above

	Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
Week 1	**	**	**	*	*	*	*
Week 2	*	*	*	*	*		*
Week 3		*	#	*			*
Week 4	*		*		*	#	*

* = water once daily ** water two times daily # = mow

Sod Installed During Cooler Weather

High Temperatures 75 Degrees Fahrenheit or below

	Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
Week 1	**	**	*	*	*	*
Week 2	*		*		*		*
Week 3		*	#		*		*
Week 4	*				*

* = water once daily ** water two times daily # = mow

For the initial watering, use approximately 0.5 inch of water at each watering session that will soak the sod adequately. In later weeks, as the watering frequency decreases, 1 inch should be applied at each watering. To determine how long to run your sprinkler, use a small can with low sides placed in the sod to measure the water. A recycled tuna can works well.

Mowing

Allow sod to grow 4 inch to 5 inch before mowing. Mow no shorter than 3 in.

Fertilizing

September fertilizing is recommended for new sod, but do not fertilize for the first 60 days after sod is laid. For sod laid down in Fall, fertilize in May.

Warranty

After installation, there is no warranty for sod.

Hydo Seeding Care

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Watering For grass seed to germinate, it must stay moist continuously for four to eight days.

• For the first seven days, water twice each day. Usually 25–30 minutes on each section of the lawn is average, but your lawn may need more or less depending on slope, soil conditions, and weather. Hot weather may require more frequent watering, and a sloping lawn may need longer, slower watering because of runoff, for example. The lawn should be saturated—wet enough that you can't walk on it without leaving footprints. You may want to start your watering at the point that's farthest from the house and work in, to avoid walking on the wet lawn.
• After the first seven days, water heavily, but only those areas where grass is not visible. Where grass has appeared, limit watering to one inch a week, preferably in the morning hours.
• After grass has germinated and is growing well, normally three to four weeks, water as you would an established lawn. Aim for about an inch each week, preferably in the morning hours. You can judge the amount by placing a tuna can, or similar container, in the area being watered. When an inch of water has collected, that area has had enough and you are ready to go on to the next area.

Mowing

• Mow your lawn as soon as it reaches a height of three and a half inches.
• Make sure your mower blades are sharp.
• Set your mower height at three inches and leave it there.
• Bag the clippings. Do not rake newly seeded lawns.
• Mow your lawn on a regular basis, about every seven to ten days, or as growth warrants.

Fertilizing

• The fertilizer applied during installation will last through the initial growth period.
• Apply the second fertilizer treatment about six to seven weeks after installation. The grass may show spots of yellowing, a sign of nitrogen deficiency, a side effect of heavy watering. Also new lawns that are freshly backfilled and graded are often not uniform in soil type and structure. This can also contribute to yellowing of the lawn in spots. Unless the weather is hot and dry, a supplementary application of nitrogen when these spots appear will boost the grass toward quicker maturity. Lawns should be fertilized four to five times a year to become thick and lush.
• Weed Control: Weeds often appear in a new lawn, especially one that is planted in the spring. The presence of these weeds sometimes initiates frantic efforts to eliminate them, but in new lawns, it is best to let them be. Many of the weeds that accompany grass germination in the spring are annuals. This seed is constantly present in the soil. If the weeds naturally grow tall, regular mowing will be enough to control them. If they are low-growing varieties, such as crabgrass, they will likely stay until fall. Although they do compete with the grass, normally the grass plants will coexist with these weeds, and the following spring, their germination can be chemically prevented. Spraying weeds with chemicals in new grass is not recommended until fully established as immature grass is susceptible to chemical damage.