New lawn how long before mowing

How to mow your new lawn Be sure that the lawn is fairly dry before mowing so that you do not pull out any of your new lawn. As a general rule, you should let your lawn grow to about one-and-a-half times the recommended height before cutting so that you are cutting off no more than one-third of the height of your lawn at a time. Set your mower blade to the recommended cutting height for your turf species. For the first mow, you can let the lawn grow to the high end of the recommended range or even a little higher before cutting to give it a little more time to become established, but be sure to still only cut off one-third of the blade.

Leave the mower in the shed for now and try again in a few days-time. As a rule of thumb, newly seeded lawns are ready for the first cut when the grass blades are cm long. Much longer and the fine leaved plants in your seed mix — aka the fescues and the bent grasses — will start to be outcompeted by faster growing grasses like ryegrass. Just nip the tips off the grass blades and leave plenty of green leaves. That would be a big mistake. The structure of a young grass plant is nowhere near strong enough to cope with heavy wear and tear.

Grass has evolved to be walked on and eaten by animals. This is why the actively growing cells are at the end of the roots and the crown of the plant.

In the natural world, the grass blades are nibbled, and then, using nutrients supplied by the roots, they regrow.

For lawn grasses, the secret to durability is to have strong enough roots to support speedy regrowth. A turfed lawn can receive regular foot traffic in months after installation.

This will encourage a nice, dense, weed-free lawn. For your lawn, mowing is the equivalent of having a teenager come into your kitchen and eating everything in the fridge. The grass blades are the power house for the whole plant. Mowing too short will really weaken the grass plants. Once established, your lawn only needs watering when necessary.

This is usually one deep watering a week, about 25mm is sufficient, and will help to produce a more drought tolerant lawn. Remember, sandy soils may need a little more watering. Weekly mowing is recommended during the summer months as this when your lawn will grow quickest.

As the growth pattern slow, less mowing is required. By placing a container on the lawn when watering, you can take note of the time it takes to collect around 25mm in the container. This will give you a good idea of how long it takes to water your new lawn. Clover, bindii and oxalis are some of the most common household weeds that may impact your lawn. Watch the video below for advice on how to deal with these potential threats. If your lawn starts going to seed, it may be a result of lack of water or nutrients.

For example, if you mow too soon, the mower's wheels and blades simply pull grass sprouts out of the ground, rather than simply cutting them. The mower also compacts the soil at the same time, which contributes to poor root spread as the seedlings struggle to gain purchase in the ground.

Another way to determine mowing times is through grass height. Sprouts that cover the ground and grow to a 3 or 4 inch height are ready for mowing. Although maintaining a moist soil structure was necessary for grass establishment, it is imperative that you allow the turf to dry for 48 hours before mowing it for the first time.

Cutting only one third of the grass height away at a time, you may have to mow the grass repeatedly to bring it down to a more manageable 2- to 3 inch height.