How to Care for Your Landscaping Investment Seeded Lawns Donnie Mac's Landscaping applies a starter fertilizer when we first seed your lawn. Water a newly seeded lawn to keep it moist being careful not to allow puddling or standing water. When grass reaches 2" high, water only enough to keep the ground from drying out as newly planted grass needs moisture to survive until it is mature. Apply starter fertilizer (19-19-19) every 30 days until you cut your lawn for the first time. We suggest you purchase a good quality broadcast spreader (available at most hardware stores). Be sure to turn off the spreader any time you stop (ie: to refill the bucket) to avoid spillage and over-fertilizing which can permanently damage the grass. Do not cut your grass lower than 3" until the lawn is fully established. Do not apply weed & feed products for at least one year. After your lawn has been established, apply a slow release fertilizer using the instructions on the product label. If there are any questions please call us for further instruction. Proper care for your new lawn has many variables including the type of soil, seed used, time of the planting season, weather conditions and shade conditions. Sodded Lawns Water newly sodded lawns 2 times heavily every day for the first 10 days. After 10 days, reduce the watering schedule to allow the roots to establish such as once per day for 7 days, then every other day for 9 days, then every 3 days for a month. After this time, you can water once every 5 days. It is important to watch the weather. Hot, dry weather will require more watering. 30 days after initial planting of your sod, apply a starter fertilizer (19-19-19). We suggest you purchase a good quality broadcast spreader (available at most hardware stores). Be sure to turn off the spreader any time you stop (ie: to refill the bucket) to avoid spillage and over-fertilizing which can permanently damage the grass. Do not apply weed & feed products for at least one year. After your lawn has been established, apply a slow release fertilizer using the instructions on the product label. If there are any questions after this point, please call us for further instruction. Proper care for your new lawn has many variables including the type of soil, sod used, time of the planting season, weather conditions and shade conditions. Plants and Trees It is crucial to keep a close eye on newly planted shrubs and trees. The best time to water plants is early morning, not during the heat of the day. Shrubs planted around the home should initially be watered to keep the soil moist. Do not drowned or over-water the plants; too much water is just as bad as not enough water. Check the soil with your finger. If the soil is dry, water lightly to moisten the soil until plants are fully established. If the weather condition is hot and dry, you will need to water every day. Plant watering varies on species, but do not allow new plants to dry out. If you have any questions please call us for instruction. Caring for your plants and trees can vary greatly depending on the soil, type of plant species, time of planting season and weather conditions. Large Trees Newly planted large trees should be watered continuously for the first 24 hours of planting. With a standard garden hose, turn the water to just barely a trickle of water flow and place it at the base of the tree. Remove the water hose after 24 hours.