Even in the dry desert climate of Tucson, it’s still possible to maintain a beautiful lawn on your property. Many homeowners prefer to have a small grassy area for pets to frolic or to offer a cooler place in the yard for lawn games and family fun. Working with a professional landscaping company, you can select the right grass varieties for reducing water needs and ensure that your new lawn remains a beautiful feature for years to come. Once you do have a newly sodded lawn, follow these guidelines for proper care.
Watering
Watering a newly sodded lawn is essential, but it is easy to overwater while roots are being established. Different soil and grass types will demand unique watering schedules, but in general new sod should be watered twice daily. However, you’ll also want to keep an eye on the weather. Rainfall will reduce watering needs while particularly hot days may require an extra watering.
Fertilizing
After about 4-6 weeks of watering, it’s time to fertilize your new lawn. Choose a liquid fertilizer designed for new lawns. Granular fertilizers require more energy for your grass to process nutrients, so liquid varieties will offer the best coverage.
Minimizing Damage
One of the biggest challenges in caring for a newly sodded lawn is minimizing damage to the establishing roots. You’ll need to stay off the lawn and keep pets away too. Once your lawn has had its first mow, then it’s okay to start walking and playing on the grass. Typically, you can mow about 2 weeks after a lawn has been sodded. However, you should test the roots by plucking individual pieces of grass. If they come out easily, the lawn needs more time to build healthy roots.
If you are redesigning your landscape, Complete Landscaping offers the installation and design services you need for a beautiful, functional space. Call (520) 323-8918 to learn what we can do for your backyard.