Question
I live in Oceanside CA about 7 miles from the ocean in Sunset Zone 23.  I just installed sod 10 days ago. It is the Jaguar Tall Fescue from Home Depot. Since then the temperatures have ranged from 65 to 80 with most days at 70. Knowing that tall fescues do better in shaded areas than many other grasses I felt this was my best choice.  Nowhere in my research did I discover that grass does not bode well under Pine trees and Calif. Peppers.  The literature from the sod co. stated that these trees can kill grass along the drip line.  Guess which two I have in my backyard!  Prior to the sod I trimmed the trees heavily to go from dense shade to partial, dappled shade.  One side of the lawn gets morning sun until 10am and the other side gets late afternoon sun(2-5pm).  Between those times there may be 1.5 hrs of dappled shade.  I have noticed that several areas are beginning to brown. My first thought was that I was watering too much - 3x per day for 10-15 min - because it was getting a little soggy.  5 days ago I backed off on the water.  I am now watering 1-2x per day. The lawn stays damp but the browning continues.  From a distance it looks healthy but a close view shows browning that looks like thatch.  I do see new blades poking through which I hope is promising.  I have not mowed yet and am afraid that if I mow too soon it may harm the young blades.  The mature blades are approx 3.5 inches tall.  They do bounce back when walked upon.  My wife is having a gathering of 30 people in three weeks.  My lawn will be taken over by tables, chairs and scampering children.  What can I do to ensure that my lawn will be healthy for years to come?  

Answer
A few points raised by you which I will address in turn

a) Congratulation on the new sod. I am sure it will do great for you.

b) 65-80 deg F with average of 70 deg F is ideal temperatures to establish sod. You are well under way.

c) tall fescue being a cool season grass can take a lot more shade than warm season grass (bermuda, bahia, zoysia). In fact maximum photosynthesis potential occurs at about 65% of full sun for these grass types. Your choice of tall fescue for partial shade was thus not bad. Your research paid off.

d) I am familiar with pine trees, but not the california pepper tree, except I know not to eat the peppers (??!!). The problem with both trees are probably the extensive shade they provide. Pine trees do not prevent grass from growing (such as Walnuts which can be toxic to nearby plants) .. I am not sure about pepper trees but found references to them as being used "in lawns" so doubt they are toxic. The main issue is usually the amount of sun you provide.

e) trimming tree canopies to allow more light into the lawn is a good way to prepapre the area. just realise that eventually canopies grow dense again require "opening" again or you may see the lawn decline somewhat. it all depends on the amount of sunlight reaching the lawn.

f) Morning sun to 10 am would satisfy most cool season lawn grasses (including fescue) and same would 2 - 5pm. Normally they require 6 hours of direct sun, but the guideline should probably be 4-6 hours of direct sun. In either case you are almost there. added to this, dappled shade during the day and I think you are just fine.

g) the problem with lawns near pine trees (and persumably peppers, but I am no expert on these) is when they shade a part of the lawn all day. E.g. planted on the south side of a lawn so the grass is virtually shaded all day. if the grass does not get 6 (or 4-6) hours of sun it will not grow. if it gets sun as explained by you, you should be ok.

h) pine trees and other evergreen trees with dense canopies may have a problem with grass under the "drip line" because not enough water gets to the roots. This can be made up for by watering manually. Normally grass would benefit from 2-3 deep soakings per week if you are in your hottest months in california. If the portion under the drip line does not get enough water, manual soakings (in addition to rain) may be needed. Also immediately under the canopy and extending about 50% beyond the trees have their roots. This lawn area may be in competition with the trees for water. Peppers use little water (or so I am told) but they still compete for water. Pines use lots of water and in that competition the grass always looses. Unless you water more, of course.

i) I recommend that you look at the grass during the summer months and gauage the response. When cool season grass (tall fescue) gets draught stressed, it turns first bluish green and "dull" in color. Foot prints may stay in the grass (it will not bounce back so easily) and it lacks tugor (e.g. rigidness). When you notice these signs, water immediately. These signs are 'mild' draught symptoms. In reality you do not need to water until they appear, but once they appear you should water right away. Soon you get used to "your lawn" and may find that watering twice per week is needed, but during hot months 3 times are required. Another lawn may need to be watered more frequently and another lawn again less frequently. Keep an eye out and learn what your lawn is telling you. It is not rocket science. Just keep an eye out for these symptoms and when they appear: water, but water deeply (not shallowly).

j) When you water, water deeply. e.g. better to water once per week for 3 hours rather than 15 minutes daily. Shallow, frequent applications incurrage shallow rooting. Again, the frequency of watering depend on soil type, uptake of water by the trees, temperatures, humidity, your sprinklers efficiency, runoff, probably even the positioning of the moon (I think .. just guessing), etc, etc, etc. I can't tell you how often to water, but when you water, water deeply to wet the root zone to a dept of 8-10" and then - in theory - there is no reason to water again until you see draught symptomes. e.g. the guidline is "water infrequently, but deeply when you do water".

