Last week C&M Residential shared with you the three essential tips on how to make your fescue Fall lawn renovation a success. This week, we cover the correct maintenance and watering process that you should perform to help your Roswell, GA lawn grow strong, thick, and beautiful.
Seedling Maintenance
Within the first two weeks of planting, the new seed should be watered daily, and if we are having a particularly hot and dry Georgia day, a second watering would be beneficial. 10-15 minutes of application during each watering should suffice, but be careful to watch for water runoff. If the water runs off, you will be able to observe how quickly your soil will percolate the water to the point of saturation. When run off begins, or puddles form, stop watering. After two weeks, the new grass seed should begin to germinate the green cast will be apparent. Change your watering pattern to every other day for 10-14 days and increase the run time to 20-30 minutes. Use the same process of observing the water to establish your watering timing determined by how quickly your soil can percolate the water. After 3-4 weeks, it will be evident that the new lawn needs to be mowed. The newly seeded grass should be cut as high as the mower will allow – about 3-3 1/2″; however, the first mow or two may be slightly shorter so that the new tender grass seedlings will not law over on themselves – about 2 1/2″. Please remember – do not rake up the straw. Allow your grass cuttings to mulch while you are mowing. The accumulation of clippings will break down in time and provide additional nutrients and protection to the seedlings.
Encouraging a Strong Root System
Now that your grass has become stronger, it is time to encourage the growth of a deep root system. To verify your water application rate, use a tuna fish can placed in the middle of your lawn. Water your lawn until the water runs off, then stop the water and note the time elapsed and measure the water in the can. This measurement will indicate how many inches of water in a period of time that the soil can absorb. The goal is to provide 1-2” of water per week to the fescue lawn. If water begins to run off when the can is half full after approximately 30 minutes, then we can determine that the soil will need a cycle soak irrigation timing. Set the system (or your watch) to run 30 minutes. The system will automatically shut off (or you must again set your watch). Let the lawn absorb the water for 30 minutes up to an hour then run it again for 30 minutes. Now you have applied 1″ of water in a day. This will migrate the water deep in the soil and the roots will follow. If the day is particularly hot and sunny, the lawn may need watering again in a few days – but if the weather is mild your lawn has just gotten all of the water that it needs for the week. With these watering practices. seedling roots will grow deep into the prepared soil away from the heat of the sun and will become strong and vibrant. If the weather is dry for 7-10 days, set your irrigation system to water your lawn to promote its health and vigor. Rain sensors are now used to automatically stop the watering if enough water has been acquired by rainfall.
Building up the density of a fescue lawn may take a few years. If you follow these guidelines and prepare the soil properly, you will get to the point of a beautiful fescue lawn that may skip a year or two of overseeding.
If you are interested in a lawn makeover for this Fall for your Roswell, GA home, call us at C&M Residential today!