When you finally see the first green blades of grass peeking out of the dirt, you want to feel it beneath your feet right away. But don’t take a stroll on your lawn just yet. Walking on the grass too soon can cause uneven patches and disrupt its growth.
Achieving a lush lawn takes patience. To get the best out of your newly-planted grass, follow these basic guidelines for handling and care.
How Long Should You Wait to Walk on Your Grass?
If you don’t know how to tell when you can walk on your grass, start with a baseline of two months. Most grass species can grow and produce a robust root system within that time, giving them enough stability to hold up underfoot.
Before you can walk on your newly seeded lawn, you should mow it several times. Follow these general rules to produce optimal grass growth before you walk on it.
1. Wait For Grass to Grow at Least Three to Four Inches
Baby grass usually takes at least eight weeks to grow this high. However, that time can vary depending on the type of grass and growing conditions, including sun exposure, water, soil nutrients, temperature, and other factors.
2. Mow Grass After it Reaches One Inch Over Your Desired Height
After your grass exceeds the desired height by at least half an inch, you can safely mow it. Mow slowly and gently because the grass is still young. It has not yet grown strong roots, and you don’t want to damage it.
Always check your seed provider’s recommended cutting height, as it varies based on your grass species’ leaf width and growth habit. Cutting too much from your grass can cause long-term damage, and too little can promote the formation of thatch.
3. Mow Grass Three to Five Times
After the first trim, mow your lawn once a week for at least a month. With these mowing sessions, you ensure healthy root growth.
The Importance of Grass Height
The longer the grass grows, the stronger its roots get. The roots continuously adapt to support the grass’s nutrition, water consumption, and weight, resulting in deeper root systems.
By giving the roots ample time to grow, you prepare them to withstand insects, nematodes, disease, drought, extreme temperatures, low-quality soil, and frequent foot traffic.
Best Mowing Practices to Follow
Regularly mowing your grass can improve its appearance and long-term health, but only when done correctly. Every experienced mower will recommend these useful mowing tips that help your newly seeded lawn grow thick and green.
Remove Debris from Your Lawn
Before mowing your lawn, ensure that you pick up any sticks, stones, and little. Even the smallest debris can damage a lawn mower blade or worse injure you while you mow.
Keep Your Blade Sharp
In general, you should sharpen your blade after every 20 hours of use. Most hardware establishments offer blade sharpening for a small fee, and it’s worth the price for a healthy lawn.
A sharp mower blade causes less trauma to your grass and creates clean, even cuts. Conversely, dull blades can rip healthy grass out by its roots and hinder growth over time.
Mow Slowly and Gently
When mowing the lawn, especially the first couple of times, don’t rush the process. New root systems are more susceptible to damage, so go over your grass slowly to avoid ripping up weaker seedlings.
Mow While the Lawn is Dry
Never mow your lawn after a watering session or rainfall. Wet grass tends to tear and tangle, and you may uproot it if you cut it before it dries.
Vary Your Mowing Pattern
If you mow your lawn in the same pattern each week, it causes the grass to grow at an angle. Eventually, you’ll see the lines in your lawn from your mower’s wheels long after the grass has fully developed.
Change the pattern and direction of your mowing to encourage straight grass growth. Not only will this practice create healthy grass, but it also creates the most aesthetically pleasing lawn.
Leave Behind Your Grass Clippings
Who knew that not cleaning up after mowing the lawn has its benefits? Grass clippings decay quickly, and leaving them behind returns nutrients to the soil and retains moisture.
The only exception to this rule is that you should clean up your clippings during windy weather. Leaving them, in this case, can create a mess for you and your neighbors.
If your lawn has weeds, compost the clippings to avoid re-seeding them.
Tips to Ensure Healthy Grass Growth
Pick the Right Seed
While most grass is hardy, each type grows optimally in specific conditions. You’ll find grass seed options in these two categories:
- Cool-Season Grasses: These grasses adapt well to temperate climates with freezing winters and hot summers. If you live in the Northwest, Northeast, or Midwest, we recommend cool-season grass for your lawn. These species include Kentucky bluegrass, bentgrass, fescue, and perennial rye.
- Warm-Season Grasses: These grasses originate from tropical areas, which is why they grow best in hotter conditions. Places like the Southwest, Deep South, or Mid-South are warm enough year-round to ensure optimal growth. Warm season grass varieties include buffalo grass, bahiagrass, centipede, St. Augustine, and zoysia.
