The Grass Doctor

How long before I can walk on my newly seeded grass lawn?

Public Comments

1. If you can see the dirt under the grass, you can't walk on it. Needs to be at least 5 inches high all over.
2. You can walk around on it immediately....You do not want high volumes of foot traffic on it, but if you have to do a couple things in the yard, chores etc. it will be fine as soon as you seed the yard..
3. The above answers are both right, sort of. If the seeding is still dry then by all means walk on it. It'll help the seed soil contact so important for good germination. If the seeding is wet you'll want to stay off of it. Nothing ruins a nice level seeding faster than a bunch of foot sized holes. They will not fill back in, and the grass won't come up well around and in them. When it gets time to mow you'll want to let the seeding dry out before you attempt to take a mower on it. Even then go slow, walk gingerly and think light thoughts. If you can, mow straight across the seeding minimizing any turns you have to make with the mower on the new turf. Mower wheels can easily rip up chunks of new turf because it just doesn't have the roots to stay put yet. If it's a really big seeding and you have to use a riding mower the above rules still apply but you have to be even more careful. Let the seeding dry out even more (gotta be careful here, dry enough to mow is pretty close to too dry to stay alive for a new seeding), and be extra cautious.