When Do I Fertilize Newly Seeded Kentucky Bluegrass?

Mowing

• Begin mowing your newly seeded Kentucky bluegrass when it grows above a 2-inch cutting height. Make sure to sharpen your lawn mower blades before that first mowing. Otherwise, you may yank new seedlings out of the ground. Keep the lawn mower set at a 2-inch height and mow once a week during the growing season.

Fertilizing

• When growing Kentucky bluegrass from seed, wait until you cut the grass a few times before that first fertilization. The first year you will use a high-nitrogen fertilizer recommended by any home and garden center. In subsequent years, a lower-nitrogen fertilizer is needed since a nitrogen level that's too high decreases root development.

Watering

• The goal in watering your Kentucky bluegrass is to water enough to penetrate the root zone. For heavy clay soil, apply 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water a week to moisten the root zone to a 6-inch depth. In sandy soil, watering 1/2 inch a week reaches a 6-inch depth.