Your lawn went in this week. The next 30 days are when the install settles into place, and a few of the things you will notice in that window are normal. This post walks through what to expect, what to keep off the lawn at first, and the one walk-through we ask every new owner to do before the month is out.
Five of our turf lines come with their own after-install care guide: Signature 50, The Reserve, Estate 84, K9 Guard Ultra and Tour Master. They live atTurf Care Guides, and the first-month advice below is drawn from them.
The first 24 hours: let the seams cure
Seams and perimeter edges are bonded with seam tape and adhesive, and the adhesive keeps curing after the crew leaves. Keep foot traffic light for the first day. Walk on it, but do not drag anything across it.
Hold off on putting anything heavy back on the turf. That means cars and trailers, trash bins, yard equipment, patio furniture, grills, play sets and pool loungers. On a putting green, keep furniture, coolers and equipment off entirely. If you have dogs, keep their traffic light too if you can.
Why a seam needs this care, and what happens when one opens later, is covered in Why Turf Seams Open, and How They Are Repaired.
The first two weeks: sand on the surface is normal
Within the first two weeks you may notice sand or infill granules sitting on top of the fibers. That is the infill settling down into the thatch, and it is expected. Brush it back in with a stiff synthetic broom. Do not sweep it off, and do not blow it off with a leaf blower. Infill is ballast. It holds the turf down and keeps the fibers upright.
On a putting green the granules are finer, because Tour Master uses a fine 30/50 silica infill. Brush them in the same way. Do not add standard 20/40 sand, coated sand or Envirofill to a green. They ruin the roll. Every line uses a specific infill, so call us before adding any.
The 30-day walk
Before the month is out, walk the whole lawn slowly. Look for three things:
- Flat spots, where the fibers are lying down instead of standing up.
- Lifted edges, along the perimeter, by the driveway, or where the turf meets a bed or patio.
- Visible seams, any line where two pieces meet that you can see from standing height.
If you find any of these, call us. We will re-brush, top off infill, or re-secure the area at no charge. Think of it as the last step of the install, not a complaint. We would rather see a small spot in month one than a wider one in year two.
Sprinklers and hard water
The sprinkler zones around the turf still run, so aim the heads away from it where you can. Hard-water overspray can leave mineral spotting on the fibers, and runoff from beds carries mulch and soil onto the surface, where it breaks down into the debris that feeds weeds. If a zone cannot be redirected, rinse the lawn with the hose and brush it as part of the monthly routine. Our maintenance guide covers the rest of that routine.
Reflected sunlight
While you walk, look along any wall with energy-efficient windows or glass doors. These can focus sunlight onto the turf and melt or distort the fibers. If you spot a shiny streak or a warped patch near a window, let us know right away. A screen, film or awning usually solves it.
Pet turf and putting greens: two extra checks
K9 Guard Ultra and Tour Master each get one more first-month test on top of the walk above.
Pet turf: the enzyme treatment and the drain check
K9 Guard Ultra is handed over a little differently. Before the crew leaves, the lawn is treated with an enzyme cleaner to activate the odor system. That part is done for you. Your only day-one job is keeping traffic light.
Once in the first month, run the hose across the lawn. The water should drain away within about five minutes. Standing water means something needs attention, and that is a call to us, not a wait and see.
Dogs go back to the same corners, so keep an eye on their favorite spots. If an area holds odor, drains slowly, or shows digging at an edge, call us and we will treat or re-secure it at no charge. Keep silica sand, play sand and crumb rubber away from a pet lawn. They trap urine, and the only fix is replacing the turf. K9 Guard Ultra uses ZeoFill and Envirofill only, and we supply the ZeoFill at your annual service. For how the odor control works, see Does Pet Turf Smell?
Putting greens: putt from every cup
A green has its own version of the 30-day walk. Putt from every cup and note any spot that rolls slow, bounces, or breaks off line. Call us and we will top off infill and re-brush that area at no charge. Wear flat-soled or soft-spike shoes on the green, skip the metal spikes, and do not take divots when chipping onto it.
After day 30: the routine
Once the first month is behind you, a landscape lawn moves onto its regular schedule: blow off leaves weekly, brush the high-traffic areas every two to three weeks, rinse and brush the full lawn monthly, and book a professional service once a year. K9 Guard Ultra adds a daily pick-up of solid waste, a weekly hose-down of your dogs’ potty areas, two or three times a week in summer, and a monthly enzyme clean. A green swaps the lawn routine for brushing around the cups and a seasonal ball-roll check. The details are in your guide:
- Signature 50, our front-yard turf.
- The Reserve, for backyards and everyday family traffic.
- Estate 84, for pool surrounds and estate grounds.
- K9 Guard Ultra, the pet system.
- Tour Master, the putting green.
Signature 50, The Reserve, Estate 84 and K9 Guard Ultra each carry a 15-year material warranty and a 2-year labor warranty, when the lawn is maintained as described in its guide. Unapproved infill, chemical damage, burns and alterations by others are not covered, so keep the guide with your invoice.
When to call us
Anything in the first 30 days that looks flat, lifted, slow to drain or slow to roll is a call to us, and the fix is on us. After that, your line's page at Turf Care Guides has the routine, and we are glad to walk you through any part of it. Call or text (469) 797-0334.