Trying to figure out what’s preventing your home lawn from becoming as lush as your neighbor’s?
Achieving a consistently green lawn can seem like a headache, especially when you’re using grass seeds. After all, birds find a tasty snack in the grass seeds, and the brown patches can be persistent.
While there are quite a few factors affecting grass growth, a critical point that homeowners often tend to overlook is how often to water new grass seed. Indeed, it can make or break the prospect of a healthy and lush green lawn and is linked to other vital aspects of grass growth too.
That’s why we thought of compiling this guide to all the essentials of watering grass seeds to achieve the lawn of your dreams. So, let’s get to the details.
How Often To Water New Grass Seed
The Entire Watering Schedule
When it comes to achieving lush, green grass in your lawn, timely watering is a key factor throughout. So, here is a round-up of the watering schedule you must follow from start to finish:
Several Days Before Planting The Seeds
Firstly, know that you’ll have to make the soil moist to a six to eight-inch depth for a few days before planting the seeds. And to ensure that the step is completed the right way, it’s essential to measure the water penetration depth after watering the soil.
Notably, the easiest method will be to insert a screwdriver into the soil. And in case it sinks six to eight inches without facing much resistance, rest assured that the water saturation is perfect.
Immediately After Planting
Just after five to ten minutes of planting the seeds, you’ll have to moisten the first few inches of the soil mildly. And you must maintain the moisture level from then onwards. On a side note, keep in mind that they will die if the seeds are made to dry out.
Watering New Grass Seed
Notably, the subsequent watering frequency would depend upon the rainfall the region receives after seeding. And if it doesn’t rain at all, you should water the new seeds twice daily till the first few inches of soil are moistened.
What’s The Best Time For Watering New Grass Seed?
To answer it in short, the most suitable time to water grass seeds is early in the morning and evening. After all, those are the times when the day is the coolest, and the water can be absorbed by the ground without evaporating.
An excellent way to simplify the irrigation process of a newly seeded lawn is to use a water timer. This device will ensure the job is done efficiently and with minimal hassle.
As for the ideal way to water the seed, it’ll depend on the area that you’ve seeded. While larger seeded areas can benefit from a good-quality rectangular sprinkler, a spot sprinkler is ideal for a smaller area.
On a side note, using a cheap lawn sprinkler may result in improper coverage as the sprinkler heads might get misaligned with regular use.
How Long Should You Water New Grass Seed?
The ideal duration for watering new grass seed will depend upon the condition of the soil and the sprinkler setup you’re using. That said, a watering session of around ten minutes can provide adequate water to ensure the top few inches of soil are moist.
And as the seed flourishes and grows, you can decrease the intensity and frequency of watering, as that will encourage the strengthened roots to extend deep into the soil. Note that the ideal approach while watering grass seedlings is to gradually increase the intensity of morning sessions and decrease that of the evening sessions.
Ultimately, you should water the grass only between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., that is, while the surroundings are still cool. Another point worth noting here is that any established healthy lawn needs around one inch of water every week, including the amount received through rainfall.
How Much Should You Water?
Both overwatering and underwatering can affect grass seeds adversely, which is why it’s essential to figure out the sweet spot. And to ensure your seeds don’t drown, you should water them in small amounts frequently.
For soil that receives the ideal amount of water, the top two inches will be moist yet not soggy. Note that this would take five to ten minutes of watering, depending on the moisture content of the soil at the start.
At this point, you may be wondering how to determine the amount of water your entire yard or lawn will need. The easiest way to figure this out is by examining the amount of water needed to moisten a square foot of the yard and multiplying that by the surface area of the entire yard.
Note that this technique will be useful if you’re willing to reduce water wastage, but it isn’t necessary. And after watering the seeds a few times, you can form an idea about how much time it takes without having to experiment again.
While watering the grass seed, you should ideally angle the water hose in a way that the water drops down from above the seeds. After all, directly spraying water onto the seeds might wash them away. Here, spray attachments are quite helpful, and you can even position your thumb to block a part of the opening to achieve a similar effect.
Factors Affecting The Watering Schedule
While fixing a watering schedule, you’ll need to consider a few outdoor elements as they will impact the moisture requirement of grass seeds. For instance, as we mentioned earlier, you’ll have to water grass seed more frequently when the weather is dry outside. Likewise, they won’t require as much water when it rains.
Another important consideration in such situations is the wind — if the weather is too windy or dry, the seeds might be blown away. However, in case the soil is wet, the seeds can sink a bit into the earth, ensuring they are protected and kept in place.
And if you know that the week is going to be windy and dry, it will be best to mist the loose soil slightly to provide the seeds with extra protection.
Moreover, while different varieties of grass have different moisture requirements after full-fledged growth, all grass seeds have almost the same growing needs. The difference between the varieties that truly affect the watering schedules is the pace of growth.
Also, note that once the grass has grown to around an inch, it must be watered less frequently than seeds. This implies saplings will require more water than grass seeds.
The Ideal Soil For Seeding Lawns
First and foremost, you should lay down grass seeds when the soil is moist. This will help jump-start the process by letting the seeds “know” it’s time for their growth. Anyhow, remember that scattering them on dry soil will leave the seeds vulnerable to the wind or birds or may simply make them go dormant.
Furthermore, moist soil helps roots move through easily, whereas dry soil can be more compact or harder. This is why it’s essential to soak the existing lawn thoroughly for quite a few days before moving on to seed it.
Remember the watering schedule we discussed early on? Make sure you adhere to those directions throughout to get the thick, lush lawn that you desire. Long story short, any patch of barren earth can be turned into a beautiful yard if appropriately watered.
How Long Does Grass Take To Grow?
The time taken for grass seeds to grow into a full-fledged lush green patch will depend on the grass type and the climate in your region. These factors make it essential to research accordingly so that you can predict the growth rate.
That said, both cool and warm-season grass typically take anywhere between a couple of days to an entire month to grow. And in case you’re wondering when you can start mowing the lawn, know that it will take around three to four weeks for the grass to reach that stage.
FAQs
How can you water grass seeds during a drought?
For those living in the midst of a water advisory, using fresh water for the lawn won’t be the ideal step. Fortunately, there are a few other effective options to sustain the grass growth on your lawn without causing a water shortage.
Going for a rain barrel is one such idea. Setting a rain barrel in advance can help you collect water round the year to be prepared for a probable water shortage.
Alternatively, you can reuse water used for cooking, especially boiled water, for the lawn. Just make sure you don’t use the water while it’s hot. Additionally, soapy water used for cleaning is an option, provided the cleaning liquids or soaps aren’t damaging for the soil.
How to prevent evaporation of water from grass seeds?
Firstly, remember that you’ll need to take adequate steps to prevent water evaporation right before watering the grass seeds for the first time. The most effective method is to spread straw mulch across the seeded area prior to watering.
Final Words
So, are you ready to grow a healthy and luscious lawn? By following our simple lawn planting rules and taking the proper precautions discussed above, you’ll be able to pull it off effortlessly.
But before we bring down the curtains, we’ll leave you with one last tip. Occasionally raking the grass seeds can help the seeds germinate as it will ensure the seeds come in contact with the soil properly.
Need professional help when it comes to lawn care services in Flower Mound TX? Contact us and get a quote now.