Tips To Ensure Your Sod Installation Is A Success

If you want to revitalize your lawn, you may want to consider installing sod. Sod can be established any time of year, so you are not limited in the same way if you plant grass by seed. Many people opt to wait until the fall season, but if you want to get started now, you can do so. Here are some tips to help you get started with your sod installation:

Get the Yard Ready for Installation

Your sod company will provide you with the specific directions to prepare the yard for sod. However, the standard directions include amending the soil. You need to test the soil about a month or so before installation. You may need to add some phosphorus and potassium. You should also test the ph. You can amend the soil based on your test results. You may need to add fertilizer and weed control with herbicide.

If the yard is not even, you need to level it out. If your yard has a lot of stones, sticks, or stumps, those need to be removed as well.

Water the Lawn

A few days before your sod delivery, you need to thoroughly water the lawn. The ground needs to be soaked well for the sod to survive. On the day of sod delivery, water the lawn again. However, do it several hours before the sod is to be installed so that the yard is not muddy.

Take Care to Prevent Sod Distress

As you lay the sod, you need to take measures to prevent distress of the sod. First, install the sod piece by piece to prevent it from drying out. You want to install the sod in a staggered pattern, starting at the edges of the lawn and working your way inward. Move up any slopes and place the ends together as close as possible without overlapping. Be sure to mound up soil next to the bare edges at the end of the lawn. Once you have all the sod in place, water the grass completely, but take care not to overwater.

Care for the New Sod

Once you installed your sod, you need to care for the new grass. You should water the sod each day for the first couple of weeks. Not watering the grass daily can cause the roots to dry out and cease to put down roots properly. After a few days, begin checking for root growth by looking at them closely. The roots should be white in color with a few brown roots throughout. If all the roots are brown, that means there is no new root growth. Continue watering and checking the roots until you see white roots. Once you notice white roots, you can scale back on your daily watering. Look into sod installation near you.

Share