Today we will talk about how long after planting grass seed can you walk on it. If you have a yard behind or in front of your home, you have at least once thought how wonderful it would be to have a lawn.
A lawn is something that makes any house more elegant. It gives you a hobby when you plant it because you will have to maintain it. And it gives you a great space for home picnics, sunbathing, and bbq afternoons with friends.
However, there are some small disadvantages when it comes to this topic. If you plant it today, you won’t be able to walk on that lawn tomorrow. To find out why this is so and how long it takes to walk on the lawn, stay with us and find out more below.
Let’s learn all about the time it takes after planting grass to walk on it.
It’s Time To Plant New Grass Seed – How Long After Planting Grass Seed Can You Walk On It?
If you are tired of looking at the monotonous ground in front of the house, you will surely soon decide on a project called let’s make a lawn! A house without a lawn can look bare, neglected, older…
It’s amazing what a small fresh green lawn in front of your house can do for the overall look of your home.
It adds sophistication and a refined lifestyle. And it gives you an afternoon commitment while mowing the lawn and killing boredom with it.
Now let’s see how long after planting grass seed can you walk on it. That’s what we’re here for.
What Do You Need To Know About How Long After Planting Grass Seed Can You Walk On It?
The grass seeds you plant in the soil in front of your home are very sensitive once planted. House plants and outdoor plants you plant around your home can be treated immediately. This is not the case with grass. Only after 4 weeks (minimum), you can walk on your new lawn.
During the period of initial growth, the seeds are very sensitive. The slightest direct contact with them can disrupt their proper development process. Just imagine a 132 lbs person standing on some tiny seed.
Surely that can be good, right? That’s too much pressure for the seeds that are trying to take root and finally start growing and emerging from the soil.
When you step on them, you suppress their growth and create a footprint in that place. The earth will be compressed in that place. If it rains, a puddle will form there, which will not be good for your seeds, etc.
Does Walking On Newly Seeded Grass Kill It? How Long After Planting Grass Seed Can You Walk On It?
To avoid going in circles, very simply put, yes, walking on newly planted grass seed will kill your grass. At the very least, it will damage it a lot. And it will take a long time for it to recover, as well as your interventions.
When you walk on the grass on your lawn, you’re setting its growth back. Leaving dead spots where you stepped. And simply preventing your grass from growing naturally by creating obstacles and bumps “on the road.”
Can I Walk On New Grass To Water It?
This goes against the grass-walking principles we just discussed above. It’s like a vegetarian asking if he can only eat fish.
Whether you walk on your grass with purpose or without purpose. The effect will be the same – you will damage your grass seeds.
Since we all have a water hose at home, why not just stand on the side. Attach the sprinkler to the water hose, and water the grass that way?
Or even simpler, so that you don’t have to do it at all, install sprinklers near your lawn that spray straight and vertically, so you don’t have to worry about even one inch of the lawn being left unwatered.
Can My Pets Walk On New Grass Seeds?
All of us who have paw friends know how hard it is to fight the little miscreants when it comes to things they are not allowed to do. No matter how trained our dogs are. We will never be able to train their curiosity, and exactly where we tell them not to go, they will eventually go.
If you have just planted a lawn, you should not let your pets on the lawn for at least 5-6 weeks. Our pets are not as heavy as us, but they move very fast. They move a lot, jump, and can definitely do very similar damage as us.
If you manage to keep them off the lawn for 5 weeks, you should avoid your pet’s active presence on the lawn for at least another three weeks after that. The best solution is to install a mini fence around the lawn.
Plant Grass Seed Like This: New Grass Lawn Care
Now that we’ve gotten past these basic lawn questions, let’s see how to actually plant grass. Now keeping pets away from the grass and watering it doesn’t seem so difficult, does it? It is more difficult to learn how to actually plant grass properly.
We all know very well that grass is a plant that in 90% of cases has grown by itself, even where we don’t want it.
They thrive well in all climates, almost any type of soil, but controlling their growth can be a bit of a challenge sometimes.
Don’t worry, below we give you some tips on how to plant grass properly and how to get a beautiful little lawn after 4-5 weeks.
Light For Young Grass
There are almost 11,000 species of grass and I believe this sounds awesome. But it’s not at all. The grass is not a demanding plant to grow, so its light conditions are not terrible and demanding either. The lawn can be exposed to direct light, and grass likes bright and direct sun.
Next to the light conditions come the temperatures (the perfect ones) for the lawn, which are temperatures of 35 to 45 F. They will thrive in any temperature (higher) as long as you water them regularly and take care of them.
Soil For Tiny Grass Plants
When it comes to the soil for grass, the most important thing is to prepare the soil for planting. It is necessary that you dig the soil very well before planting, that the soil is well drained and that you feed it well.
Before sowing, it is necessary to loosen up to 3 inches deep with a rake so that the seed can fall at the perfect depth. Grass likes moist soils and will not dry out there, but soils that retain moisture can lead to root rot.
