| CARING
FOR YOUR NEW TURF GRASS
WATERING
Water the sod
immediately after installation until it's completely soaked, but not
puddled ABOVE the sod. Initially, apply at least 1" of water
so the soil underneath is very wet. Pull back a corner of sod to verify
your watering is penetrating the underlying soil. Make sure the water
is getting to all the areas of your lawn and no corners or edges are
missed by your sprinklers. Weather conditions will dictate the frequency
and amount of water to apply. It is critical to keep the underlying
soil moist for two weeks or until your turf is well rooted.
As the turf becomes
more established, begin deeper, less frequent water applications to
promote deeper rooting and hardier turf.
Be sure your new
turf grass has enough moisture to survive hot, cold, dry and windy
conditions. Generally speaking, as the root system grows deeper, irrigation
frequency should be reduced.
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GENERAL
RULES FOR ESTABLISHING NEW TURF
WEEK 1 - 7AM
+ 11AM + 2 PM
If the soil remains moist and absolutely no turf wilt is observed,
eliminate the 11:00 watering
WEEK 2 - 7AM
+ 2PM
If the soil remains moist and absolutely no turf wilt is observed,
eliminate the 2:00PM watering
WEEKS 3 &
4 - 7AM
If the soil remains moist and absolutely no turf wilt is observed,
water every other day
Eventually taper
back to once every two or three days. Adjust according to weather
and season - water more frequently during warm or dry weather. Turn
off water if it's windy, as the water evaporates at a much higher
rate. Do not water sod between 6 PM and 4 AM, as this can promote
turf disease.
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FOOT
TRAFFIC
During the first
couple of weeks after installation, keep traffic off your newly planted
turf grass as much as possible. Your new turf grass needs time to
firmly knit the roots with the soil. If you have properly watered
your newly-laid turf grass, it will be moist and soft. Traffic will
create indentures and destroy your smooth grade.
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TROUBLESHOOTING
If
DRY SPOTS appear in the lawn during the afternoon, the irrigation
time should be increased. If dry spots persist, an irrigation uniformity
problem is likely, and an additional sprinkler head may be required.
BROWN LAWN areas are most commonly caused by one of three types
of problems: Improper watering, burn, or disease. Check for watering
and burn problems first before treating for disease.
BROWN SPOTS caused by a burn will result from pet urine, over-fertilization,
gasoline spills, etc. Burn spots are distinguished from other types
of damage by their "total kill" straw-yellow color. If a
burned area is thoroughly flushed with water in the early stage of
damage some recovery may occur. Otherwise reseeding or sodding may
be necessary. However, with bluegrass, if you are patient, the area
will fill itself in. It will just take some time.
To check for LACK OF WATER use a screwdriver or knife to probe
the brown areas of your lawn as well as the healthy green areas. If
the brown area is more difficult to penetrate then a lack of water
is likely. This is usually the result of poor sprinkler spacing or
sprinkler malfunction. Saturate the area with a hose as soon as possible
and continue to provide supplemental water until the sprinklers are
repaired.
EXCESS WATER can cause turf to die by suffocating the plants
roots or rotting its crown. This generally occurs in low spots or
shady areas. Check for muddy soil, algae crusts, or slimy rotting
grass. To correct problems in the shade, reduce irrigation time to
that area or replace the sprinklers with lower volume heads. Low spots
must either be raised or set up to drain.
DISEASES are almost always related to heat and moisture. However,
poor irrigation practices can also promote disease development. The
longer moisture stays in the turf foliage the greater the disease
risk. Therefore, do not water at night, (between 6 pm and 4 am) since
the lawn
will stay wet until morning. It is best to irrigate between
6 am and 8 am. Early morning watering reduces evaporation.
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