Prepare the Soil
Soil quality significantly affects plant growth, no matter what grass species you choose. Take these steps to improve your soil condition before you start planting and care for your grass from day one.
Use Fertilizers
If you have poor-quality soil, consider using organic fertilizer to provide the nutrients necessary for plant growth. Organic fertilizers have the advantage of releasing nutrients over a long period, whereas artificial fertilizers dissipate quickly. Organic fertilizers can mean the difference between your grass having the nutrients it needs for weeks instead of days.
Aerate the Soil
Roots need enough space to function and grow properly. Create three-inch holes in your soil to help your grass absorb more nutrients and water.
For heavily compacted soil, consider using a tiller to loosen it. Good seed to soil contact is critical for germination.
Remove Weed Growth
Weeds will compete with your grass for nutrients and water. Remove them by the root and place them all in a bucket. Avoid piling them up on your lawn to prevent spreading new seeds.
If you have extensive weed growth, you may need to use herbicide.
Add Mulch
While not an absolute necessity, covering your lawn with mulch made from straw or compost after planting your seeds helps with grass growth.
Mulch adds extra nutrients when it decomposes, keeps the soil cooler, and helps retain moisture. It is especially useful for hot and dry climates. However, remember that the seeds still need sunlight exposure, so ensure you don’t cover them too thickly.
Water Your Grass Properly
Your grass needs sufficient moisture levels in the early stages to promote optimal growth. Grass requires constant moisture without soaking the soil.
Observe your soil for any color change. A lighter shade of brown tells you it’s time to start watering.
Different growing stages also require varying amounts of water. Follow this simple guide to determine when and how much you should water.
- Fertilizing and Seeding Stage: Before the grass seeds germinate, keep the top inch of soil moist by misting the area once a day. Hotter weather might mean multiple mistings, but never let the ground get soggy.
- Germination Stage: Once most of the seeds have germinated, keep the top two inches deep of the soil moist through light watering. Water them like this until your grass is about three inches in height.
- Growing Stage: After sufficient growth, you can now water deeply until the moisture reaches the top six to eight inches of the soil.
Keep Off Your Lawn
Unless you’re watering or mowing your lawn, try to minimize foot traffic. Keep pets and people off newly grown grass for at least a month to ensure consistent growth throughout the area.
When you finally see the first green blades of grass peeking out of the dirt, you want to feel it beneath your feet right away. But don’t take a stroll on your lawn just yet. Walking on the grass too soon can cause uneven patches and disrupt its growth.
Achieving a lush lawn takes patience. To get the best out of your newly-planted grass, follow these basic guidelines for handling and care.
How Long Should You Wait to Walk on Your Grass?
If you don’t know how to tell when you can walk on your grass, start with a baseline of two months. Most grass species can grow and produce a robust root system within that time, giving them enough stability to hold up underfoot.
Before you can walk on your newly seeded lawn, you should mow it several times. Follow these general rules to produce optimal grass growth before you walk on it.
1. Wait For Grass to Grow at Least Three to Four Inches
Baby grass usually takes at least eight weeks to grow this high. However, that time can vary depending on the type of grass and growing conditions, including sun exposure, water, soil nutrients, temperature, and other factors.
2. Mow Grass After it Reaches One Inch Over Your Desired Height
After your grass exceeds the desired height by at least half an inch, you can safely mow it. Mow slowly and gently because the grass is still young. It has not yet grown strong roots, and you don’t want to damage it.
Always check your seed provider’s recommended cutting height, as it varies based on your grass species’ leaf width and growth habit. Cutting too much from your grass can cause long-term damage, and too little can promote the formation of thatch.
3. Mow Grass Three to Five Times
After the first trim, mow your lawn once a week for at least a month. With these mowing sessions, you ensure healthy root growth.
The Importance of Grass Height
The longer the grass grows, the stronger its roots get. The roots continuously adapt to support the grass’s nutrition, water consumption, and weight, resulting in deeper root systems.
By giving the roots ample time to grow, you prepare them to withstand insects, nematodes, disease, drought, extreme temperatures, low-quality soil, and frequent foot traffic.
Best Mowing Practices to Follow
Regularly mowing your grass can improve its appearance and long-term health, but only when done correctly. Every experienced mower will recommend these useful mowing tips that help your newly seeded lawn grow thick and green.
Remove Debris from Your Lawn
Before mowing your lawn, ensure that you pick up any sticks, stones, and little. Even the smallest debris can damage a lawn mower, or worse, injure you while you mow.
