Recently Laid Sod: Maintenance is Key!
The appearance and health of your lawn is greatly affected by the care it receives throughout the season. Careful maintenance is the key to ensuring that you have a healthy and beautiful lawn! Watering and mowing are especially important for recently laid sod.
Watering is Important for Recently Laid Sod!
Water is the single most important step for successful sod installation. You should begin watering immediately. One of our rules has always been that a half-inch of water in the first 10-15 minutes is better than 3 inches of water a few hours later! Don’t wait until you have finished sodding the entire area, water sections as you finish installing. Be sure to water deeply, and for best results the ground should be kept moist. To ensure that the water has penetrated the sod, lift a corner and check the ground beneath. Be sure to water sod that is installed along buildings, as the reflected heat from the building dries sod up quickly.
Water Gauge Tip:
To gauge your watering place a can about 6 feet away from the sprinkler. Once there is a ½ inch of water in the can, it is time to move the sprinkler to the next area!
Mowing Makes it Grow!
For best results, mow your new sod 7 days after installation. Mow perpendicular to the direction in which it was laid. Mow your lawn twice a week during peak seasons (May-June) and once a week for the remainder of the year.
The basic mowing rule is to never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade during a single mowing. Cutting off more than 1/3 inch can cause stress and will hinder the appearance and health of your lawn. We recommend mowing Kentucky Bluegrass Sod 2 ¼” tall, no lower than 1 ½” and no higher than 3”. Keep the blades on the mower sharp to ensure best appearance as well as to protect your lawn from diseases.
There are other important practices that you should put in place to ensure you have the best sod possible. When installing the sod a starter fertilizer should be applied. We also recommend following a fertilizing schedule throughout the season so that you can have the best sod possible! There is also general maintenance to be done throughout the season, such as weeding, and even overseeding.
Builder put Sod down very hot day was brown right away and sent a water truck the next day because we have so much grass and we have been watering every night but majority is still really brown and dried out will it green up or is it dead
Hey Susan,
If your sod turns brown before establishment, it can be very difficult to revive, if it’s possible at all. If it’s just brown in spots with lots of green, it shouldn’t be a problem as long you stay up on water. It sounds like your lawn was pretty well toast before it was even laid and that is going to cause some serious trouble during establishment. This hot weather can wreak havoc on sod projects… Keep a close eye on your lawn and be sure to inform the builder if you don’t start to see a difference in colour and rooting in about a week.
All the best,
Cameron
-OrderSodNow
Watering is definitely something that you want to get on as soon as your sod has been laid. I would imagine that there are better times during the day to lay your sod so it doesn’t dry out. My brother wants to get sod laid down in his yard; I will be sure to share these maintenance tips with him so he can properly take care of it.
No doubt Hector! Laying sod in the afternoon and evenings when temperatures start to drop can be beneficial especially in this super hot weather. This will give your lawn time to absorb the water you apply. Be careful not to overwater, but make sure that the water penetrates the sod rolls. Definitely let your brother know about our blog post 🙂 Thank you for your comment!