Caring For New Grass Seed
For grass areas that have been seeded, keep the area consistently moist (but not flooded) and undisturbed for at least five days. Straw may have been used to protect the seed, and it will decompose naturally. Seeded lawns should be fertilized in the Fall, or as outlined by your lawn care professional. We recommend a balanced fertilizer program to help establish your new lawn and protect your investment.
Note that you should put at least 1/2" of water on your lawn immediately after fertilizing for the first time. If you do not put enough water on your new lawn after fertilizing, your new lawn could burn. The new lawn may be cut for the first time when the grass is approximately 4" high.
A common mistake when renovating a new lawn is to neglect watering once the grass seed has germinated. New seedlings need steady moisture from frequent watering or rainfall. Their immature root systems only penetrate into the soil an inch or so where it dries out quickly during warm weather. Continue to water frequently and deeply enough to keep the top few inches of soil moist. If you have mulched the new seed the straw or garden fleece will help retard water loss from evaporation. If there is no rain, water new grass at least twice a week until it is a few months old.