Looking after your new lawn

Watering

Water the area immediately after laying – water in the first hour does more good than three hours later. In dry weather it will be necessary to water the turf daily. This should be done morning and evening, but be careful not to over water as this can cause consolidation of the soil, giving rise to ‘water pockets’ that can rot delicate grass roots (a common sign is browning around the joints of the turves). If this occurs, you should roll the lawn (both ways) and reduce water application.

Mowing

The new lawn should not be mowed until good root growth is established. To check this, try turning back one of the corners, which should be firmly attached to the soil. For the first mowing, the height of the cut should be set so as to just ’top’ the grass. The mower should be pushed in a straight line one way, then turned and pushed back the other way. The height of the cut can be lowered slightly for the next and each subsequent cut until the desired height is reached but remember only very fine grasses such as Bentgrass and fine fescues tolerate very close mowing whereas standard (utility) law grass mixtures should only be cut from between ¾” (2cm) to 1” (2 ½ cm) and not less.

Weed Treatment

The best weed prevention is a healthy, vigorous growth of grass and this can be achieved with correct care and feeding. However, should weeds become a problem, they should be treated in the spring when there is natural moisture and the weeds are at a good stage of growth. A combined weed treatment/fertiliser is the best to use because it will encourage a healthy growth of grass which will minimise weed infestation.

Feeding

Top growth takes place during spring and early summer, therefore this is an ideal time to dress with a nitrogen fertiliser, which will keep your lawn a good colour. During late autumn and winter the root structure is being built up, so a complete fertiliser applied in early autumn will aid this process and ensure a good spring growth.
If you require more detailed advice on lawn care, we suggest you obtain a copy of ‘The lawn Expert’ by Dr. D.G. Hessayon (PBI Publications) available from most leading book shops.