Your new grass, step by step

Begin watering the day of service. During the first one to two weeks, keep the top inch of soil damp without creating puddles, runoff, or constantly soggy ground. Warm, sunny, or windy areas may need shorter cycles more often than shaded sections.

Leave normal aeration plugs on the lawn. They dry, break apart, and return soil to the surface over the next one to three weeks. Keep people and pets off newly seeded areas as much as practical.

As seedlings establish, water less often but more deeply. Blow leaves away on a low setting instead of raking tender new grass, and do not let leaves form a wet mat for more than a few days.

Plan the first mow when new grass reaches about four inches. Mow dry turf back to roughly three inches with a sharp blade and wide, gentle turns.

Transition established turf toward about one inch of water per week, including useful rainfall. A light feeding may be appropriate three to five weeks after sprouting when it fits the lawn plan and product label.

Wait until the new lawn has been mowed about three times before ordinary weed control, and always follow the product label. A few bare spots can be normal where shade, slopes, traffic, or irrigation coverage slow establishment.