Tips For Keeping Your New Lawn Green & Lush

Sponsored by Dieter's Sod Service, Inc.

As you enjoy your new home in Heritage Harbour, it's important to care and maintain your new lawn to ensure a lush, green lawn on a year-round basis. Here are some basic lawn care tips as recommended by Dieter's Sod Service, Inc. Click here for a printable version of these tips (Acrobat format).

• During hot and dry weather, water your lawn two times per day. It is best to water in the early morning or late afternoon.
• During cooler, rainy weather, you only need to water your lawn once a day in the early morning hours.
• Do not mow your lawn during the first ten days after installation.
• For St. Augustine, Floratam and Argentine Bahia types of grass, mow your grass leaving three to four inches in height.
• After first mowing, change irrigation time clock to water once every other day for the next 20 days. Time of watering should be fifteen minutes for spray zones and thirty minutes for rotor zones.
• Turn off daily irrigation if there is excessive rain.
• In cooler weather, watering should be reduced to once or twice a week.
• Fertilize your lawn immediately after your first mowing.
• Apply fertilizer four to six times a year. Use 8-10-10 for first fertilization and 16-04-08 for subsequent treatments.

Warning Signs of When to Water:

• Bluish-gray areas in the lawn
• Footprints or tire tracks that remain in the grass long after being made
• Leaf blades are folding in half
• Soil sample for the rootzone feels dry

Tip: Watering at first sign of stress is the most economical. Delays in watering can cause permanent damage. Best time to water is in the early morning hours.

How Much Water:

• Florida soils are typically sandy and can hold up to one inch of water in the top twelve inches of soil.
• If the roots are in the top twelve inches of soil and the soil is dry, 3/4 to 1 inch of water is necessary.
• During the summer months watering the lawn two to three times per week is typical.
• During the winter months, watering once every ten to fourteen days is sufficient.

*Overwatering can encourage the growth of dollar weeds.

• If rainfall occurs, irrigation should be suspended dependent on rainfall amount.
• Water should not be applied at a rate faster than it can be absorbed by the soil.
• Signs of excess watering include, thatch buildup and constantly wet turfs. The presence of pennywort and sedges also can indicate that too much water is being applied.

Sprinkler Systems:

• Check sprinkler heads for an even spray pattern and direction of spray.
• Replace damaged sprinkler heads and leaking sprinkler heads.
• Check that valves open and close properly. 
• Check for proper time on controller.