Do you have a new lawn? If so, then you should know what the keys to maintaining the health of your grass.

New lawn care involves three main components: water, mowing and traffic.

Water

New lawns should be watered daily during their first few weeks. This is crucial in new lawn care. Daily watering will help the roots to get established. Keep the turf very moist. If you are experiencing a drought in your area, or if you live in a very hot climate, you may need to water your new lawn twice a day.

While the key to new lawn care requires keeping the turf moist, you should not over water your new lawn to the point where it is a wet, muddy mess. Try to not saturate the soil. If puddles are forming in your lawn, you are watering too much. Too much water in the soil can keep the roots of your new grass from achieving deep roots.

If your grass starts to take on a gray color, it is telling you that it is not getting the water it needs. A quick way to see if your lawn is getting enough water is to use a knife or screwdriver to dig into the soil. The dirt should be damp to a depth of six inches.

Once your new lawn has passed the two week time period, you can reduce watering to two or three times per week. How often you water your new lawn at this stage will depend upon your environment. A new lawn in a dry climate or in an area that is experiencing significant drought may need to be watered four or five times per week.

Mowing

New lawn care guidelines for sod state that a first mowing can occur within three weeks of planting.

New lawn care guidelines for seeded lawns state that it may be eight weeks before a mowing is needed.

Another key component to maintaining the health of your new lawn is to never mow your grass unless it is dry. Mowing on new, wet grass can pull the newly rooted grass out of the soil.

Never scalp your new lawn grass. It is better for your new lawn grass to be a little high than to be too short. By allowing your new lawn grass to grow a little high before cutting it will ensure that the grass is well rooted and established before it undergoes the trauma of a lawn mower blade.

Traffic

You should try to limit the amount of traffic on your new lawn during the first few weeks after planting. While it is unnecessary to keep all traffic off of your new lawn, traffic should be kept to a minimum. You will not want your children riding bikes or playing ball on your new lawn grass.

A lawn that is not protected from high traffic can be damaged and die. Friction on the new grass can pull up newly established roots that are still weak. Reducing friction is important in new lawn care.

If you are a new gardener, you are going to need new lawn garden products. Some people think if they have their bulbs, plants and seeds that they are ready to go. We know you are excited to get started on developing your green thumb, but there are a few products that are necessary purchases. These new lawn garden products will come to your aid countless times as you begin your planting and sowing.

We know that it can be overwhelming to visit a home and garden center. There are so many products that you may be wondering which ones you will need. We have comprised a list of necessary tools for you to take the guesswork out of it.

The proper shovel is important to gardening. If you are going to be digging, you should purchase a shovel that is shaped like a spade. If you are going to be picking up clutter and debris from your soil, you will want to have a shovel that has a flat head. When purchasing a shovel, keep in mind the length of the handle. The longer the handle, the easier it will be to lift when it is full of dirt.

The next thing you should purchase is a rake. The best rakes are made of metal. They last longer and they make raking much easier because the tines will not bend.

Shears are a must for any gardener. Pruning shears come in handy to cut small limbs and for trimming shrubs and bushes. You do not have to spend a fortune on shears, either. Just do not buy the cheapest pair that you find. You want them to last forever.

Loppers, a cutting tool that has a long handle, are good for cutting branches that are up to an inch in diameter. Loppers are good for reaching into sticky areas where pruning shears cannot go.

Hedge shears are a must for any gardener that has shrubs. You can purchase hand shears or electric shears. However, if you have a lot of shrubs, you may want to opt for electric shears.

Please don’t forget the garden hose! Many gardeners make a major mistake when they buy a garden hose. They buy one that is too short. Make sure the garden hose you purchase will stretch to all the others you want to water. You should probably invest in a rack or reel for your hose. It will just eliminate a lot of tangles when it comes time to wind up your garden hose.

Every gardener needs a wheelbarrow. You can use a wheelbarrow for many different things around your house. You can move dirt in it, haul wood, plants, or bags of fertilizer in it -- as well as take your children for a ride around the yard!

Lastly, while this is optional, you may want to invest in a tank sprayer. It is a good investment when you are purchasing new lawn garden products. Tank sprayers can be used to apply fertilizer to your lawn and garden and they can also be used to kill weeds and pests. Sprayers can be purchased in most any size from a small one gallon tank to a large sprayer that is on wheels.