Have you just planted new grass seeds (or overseeded) and are looking forward to a lush and beautiful lawn? Then this is the post for you.
Planting and watering new grass seed mixtures can be tricky sometimes.
How much to water grass seed depends on the various factors including the type of grass, soil conditions, soil pH, climate, etc.
Keep reading to find out how to maintain appropriate soil moisture and take care of the new grass seed.
Related posts:
Table of Contents
Factors That Determine the Irrigation Schedule
Soil type – Clay soil allows for more flexibility in watering frequency compared to soil that has sand in its mixture.
Clay and loamy soil types (soil that’s composed of sand, silt, and a smaller amount of clay) retain moisture for longer periods, whereas sandy soils allow water to seep through quicker.
Humidity – If you live in a humid region, then new grass seed will require less water than in drier regions.
Variety of grass – While different grasses need different quantities of water, all grass seeds require roughly the same amount of water.
How Often Should I Water the New Grass Seed?
Before planting new grass seed (overseeding), make sure that get the first six to eight inches of soil moist. For a few days before planting, keep the lawn areas moist but not soggy.
After planting the grass seedlings, keep the soil moist by gently watering them for five to ten minutes.
Grass seed needs more water than mature grass, so it’s important to not let the soil dry out. If it dries out, the seeds can die.
Seed germination takes 5 to 30 days, depending on the grass variety and the weather conditions of your area.
Related post: How Long Does It Take For Grass Seed To Grow After Overseeding?
Watering frequency will depend on the region you live in; but, on average, new seed should be watered twice daily.
How Much Water Does New Grass Seed Need?
The watering amount will depend on the sunlight, temperature, and humidity in your area.
Assuming your lawn receives five to six hours of direct sunlight with a temperature range of 50 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 25 degrees Celsius), you should keep three to four inches of soil moist immediately after planting the seed.
Set a timer for five to ten minutes in your lawn sprinklers, once in the morning and once in the evening.
After one week, reduce the watering to once a day. Note that not providing enough water can attract birds to attack your new seeds.
After the germination process and the lawns have grown to be one inch long, you can reduce watering your lawn to once a day and only in the morning before 10 a.m.
Lastly, try to avoid watering your lawn at night. There are many issues that arise when the water is left sitting in the soil and is unable to evaporate or get absorbed by the grass and grass seeds.
Related post: How Long Does It Take for the Various Types of Grass to Grow?
FAQ
Can You Overwater Grass Seed?
You can overwater the lawn area with new grass seed, but it’s important to avoid this.
The lawn should be moist at all times but never saturated. Overwatering will make your grassroots rot and can encourage problems such as algae-type growths.
To avoid this, maintain a balance in lawn care by including sprinklers in your irrigation system.
If you are hand watering, do a soil test by inserting a screwdriver into the soil to check if it’s moist.
Should You Water New Grass Seed Every Day?
Yes, keep a proper initial watering schedule to keep the seed moist.
If your goal is to get healthy, new lawn areas, water your grass seeds twice a day initially until they sprout.
Set timers on your sprinkler systems, so that the grass receives water evenly and you will get the best results.
Should You Water After Putting Grass Seed Down?
Water immediately once after sowing the seeds.
We advise you to put in sufficient effort before and after planting the seed mixture to do so.
Invest in a quality lawn sprinkler system and good weed control products.
Conclusion
The care you put in your lawn site initially will go a long way and will help you enjoy a lush, thick lawn.
Just follow our guide on the right lawn irrigation, invest in sprinklers and bask in the lap of mother nature.
If you’re looking for grass seeds to overseed your lawn, we recommend this grass seed. It’s easy to spread and we’ve seen good results after just two weeks.
- Grow grass up to 2X times faster than seed alone with Scotts Turf Builder...
- Revolutionary mix of seed and fertilizer results in full, green grass in...
- This grass seed mix is for large problem areas in your lawn and...
Lindsey Hyland grew up in Arizona where she studied at the University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center. She continued her gardening education by working on organic farms in both rural and urban settings. She started UrbanOrganicYield.com to share gardening tips and tactics. She’s happy to talk about succulents and houseplants or vegetables and herbs – or just about anything in a backyard garden or hydroponics garden.