New Lawn Care

NEW lawns from SEED should be hand watered with a gentle spray. Keep the soil surface dark with moisture at all times until all the seed is germinated and the lawn shows an even cast of green. This may require attention from 3-6 times daily in hot weather. Try using Soil Penetrant to help seed sprout and reduce water run-off.

NEW lawns from SOD also need to be watered frequently. SOUTHLAND SOD, makers of MARATHON BRAND® SOD, recommends “squishy soak” watering new sod for the first week, and then tapering thereafter. This, of course, is contingent upon weather conditions. In summer, keeping a lawn “squishy soaked” may require watering two, even three waterings per day. In winter, keeping a lawn “squishy soaked” may only require watering every second or third day. Common sense MUST prevail.

MOW the lawn for the first time when the grass is about 2” high. Cool season grasses such as blue grass and rye grass should be mowed shorter, 1” to 1 ½” in winter. Tall fescues, such as MARATHON I® should be left 3” so their roots will stay cool. Mow MARATHON II® (dwarf variety) to a height of 1 ½” to 2 ½”. Never mow more than 1/3 of the grass blade at any one time since plant injury may result. ALWAYS USE A SHARP MOWER. White or yellow grass blade tips are the result of a dull mower blade.

Feed your new lawn THREE WEEKS after the seed germinates with LIQUID GOLD™. Repeat monthly for three more feedings. Then, follow the care sheet. *FEEDING is the most important component needed to maintain a nice lawn. If you don’t feed, your lawn will inevitably suffer the effects of lack of nutrition, becoming weak and sickly. Remember, Southern California gets very little rain, the number one source of Nitrogen, the element required to make plants green and grow. Southern California residents do well to supplement with food that contains nitrogen as well as other important plant nutrients.

We recommend feeding with NURSERYMAN’S TURFGREEN during the summer months to keep a nice green lawn without the grass growing so fast you have to mow it twice per week. Feed at 40 lbs per 4000 sq. ft; 20 lbs per 2000 sq. ft, or 1 lb per 100 sq. ft.

WATCH FOR BROWN SPOTS or dying areas. Bring in a sample and have one of our Master Nursery Professionals check the problem. A 3” square of sod is usually enough to sample. We prefer the sample to ½ brown or ½ green (or, more specifically, at the point where the lawn is going from health to illness) for more accurate diagnosis.