Clay soils, chert, and slightly and medium acid soils are the best choices. Acidic soils have fewer nutrients, so it is not quite certain that they will succeed as well as the other previously mentioned types of soil.
Watering Schedule For Newly Sprouted Grass
Pay special attention to watering. Watering is necessary during germination in the first month, a lot!
Later, the grass needs to be watered every 3 days, especially if it is a dry period. Watering is done in the morning or evening and it is necessary to avoid heat.
Watering can be done manually for smaller areas, and sprinklers can be used as an irrigation system for a beautiful and well-kept lawn.
Such a system is programmed to water the lawn at the optimal time of day and to use a uniform amount of water so as not to overwater it and to avoid dry soil.
Fertilizer For Freshly Seeded Lawn
Proper fertilization will certainly help in the cultivation/growth of grass. The grass itself draws nutrients from the ground and after a while, the area must be fertilized.
A part is also lost by mowing, and fertilization is important for a better crop and a better quality of grass, and resistance to grass diseases.
Fertilization must be done after soil testing. It accepts nitrogen fertilizers best, so you should fertilize well with organic manure before sowing.
The grass is fed in October and again in March, but heat should be avoided during this process. Nitrogen fertilizers are added in the spring when the soil is moist and when the weather is rainy because it dissolves the fertilizer. Potassium, which increases the plant’s resistance to drought, is also important.
FAQ – How Long After Planting Grass Seed Can You Walk On It?
Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about some other unanswered questions, we’ve taken them into account.
In order to close this topic in its entirety, and to be sure that we have answered all the questions, below we bring you the most frequently asked questions regarding the planting of young grass and certain actions that are carried out in connection with it.
When Can I Mow Young Grass?
Mow the grass several times from mid-spring to early autumn. Do not mow it before winter because it is preparing for winter and will winter better if it is taller. You should wait for at least 2 months before you do its first mowing process.
When mowing grass, that crucial first swath, which is rich in nutrients, is the most important. Mow the grass when the grass grows more than 4 inches and the swath size is 3 to 5 inches.
The first mowing is important because it determines the quality of further mowing. You should make sure to mow the grass about 40 days after fertilizing so that the soil and grass do not have nitrates that can harm animals.
The second time you mow it, the cuttings are softer but are better for longer storage. With both swaths, it is important to use the right rotary mower to do it quickly and correctly. Cut grass is left to dry before storage.
What Can Crush Young Grass On Newly Planted Lawn Besides Footsteps?
Anything that comes into direct contact with your planted seeds can harm those seeds. Wildlife, which of course does not include your pets, sometimes a lawnmower if you haven’t given the grass enough time to sprout. Avoid and protect contact with seeds for at least the first 4 weeks.
What Can I Do To Prevent Killing Young Grass?
As we mentioned several times above, there is no great wisdom there. Avoid walking on the grass, keep your pets away from the grass and protect it with a fence, water it regularly, fertilize it according to needs and instructions and mow it only when you have something to mow, never before the recommended deadline, etc.
How Much Time Does It Take For A Grass To Establish Strong Roots?
If you want your grass to develop really strong roots, those that will not be weak and less resistant, then give it between 6 and 8 weeks, depending on your care, root depth, soil selection, etc. Of course, after 4 weeks you can walk on grass, but that doesn’t mean its roots are strong and you shouldn’t be careful.
How To Reduce Foot Traffic On the Grass Grows?
I’m sure you guys can resist walking on freshly planted grass right? However, our pets cannot, even toddlers. They are too curious and always go where they shouldn’t. So, to be safe and sound, build a small fence around the lawn for at least 4 to 5 weeks while the seeds are still growing and forming.
Oh No Alert-Rip Grass Seedlings
The most common problem that causes newly planted grass to die before it sprouts is not the frequency of walking on that lawn, but water. For some reason, most people overwater their lawn in those first days, even two weeks.
So far we have learned that too much water leads to root rot. And in conditions where the root has neither formed nor is well formed, it will hardly succeed in such conditions. Avoid too much water during this period and just follow the instructions, otherwise, you will have to add RIP grass seed to the don’t walk on the seed sign.
Wrapping It Up – How Long After Planting Grass Seed Can You Walk On It
We have come to the end of the article about how long after planting grass seed can you walk on it. Maybe the topic and the answer to the same dissuaded some of you from planting it in front/behind your home, but maybe some of you are still patient and can be careful for a certain time for a bigger cause.
After only 4 weeks, you will be able to walk on your newly planted grass, then already a small lawn, and you will be able to imagine all those moments we mentioned at the beginning. This applies to almost all grass types from normal grass to flame grass and so on.
The lawn will be an excellent base to set up a pool for you or the children, for picnics, afternoons with a book on a blanket, sunbathing, and much more. In addition, if you really want to plant grass, now you know how to do it.
I hope you enjoyed it and found the article useful. See you soon!