I mention this because you need to pay attention to the added water requirement of the lawn caused by the trees and you may need to water more around the trees compared to the rest of the lawn.

k) Let's summerize: you now know to water infrequently but deeply by keeping an eye on the grass. You make sure to  give the lawn a deep soaking when the grass is asking for it.

l) Then why are you watering 1-2 times daily for 10-15 minutes ? because the sod company told you to ? why ?
Ok, just trying to scare you here.. The sod company gave you good advice.. initially, to incurrage rooting, you need to water the sod frequently and shallowly to keep the soil surface consistently damp. The advice I gave you above regarding watering (infrequently but deeply) is AFTER the grass has been established. You need to gradually ease into this technique (can't do it overnight). It is correct to initially water frequently and shallowly to keep the top few inches consistently DAMP.

m) But the keyword is DAMP. you CAN water too much. During the initial rooting process, keeping the lawn soaking wet (soggy) can result of root death and poor rooting. How much is too much ? squishing sound when you walk on it, water settling on the surface ? too much !! The goal during establishment is to keep the top 1-2" of soil DAMP and the roots/crowns likewise. Soggy conditions are a concern and pulling back was the right thing to do. During hot summer days you probably need to water 3 times per day, but as with anything else, I don't like to just water 3 times per day without listening to the grass.

I like to see the lawn response. If the lawn is soggy, pull back on watering, but lift a corner of sod every 2-3 days and check. Is the soil damp below ? good !!! is it dry ? why did you stop watering ? is it saturated/soaked ? why are you still watering ? Damp is good, wet/saturated and dry are bad. Lift a new sod piece every time ? why ? because otherwise the particular piece will never root into the ground.

n) So now your lawn is green but a close inspection show brown leaves ? My answer.. stop looking at the lawn closely. Remember, as long as the lawn looks good from across the street, then that is all that matters !!!

o) You have found out that you were overwatering and now you have corrected your mistake. You are still watering to keep the sod moist, but not soggy and you are checking daily or every 2-3 days to check if the sod is rooted.

By now the lawn should start to root, and once it is well rooted you should gradually - GRADUALLY - start to increase the time between watering and the amount of water you apply.
How do you know it is rooted ? pull it like you would a carpet. If it stays put .. it is rooted !!

Don't go pushing the sod to the point of severe draught symptoms this first season, but keep an eye on it.

Gradually increase the amount of water you apply and the time between each watering. Try once per day for 30 minutes. Then every 2-3 days for 60 minutes. It is important to water deeply but then really no reason to water again until the grass tells you to (or until you notice the soil drying on the surface and you get nervous and can no longer just sit there without watering !!!).

Whatever you do, avoid soggy conditions, but don't let the lawn dry out either ? easy ? sure, you just need to get to know your lawn. Remember, though, make the transition gradually.


p) go ahead and plan your party. But first check your sod is rooting. Then gradually reduce watering to dry out the lawn a bit. children, tables, chairs and soggy sod = muddy mess. well rooted sod which is fairly dry can handle a lot of traffic.

q) here is my recommendation:
- fertilize the lawn now if not already done within last 6 weeks.
- apply fertilizer to a dry lawn (or at least not soaking wet leaf blades) and then water in with plenty of water.
- water deeply and keep the lawn hydrated, but provided it is starting to root, you need to gradually increase time between watering and amount of water you apply
- mow the lawn at 3.5-4.5" tall and mow frequently. avoid mowing too low. recycle clippings back to the lawn

r) timing of fertilizer applications.
- fertilize in spring and fall. avoid hot summer months. during the hottest month, you can apply a single application of slow release fertilizer (such as organics like Espoma, ringer or milorganite) but avoid a lot of quick release fertilizer in summer. This is different from warm season grasses (bermuda, st. augustine, zoysia, etc) which need to be fertilized during the active growing sesaon of summer. Cool season grass should be fertilized during moderate temperatures (50-80 deg F) of spring and fall. A mid summer application can be made, but keep the lawn well hydrated, avoid excessive amounts, use slow release (organic) fertilizers and avoid the 3 hottest weeks of the year (you know when they usually are).

s) thath and core aerating.
cool season grass seldom develop thatch if mowed high and frequently, fertilized in spring and fall (especially fall) as opposed to summer, and if you water infrequently but deeply (within reason). Generally, you probably NEVER need to dethatch a cool season lawn. If you want to do something, then rent a core aerator and aerate it in early fall (after daytime temperatures fall below 80 deg F). Core aerating will also help eliviate any soil compaction near trees, so doing this once every 2-3 years (or even annually) can be quite beneficial.

t-z) have lots of fun with your new lawn.

In summary, you are doing great. You have pulled back on moisture and all you need to do is to start watering less frequently but deeply. keep an eye on the grass and look out for draught symptoms.