Preparation
- Minimum of 4” good organic topsoil
- Level soil ensuring proper drainage away from buildings
- Remove all debris and stones
- Firm soil with roller
- Apply pre-app fertilizer if required and rake in lightly
Sod Installation
- Your sod will be cut as close to the delivery or pickup time as possible.
- Lay sod within 24 hours of delivery
- Sod can be placed around your yard with a forklift if accessible. Start to lay sod at the farthest point from the skid and work your way back. Most of the sod will be used up by the time your reach the skid and, if you are short, it will be at the edges close to the finish point. This makes the job easier to complete without carrying sod over what is already laid.
- Roll the sod before watering with a hand-type roller. A sharp spade, a large carpet knife, or a kitchen utility knife are good tools for trimming.
- On a slope, sod should be laid across the face with staggered seams thus avoiding the creation of water from runoff channels.
- Stakes may be required on extreme slopes. Mark their locations and remove them when the sod has taken root.
Watering
The initial watering is the most crucial. Sod must be watered immediately after laying. Lay sod sections in such a way that each section can be trimmed and rolled, and not be travelled over again. You should start to water each section as you continue on to the next. One gallon of water in the first hour of laying is better than six gallons another hour later. Generally, a sprinkler set in one location (normal water pressure) for one hour is enough to ensure that the water has soaked through the sod completely. The soil underneath should be uniformly wet. Depending on weather conditions sod should be watered (soaked) daily until rooted. Rooting of the sod will occur within 5-10 days. When sod cannot be easily lifted up it should be rooted. At this point, regular watering can be maintained as with any established lawn.
Maintenance
Sod should be mowed after it is rooted. As sod grows very rapidly in the first week, it may be 4” high before it can be cut. Remove ¼ ½” on the first cut and continue to lower mower each day after until you reach 1.5-2” blade height. Do not allow wet clippings to be left on lawn as they may smother growth. If required, rake lightly but do not lift the sod. Weeds should not be a problem with sod unless some have grown up in the seams. A good, healthy thick lawn is the best prevention against weeds.
