Start a Lawn in Four Easy Steps

Starting a new lawn on your Ottawa property can be tedious. From preparations to planting, irrigation to ongoing maintenance, starting a lawn from scratch requires time, patience and perseverance. Luckily, the Ottawa lawn irrigation experts at Nutri-Lawn are here to help! The following are four simple steps to ensure a healthy start to your new lawn.

Step 1 – Assessing the Site
The first step to establishing any Ottawa lawn is assessing the site. A site assessment will determine what improvements you'll need to make prior to moving forward. First, consider how you intend to use your new lawn. If it's going to experience high traffic volumes, it's important that you check the depth of the soil, soil type, fertility and pH balance. You'll also want to check the drainage of the site, and make note of any steep slopes or overly shady areas. Furthermore, it's important to understand how temperature, sunlight and rainfall impact your site, so make sure to take note of local climate conditions.

Step 2 – Starting the Planting Process
Site and soil preparation will play an important role in the establishment of your turf. Before you plant any seed or lay any sod, take the time to clear the soil of debris, like branches, concrete, plastics and stones. You may also need to work the soil with a rototiller or schedule a core aeration treatment in order to relieve any compaction issues.

Once your soil has been sufficiently worked through, consider amending it with a nutrient-rich compost treatment. Spreading a starter fertilizer high in phosphorus will also help stimulate growth and improve the development of your turf.

Step 3 – Sod or Seed, Which is Right for Me?
Sod provides Ottawa homeowners:

• With an instant lawn
• Additional lawn irrigation requirements (sod requires daily watering in order to ensure the proper establishment of roots)
• With additional expenses – sod can cost considerably more than seed, especially if your Ottawa lawn is quite large.

If you choose to seed your lawn, you will find that:

• You need to turn your Ottawa lawn irrigation system on more often. Grass seed needs to be watered more and for longer periods than sod.
• The coverage is hardier over time (grass seed mixes often contain a number of grass types; this seed diversity helps ensure even coverage).

Whether you decide to sod or seed your property, consider installing an Ottawa lawn irrigation system first. This will help with the ongoing irrigation requirements of a new lawn.

Step 4 – How to Select the Right Grass Type
If you decide to seed your lawn, make sure you take the time to speak with a Nutri-Lawn professional concerning grass types. Not all grasses are capable of thriving in Ottawa's unique climate, so be careful! The Ottawa lawn irrigation experts at Nutri-Lawn recommend using a grass mix that includes cool-season bluegrasses, fescues and ryegrass seeds. A lawn that is made up of a variety of grass species will have the ability to tolerate a range of growing conditions, making it far less susceptible to pest damage than any one single variety.

If you've had trouble with traditional grass lawns taking hold on your property in the past, you may wish to opt for an alternative ground cover solution. Clover, for example, is a hardy ground cover that's great for high traffic areas.
Starting a new Ottawa lawn can involve some trials and tribulations. Luckily, the experts at Nutri-Lawn's lawn irrigation centre are here to help you every step of the way. For more information on lawn irrigation in Ottawa, contact our area head office. You can also request a free onsite consultation using our online application.