How to Water a Newly Seeded Lawn
Essential watering guidelines for successful seed germination
Maintaining a Newly Seeded Lawn
After seeding has been performed, keep the soil lightly moistened twice daily for good germination. If you are not able to water twice daily, make sure to water at least once a day. Do not overwater. Two light sprinklings are better than one heavy watering, ensuring your seed does not dry out.
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Critical Watering Requirements
- Monitor Weather: Cool and wet means no watering, hot and dry means 2 times daily
- Never let surface dry: Do not allow the top surface to become dried out at any time. This can injure or even kill the seedlings during their fragile germination phase. Seed can sit for weeks, but once watering has begun, you must follow through daily for success.
- Avoid overwatering: Seedlings can also be killed by overwatering. Persistent standing water causes new seed to rot. Soil should never remain squishy or saturated. Again, lightly moistened is the goal.
Best Times to Water
The best time to water newly seeded lawns is early in the morning and/or later in the evening. During hot periods, a midday watering may be necessary as well.
Timeline and Maintenance Schedule
Weeks 1-2: Initial Germination Phase
- Water twice daily to keep soil lightly moistened
- Limit traffic on the newly seeded lawn as much as possible
- Watch for germination - expect seedlings to emerge anywhere from 7-14 days, up to 21 days in some cases
Weeks 2-3: Thickening Phase
- Once the lawn has started to thicken up (about 2-3 weeks), change the watering schedule to 2 times per week at 0.5 inch per watering
- Continue limiting traffic to allow roots to establish
Week 3+: Establishment Phase
- First Mowing: Once grass has grown to 2.5" or 3" you can mow
- Mowing Height: Keep the lawn healthy by mowing regularly, never removing more than 1/3 of the blade
- No Herbicide: Wait at least 6 weeks before applying any herbicide
The Portage Turf Guarantee
Portage Turf does not guarantee any seeding, but we can guarantee that we plant in the proper location with viable seed, correct seed variety, and at the depth and seeding rate professionals suggest. If a lawn is watered correctly, there is no reason for it not to grow quickly and fill in with great results.
Depending on the lawn, you can expect the new seedlings to emerge anywhere from 7-14 days and even up to 21 days in some cases. Enjoy your new lawn!
Quick Reference Guide
- First 2-3 Weeks: Water lightly 2x daily (or at least 1x daily)
- After Thickening: Water 2x weekly at 0.5" per watering
- First Mowing: When grass reaches 2.5"-3"
- Herbicide Application: Wait 6 weeks minimum
- Germination Time: 7-21 days depending on conditions