If you have recently planted grass seeds on your lawn, you probably wondering when to walk on it. Perhaps you want to water the grass seeds, do a rolling over or re-seed where the grass didn’t grow so well. Worry not we got you covered. We’ll examine how long after seeding grass establishes itself and becomes resilient enough to get trampled over without dying.
Most experts suggest a 10 day grace period based on the logic that by then root development of viable seeds would have taken place. When you are walking on a lawn of grass, you are literally stepping on a carpet of thin leaves. Heavy foot traffic destroys the millimeter long rhizomes and sods that propagate the sown grass seed.
Various grass varieties have diverse germination periods. The prevailing soil conditions also have an impact on how fast seed germinates and takes root. Therefore, a one size fits all advice on how long before walking on newly sown grass is hard to state.
Wear tolerance is one of the traits that make Turfgrass species so resilient. This is the grass’s ability to repair itself and recover from minor damage on its own. An example is Bermuda grass rarely damaged by foot traffic.
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In addition, the season when you walk on your grass determines its survival. Walking on grass especially during harsh climatic conditions isn’t a good idea. Extremely hot or cold weather robs grass ability to heal. This means that you should stay off your newly sown grass for even longer until the weather is more favorable
Here are some of the things you can do to gauge whether it is the right time to step on freshly sown grass.
- Establish the package’s stated timelines like germination, root and shoot development and frequency of watering. This is a sure method of guaranteeing you don’t interfere with your lawn as it establishes itself.
- Consider the viability of your seeds by carrying out a germination test. Low viability will force you to re-seed. In such a case, walking on your lawn will be inevitable.
Always wait for two weeks before walking on your lawn. This should be after verification of root development on your freshly sown grass. Here is how to inspect your grass for rooting
- Go to the edges of your lawn and lift up some of the freshly grown grass
- If you encounter resistance when lifting the law, that’s an indicator of root development anchoring the grass to the soil. Minimal resistance indicates a lack of roots.
- A visible inspection can also let you determine whether the seeds have all germinated and the grass seedlings have taken root properly
In the vent you have no option but walk on the lawn, ensure you walk lightly to avoid damage of the young shoots of grass.
You can also avoid walking on your new lawn for maintenance activities like watering soon by laying down some sprinklers when sowing. This preparation will eliminate the need to tread on your grass to water it.
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Unless you are reseeding or watering, walking on your lawn before root development is a total no. However, if the risks outweigh the benefits why not avoid it altogether. An effective sprinkler system can adequately water your seeds efficiently without any compromise.