We laid a new lawn about a month ago. Some of the seed germinated quicker than the rest, so we added more seed a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to plenty of rain, it’s grown a lot.
Do you think we can remove the barrier, start mowing, and allow foot traffic? We have a toddler, dog, and cat, so we don’t want to risk damaging it if it’s not ready.
We’re new to this and would appreciate any advice. Photos available for reference…
Can you cut it? Yes, absolutely. You should have been cutting it well before it reached 7 inches.
Should you allow foot traffic? Probably not just yet.
*First off, congrats on the beautiful grass.
*Yes, cut it using the highest mower setting.
*No, don’t let kids and dogs on it just yet. Need to let those roots thicken and grow deeper.
Lane said:
*First off, congrats on the beautiful grass.
*Yes, cut it using the highest mower setting.
*No, don’t let kids and dogs on it just yet. Need to let those roots thicken and grow deeper.
Thank you! How long do you think until we can allow foot traffic?
@KDB
A good rule of thumb is after at least three cuttings.
I agree with the previous commenter, you should have started mowing about two weeks after germination. If you want to prevent damaging the young turf, limit foot traffic. A toddler might be fine, but a couple of excited dogs will definitely cause some damage.
You should also keep in mind the 1/3 rule for mowing turf. Never remove more than a third of the leaf blade at once. Think of the leaf blade as a solar panel. If you cut too much, the grass won’t get enough energy to regrow properly, which could injure the plant.
@Fay
Dogs can tear up even healthy grass, especially when it’s wet.
There’s no way I’d let dogs run on my new grass.
You should have cut it several times already, but I’d keep people off it for now.
Yes, go ahead and cut it — just keep the mower height at the maximum setting.
Definitely. You should have been mowing several inches ago.
It also depends on the size of the dog.
Cut the grass, but no foot traffic yet. Maybe consider reseeding if there are any patchy or thin spots.
I would have cut this 10-11 days after germination when it got to 3 inches, not waiting a month.
