If you’ve just planted some seeds for the lawn in your garden, then you might get quite frustrated not being able to walk on it for a few weeks. The grass might be already sprouting through the soil, but when can you walk on your lawn in a manner without damaging the grass and causing it to stop sprouting?
After you’ve planted grass seed, you’ll need to prevent anyone from walking on your lawn for the first 4 weeks of growth, at least. You should be able to walk on your lawn confidently about 6-8 weeks after planting your grass seed. You should wait until the grass grows to 3,5 inches before mowing it.
Well, if you are anxious to get out on your lawn, but you want to wait for the appropriate time, then keep reading. You’ll also find some handy tips and advice for keeping other people and animals off your new lawn as well.
How long to wait to walk on your lawn after planting grass seed?
In ideal conditions, most grass will grow after 10 days of being sown and will be fully established in about 6-8 weeks. Fully established means that the grass has covered the entire lawn without any patches.
So after the 6-8 week mark, you can begin to walk, run, play and frolic on the lawn as much as you like! But you can begin taking those first tentative steps on the new grass after 4 weeks.
However, there are a few factors that may slow down your grass from growing or may prevent it from growing altogether.
Sunshine, water, and temperature are the biggest factors in ensuring the growth rate of your grass, but these factors can be affected by adverse or extreme weather and poor ground preparation that can delay or even halt seed germination.
Most grass species will germinate at temperatures around 46-50 degrees Fahrenheit, but inconsistent temperature or regular drops in the temperature can have an adverse effect on how quickly the grass will grow.
So it’s best to sow grass seed at a time when temperatures are regularly 46-50 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two weeks.
The ideal environment for grass to grow should be free of weeds and moss. It should also be level and have good drainage. If any of these aspects are missing, then the seeds will have a hard time growing. Likewise, if seeds are grown incorrectly, then they may struggle to germinate.
This can mean that the seeds have been sown too close to the surface, have been buried so deep that they can’t reach sunlight, or have been sown at the incorrect rate.
How long to grow the grass before mowing?
If you are mowing your lawn too quickly after you have planted your seedlings, then you might find them being ripped up from the ground.
This will certainly damage the composition of your lawn and cause large patches of the grass to die. The wheels of your mower can also crush the grass.
We would recommend that you let your lawn get to at least 3,5 inches long. This way, you’ll be trimming off only the drier and less nutritious portion of grass.
You’ll need to set the blade of your mower to the highest setting possible to stop too much of the grass from being shaved.
You should ideally leave around 3-inches of grass after you mow the lawn. You won’t want to remove much more than ⅓ of the grass height when you are mowing your lawn.
The dos and don’ts of newly seeded grass
If you have just seeded your lawn, then you can expect it to be in a very delicate state. Just because you don’t see any green shoots yet, that does not mean that it is not growing. Just trampling on some of these new seeds might result in your plants becoming sickly and dying almost immediately.
I recommend putting up some sort of cordon for your lawn at this point, as you could potentially ruin your lawn if anyone steps on it. You can even line the entrance to your garden with patio furniture. This is especially helpful if you have young children with wandering feet running around.
If you are watering your lawn, then it’s better to use a sprinkler or a hand hose from a distance until the grass has grown to a suitable level.
Tell your children not to walk on the lawn
As mentioned above, during the early days of planting grass seed, try your best to keep your children away from your lawn at all costs.
They often have curious minds and hands, trying to grasp as much of the sprouts as you can imagine. You should try and cordon off your lawn during this period, so you won’t have to watch your kids all the time.
Plan outings at different locations to keep your kids entertained. Have them play at the local park rather than in your backyard. You should also take them on nature walks to satisfy their curiosity for all things green. Then, when your lawn is blooming, you can treat them to a nature ramble in their own house.
Keep your pets away from your lawn
We all know how restless dogs and cats can be in the house. If you have planted your new lawn, then you might already see your pets eyeing the lawn from inside the house.
Dogs will not only eat the fresh seedlings, but they will also defecate on your lawn, which will also ruin how well the grass grows.
Before you have sewn the seeds for your new lawn, find a suitable place to store your animals in the short term. You should also create a temporary space where your animals can relieve themselves. Cats might be more difficult to train, so you might want to keep them indoors for a while.
Cut your grass several times
Before you open up your yard to the public, you’ll want to make sure that it has consistent and healthy growth. Do this by mowing your lawn anywhere from 3 to 5 times before you have your family members and pets walk all over it.
This will be essential for encouraging the long roots of your grass to establish themselves. You’ll need to make sure that they sprout long and wide and deep, sucking up as much of the moisture as possible from your soil.
Can you kill new grass by walking on it?
Yes, because these seedlings have very weak roots and sprouts that could be totally obliterated if you step on them only once. You’ll need your grass to get long and well-established before you set foot on it even once.
Final thoughts
So, what else can you do to help keep your lawn healthy? You could try planting some trees or shrubs that will provide shade for the grass. If there is a tree nearby, it’s also best if you plant the seedling about 8-10 ft from the trunk of the tree. And don’t forget to water! A new seeding needs at least 2 inches of water every week in order to thrive and not die out prematurely due to dehydration.
Please be very careful when you are in the vicinity of newly seeded grass. It is still fragile and trampling on it might result in your lawn becoming sickly and dying almost immediately. If this has happened to your new seedlings, do not panic! Trampled plants can usually recover if they receive enough water and nutrients.
Let us know if you have any questions about how to plant grass seed. We’re here to help! In the meantime, enjoy your new lawn and all of its benefits for a long time to come. If you want more tips on caring for your newly planted lawn, we can provide that too.
Good luck with your newly seeded lawn!
