Regardless of seed type, seed germination requires water and the right temperatures for germination. Here are a few thigs to keep in mind when caring for your new grass seed.
New Seed: Day 0 - 14
Goal: Start germination and maintain stored water in soil to maintain health at germination
Rule of Thumb: Soil should remain moist to the touch at all times. Do not water to the point of run off!
General: Soak all seeded areas with light but frequent watering keeping the soil moist at all times. Visually, your soil should always look moist during this time period.
New Seed: Day 15-30
Goal: Continue germination and hydrate new growth to maintain health
Rule of Thumb: Soil should remain moist to the touch during daytime hours. Do not water after 3:00pm to allow leaf blades to dry. Do not water to the point of run off!
General: Soak all seeded areas with light but frequent watering keeping the soil saturated. When using a typical underground irrigation system, the general recommendation is to operate zones 10-15 minutes each twice daily -- morning just at sunrise and again in the afternoon, prior to 3:00pm. For hand watering (including hose fed sprinklers) those time should be increased 50%.
Pro Tip: If this schedule is resulting in water runoff, split the watering event with a 20 minute break to allow absorption by your soil.
New Seed: Day 30-45
Goal: Hydrate new growth to maintain health
Rule of Thumb: Deep watering should allow the surface to dry daily without drying soil at 2-4" depths. Do not water after 3:00pm to allow leaf blades to dry. Do not water to the point of run off!
General: Soak all seeded areas with light but long watering keeping the soil saturated. When using a typical underground irrigation system, the general recommendation is to operate zones 20 minutes each every 2 days -- morning just at sunrise is preferred. For hand watering (including hose fed sprinklers) those time should be increased 50%.
Pro Tip: If this schedule is resulting in water runoff, split the watering event with a 20 minute break to allow absorption by your soil.
New Seed: Day 46+
Resume "normal" water inputs. As a reminder, your turf grass will need water inputs all season long, even in winter months. When rainfall amounts are not adequate your irrigation should supplement nature to achieve the ideal water inputs for your turfgrass type. Failure to supplement rainfall to achieve the minimum water requirements for your turf may result in:
Dormancy
Die-Off
Disease Pressure
Pest Pressure
Weed Pressure
It's a lot of watering to manage, but the end result will be worth it! Can you believe a simple web search for how much should I water my grass seed led to this?!