Irrigation

• 1). Cover your grass seeds with straw mulch to conserve moisture, protect them from scorching sun rays and prevent soil erosion. Use one bale of straw mulch per 1,000 square feet spread thinly across the seed bed.
  
  
• 2). Water seeds immediately after sowing them. Irrigate the bed to a depth of 4 inches. Use a stake and a watch the first time to figure out how long that takes. Begin timing the sprinkler as soon as you turn it on. Insert the stake in the soil every five minutes to measure how deep the moisture has reached. Once the ground is wet 4 to 6 inches deep, check your watch and take note of how long it's been since you turned the water on. Next time you need to hydrate your seeds, let the water run for the same length of time.
  
  
• 3). Check the moisture level of your seed bed once a day. Touch some of the straw and the soil surface in a few areas. Irrigate it to a depth of 4 inches if both feel dry.
  
  
• 4). Water the grass more deeply after the seeds begin to germinate. That forces the roots to develop to reach the moisture supply available farther underground.
  
  
• 5). Change your irrigation schedule when the seedlings reach 1 inch in height. Give the new grass ¼ inch of water every other day. Measure the moisture by placing an empty can in the yard to catch some of the water. Turn the sprinkler off when the can has collected ¼ inch of water. Time how long that takes so you don't need the can next time.
  
  
• 6). Turn the sprinkler on twice at a three-day interval the second week following seed germination. Apply ½ inch of water to the new grass both times.
  
  
• 7). Begin to irrigate your grass once a week three weeks after germination. Apply 1 inch of water during each watering session.
  
  
• 8). Start watering sod within 20 minutes of installation of each section of grass. Don't wait to irrigate until the entire lawn is finished to prevent the roots from drying out and dying. Apply 1 inch of water at planting and continue to give your new sod the same amount of moisture weekly.
  
  

Additional Care

• 1). Mow your new lawn when it becomes 1/3 taller than its recommended height. The ideal height for bermuda grass, for example, is 1½ inches while bahia grass does better at 4 inches. Contact your cooperative extension office or local nursery to find out the ideal height for your grass species.
  
  
• 2). Apply ½ pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet at the time you seed your lawn. Rake the fertilizer superficially into the soil along with the grass seeds you just broadcast. Feed sod the same amount of nitrogen the day after you install it. Water the fertilizer in with a light irrigation session of 1/8 to ¼ inch of moisture. Repeat fertilization two weeks after the grass seeds germinate or two weeks after you install sod. Broadcast another ½ pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet and water it in.
  
  
• 3). Submit a soil sample to your cooperative extension office to find out how much potassium and phosphorous you need to incorporate into the ground before you seed or sod your lawn. The Bray test and the Olsen test analyze the topsoil for the presence of phosphorous. Depending on the result, the recommendation will be for you to apply 1, 2 or 5 pounds of phosphorous per 1,000 square feet. The suggested amount of potassium ranges from 0 to 6 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Blend both nutrients to a depth of 4 inches.