| When caring for a new lawn, there are a number of tips that one should follow to ensure best possible results. Perhaps an obvious point, but on that needs speeling out is to minimize foot traffic as much as possible on newly planted lawns (this includes sodded lawns) for at least 3 weeks.
Watering Your Lawn
Be sure to plan for your watering requirements before you plant your lawn - dont leave it to afterwards! Lack of water water is the main cause for new lawn failure. On that note, overwatering is also amajor cause.
For newly seeded lawns, the best way to water is set sprinklers to just mist the surface of the new lawn 4 times a day beginning at around 7:00 am and finishing at about 6:00 pm. The lawn seedbed needs to be kept moist, but not saturated - down to a depth of about 1 - 2 inches. As your grass seedlings get to a height of two inches, you can reduce the frequency and increase the depth of waterings.(Of course, if you live in a drought prone area or an area that is undergoing water restrictions, you should think twice about growing a lawn.)
For lawns created through the use of plugs, sprigs or sod, one should water at least twice a day, including one watering during midday. Try to keep the soil moist down to a depth of about 1 to 2 inches. You should be sure tha the soil does not stay saturated for long periods though, or else the plants may not root properly. Once it has begun new root growth (about two weeks), reduce watering frequency to every second or third day for sodded, plugged or sprigged lawns . After about four weeks, a sodded lawn can then survive for longer periods without water.
New Lawn Care - Mowing
You should begin mowing newly seeded, sprigged and plugged lawns once the grass has grown to a height of about 3 - 4 inches. The cutting is usually best done with a reel-type mower as it is gentler and less likely to uproot your new seedlings and plants. If you don't one of these types of mowers, you can use a rotary mower but have the throttle set to low. In your very first mowing, all you need to do is remove enough to give your lawn a nice even appearance (1/2 to 3/4 inches). The next time, set your cut to the maximum height recommended for your particular grass variety, but do not cut more than 30 percent of the leaf in a single mowing session.
You should not mow a newly sodded lawn for 10 days at least and certainly not until the grass has begun to grow. If you are using a rotary mower - make sure you set the throttle low to avoid lifting pieces of sod. Once your sodded lawn is established, regular mowing will actually encourage the lateral spreading of sprigs and plugs.
Mulches for your New Lawn
If you ahve sown lawn seed and the weather is dry or warm, you should spread a layer of straw mulch over the freshly seeded areas. Use a clean mulching straw, like that of wheat straw, and make sure it's free as possible of seed - the last thing you want is to have a wheat field instead of a beautiful new lawn.
Evenly spread about one or two bales per 1000 square feet. In particularly windy areas you can stretch some string over the mulch every few feet to help keep the straw from blowing away. Try to avoid putting down a heavy layer of straw as it will inhibit the grass growth. Burlap or agricultural fleece are other mulches that will protect the new seed from drying out in the sun and wind. These mulches are very helpful in preventing both erosion and also seed run-off when staked over seeded slopes. You can remove your mulches about 3 weeks after the seed has germinated.
New Lawn Care - Fertilizing
You should not apply fertilizer to any new lawns for a period of at least 6 weeks. Only then use a light fertilization of a little nitrogen (about half a pound per 1,000 square feet in the old scale is usually recommended). | 