Keep Your Blade Sharp
In general, you should sharpen your blade after every 20 hours of use. Most hardware establishments offer blade sharpening for a small fee, and it’s worth the price for a healthy lawn.
A sharp mower blade causes less trauma to your grass and creates clean, even cuts. Conversely, dull blades can rip healthy grass out by its roots and hinder growth over time.
Mow Slowly and Gently
When mowing the lawn, especially the first couple of times, don’t rush the process. New root systems are more susceptible to damage, so go over your grass slowly to avoid ripping up weaker seedlings.
Mow While the Lawn is Dry
Never mow your lawn after a watering session or rainfall. Wet grass tends to tear and tangle, and you may uproot it if you cut it before it dries.
Vary Your Mowing Pattern
If you mow your lawn in the same pattern each week, it causes the grass to grow at an angle. Eventually, you’ll see the lines in your lawn from your mower’s wheels long after the grass has fully developed.
Change the pattern and direction of your mowing to encourage straight grass growth. Not only will this practice create healthy grass, but it also creates the most aesthetically pleasing lawn.
Leave Behind Your Grass Clippings
Who knew that not cleaning up after mowing the lawn has its benefits? Grass clippings decay quickly, and leaving them behind returns nutrients to the soil and retains moisture.
The only exception to this rule is that you should clean up your clippings during windy weather. Leaving them, in this case, can create a mess for you and your neighbors.
If your lawn has weeds, compost the clippings to avoid re-seeding them.
Tips to Ensure Healthy Grass Growth
Pick the Right Seed
While most grass is hardy, each type grows optimally in specific conditions. You’ll find grass seed options in these two categories:
- Cool-Season Grasses: These grasses adapt well to temperate climates with freezing winters and hot summers. If you live in the Northwest, Northeast, or Midwest, we recommend cool-season grass for your lawn. These species include Kentucky bluegrass, bentgrass, fescue, and perennial rye.
- Warm-Season Grasses: These grasses originate from tropical areas, which is why they grow best in hotter conditions. Places like the Southwest, Deep South, or Mid-South are warm enough year-round to ensure optimal growth. Warm season grass varieties include buffalo grass, bahiagrass, centipede, St. Augustine, and zoysia.
Prepare the Soil
Soil quality significantly affects plant growth, no matter what grass species you choose. Take these steps to improve your soil condition before you start planting and care for your grass from day one.
Use Fertilizers
If you have poor-quality soil, consider using organic fertilizer to provide the nutrients necessary for plant growth. Organic fertilizers have the advantage of releasing nutrients over a long period, whereas artificial fertilizers dissipate quickly. Organic fertilizers can mean the difference between your grass having the nutrients it needs for weeks instead of days.
Aerate the Soil
Roots need enough space to function and grow properly. Create three-inch holes in your soil to help your grass absorb more nutrients and water.
For heavily compacted soil, consider using a tiller to loosen it. Good seed to soil contact is critical for germination.
Remove Weed Growth
Weeds will compete with your grass for nutrients and water. Remove them by the root and place them all in a bucket. Avoid piling them up on your lawn to prevent spreading new seeds.
If you have extensive weed growth, you may need to use herbicide.
Add Mulch
While not an absolute necessity, covering your lawn with mulch made from straw or compost after planting your seeds helps with grass growth.
Mulch adds extra nutrients when it decomposes, keeps the soil cooler, and helps retain moisture. It is especially useful for hot and dry climates. However, remember that the seeds still need sunlight exposure, so ensure you don’t cover them too thickly.
Water Your Grass Properly
Your grass needs sufficient moisture levels in the early stages to promote optimal growth. Grass requires constant moisture without soaking the soil.
Observe your soil for any color change. A lighter shade of brown tells you it’s time to start watering.
Different growing stages also require varying amounts of water. Follow this simple guide to determine when and how much you should water.
- Fertilizing and Seeding Stage: Before the grass seeds germinate, keep the top inch of soil moist by misting the area once a day. Hotter weather might mean multiple mistings, but never let the ground get soggy.
- Germination Stage: Once most of the seeds have germinated, keep the top two inches deep of the soil moist through light watering. Water them like this until your grass is about three inches in height.
- Growing Stage: After sufficient growth, you can now water deeply until the moisture reaches the top six to eight inches of the soil.
Keep Off Your Lawn
Unless you’re watering or mowing your lawn, try to minimize foot traffic. Keep pets and people off newly grown grass for at least a month to ensure consistent growth throughout the area.