TIPS FOR STARTING NEW GRASS SEED IN YOUR LAWN

The best time to establish a new lawn is in August or September. The temperatures in these two months are warm enough to sprout new grass seed and the moisture from heavy dews and frequent rains make it easy to maintain. Always be sure to follow these steps when putting down new grass seed:

1. Treat the area that will be seeded with a new lawn starter lawn food.  This will provide the grass seed with nourishment as it germinates.
2. Plant grass seed in loose topsoil and scratch the seed in below the soil line with a rake.
3. Water the seeded area for at least 15 minutes twice a day until the seed has germinated. This will ensure that the seed coat is kept moist. If this is not possible, add a hydro-stretch wetting agent to the seeded area or use a seed mulch when seeding. After the seed has sprouted, water it as you would an already existing lawn. Ideally, the new lawn should be receiving approximately 1 inch of water each week.
4. The new grass should not be mowed until the blades have reached a height of 1 ½ to 2 inches. Make sure you set your lawn mower on a low RPM before you start to prevent the suction of the mower from tearing out the delicate young blades of grass.
5. Do not apply herbicide to the new lawn until it has received at least three mowings. Applying herbicides to the lawn any sooner than this will kill the new grass.