Two weeks ago you had new sod laid down on your lawn. After saving for months to pay for it all and envisioning what it would look like, you were finally able to get the lawn of your dreams. That is until it started to turn yellow and quickly died.
What happened? Why did your brand new lawn die so quickly? After only two weeks, your initially beautiful and lush green grass is already gone!
Despite how simple it seems — to water a lawn and hope for the best — there are many overlooked aspects of keeping a lawn as fresh and lush as the day it was laid. In this article, we will discuss two important aspects to bear in mind to best care for your lawn.
Water
Watering your lawn regularly is crucial. We all know that. What we don’t all know, however, is that timing, direction, and flow is just as important.
First things first, you need to make sure that your sprinkler system is aimed correctly. I’m sure you have seen plenty of sprinklers watering the street instead of the lawn, and that’s a novice mistake.
Also, it is vital to make sure that your sprinkler system is working at full flow and capacity. Dirt, mulch, and small rocks may be impeding the flow of water.
Not only is it necessary to ensure that your sprinkler system is aimed correctly and that the flow is at full capacity, but also to run your system at the correct time of day.
If your system is set to run during the day, especially in a hot climate like we have here in South Florida, much of the water will evaporate and escape into the air before the soil has a chance to absorb it properly. To avoid evaporation issues, your system should be set to run after the sun goes down, which according to Cape Coral watering regulations is when your sprinkler system should be running anyway. Regularly, this schedule will include two 4-hours periods a week between 12 am, and 8 am. However, it may change to one day a week during periods of drought and rules may be different for new lawns, which have a grace period of 45 days to get established.
Feet, Cars, and Bins
It is important not to crush the grass constantly.
Feet are the number one most common way of killing fresh grass. Besides, you need to be very careful about parking your cars, as well as pulling them out of the driveway. It is very easy to rip out entire sections of grass by not driving with care.
Last, but not least in terms of damage, are trash and recycling bins. I have been guilty of doing this myself with great detriment to my own lawn. If you put out the bins every week and allow them to rest on the lawn, and even roll a garbage can on wheels through the lawn, you can quickly destroy your lawn.
Final Thoughts
Lawns are an excellent way to increase the beauty and value of your home. Too often, however, we are careless and expect the grass to just grow without much effort, which may well be true with proper care. However, to properly care for your new lawn, you must be aware of both water issues and physical damage.
CWG Landscaping is here to help; we can maintain your new grass as well as established lawns, check your sprinkler system for you, and adjust it to water your lawn at the right times.
CWG Landscape Inc.
239-242-0900