SOD AND SOIL PREPARATION
STEP 1 - Measure Your Lawn
Measure the area of your lawn. The length x width determines how many square feet of sod you need.
Our sod rolls measure 10 square feet each; therefore, you will need to round up the closest increment. We recommend ordering 5-10% more than your measurement to account for waste when cutting odd shaped areas.
Calculating the area of an irregular shape:
A is 10 ft. x 10 ft. = 100 sq. ft.
Area B is 15 ft. x 20 ft. = 300 sq. ft.
Area C is a triangle
12 ft. x 20/2 = 120 sq. ft.
TOTAL SOD NEEDED = 520 sq. ft
STEP 2 - Remove Your Existing Lawn
• Prior to installing new sod, any existing lawn should be killed and removed. We find it easiest to use a sod cutter which will cut under the turf and slice it into strips.
•After removing the old sod, rake over the soil to remove debris and to level the area; if your soil is heavily compacted, we recommend tilling and working in an amendment to loosen the soil structure and allow the young roots to take hold more easily.
•Water the ground as you would if your lawn was present for 2 weeks to encourage growth from any remaining roots or seeds. Kill or remove any re-growth. It is best if you repeat this step 2-3 times to eliminate as many weeds as possible.
•Water a few days before your delivery; make sure the soil is moist but not soggy. Applying sod over dry, dusty soil can adversely affect the time it will take the sod to establish and often results in dry or dead areas in the new sod; if the soil is too soggy, you will find that it is extremely messy to work with and it becomes very difficult to lay the sod and keep a nice even surface.
STEP 3 - order Your Sod
This should be done at least 7 days in advance to give you the best options for delivery days.
STEP 4 - Installing Your Sod
Install your new sod immediately! Sod is a perishable product and should be installed within 24 hours of delivery.
• Your sod should be laid directly on the amended/fertilized soil. Start from the back of your area and work to the front using the longest straight line as your beginning point. Work from the line in a manner as to not create excessive foot traffic on the fresh sod; if your area is irregular in shape, run a string between stakes to create a straight line; begin by laying sod along this line.
•Make any cuts along the edges or along any curves or walks with a knife from underneath (the dirt side); this will create clean smooth cuts and not a torn or jagged edge. Trimming around sprinkler heads is easiest do from the top; simply roll the sod directly over the head, then trim.
• Avoid cutting sod into short or narrow strips; smaller pieces tend to dry out and fail to root properly.
• Make sure the sod edges fit tightly together to prevent them from drying out.
• Stagger sod slabs (like laying bricks) to offset seams.
• Make sure each piece of sod has good contact with the soil; air pockets prevent proper rooting. Once the sod has been laid, the use of a sod roller can help set the sod and eliminate these pockets.
• If laying sod on a steep slope, use wooden pegs or sod staples to temporarily keep the sod in place. Sod should be placed horizontally across sloped areas.
Post Installation Care
First Two-Three Weeks
• It is best to stay off new sod until it is time for the first mowing.
• Proper watering of sod is essential for root establishment. On the day of installation, once your sod is laid, enough water should be applied to penetrate the sod and two inches of soil.
• From day two on, keep your sod and soil moist throughout the day. On new sod, the roots are short and cannot access the water from below the surface of the soil. Light, but frequent watering should happen throughout the day. The frequency will vary with the temperature and humidity being the key determinants; typically 2-3, 3-4 minute cycles will be sufficient; as the temperatures climb into the 80’s and above, an additional cycle or two may be needed. The frequency and duration of each watering cycle could also vary with the type of irrigation system you installed and the soil type you have. Ultimately, other than the first day, the ground under the sod should never be soggy nor should the sod ever completely dry. If the soil remains soggy, the sod may be slow to root and may become diseased. Avoid, when at all possible, watering into the evening hours (after 5-6 pm); this is one of the fastest ways to create a disease problem.
• The first mowing should be approximately 14 days after the sod has been installed; by this point, the roots should have anchored the sod to the soil; test by tugging gently on the grass to see if it will lift. In the winter, you may need to wait longer for
the roots to establish prior to mowing.
• Never mow off more than 1/3 of the blade during a mowing cycle; this reduces the stress on your new sod.
Two to Three Weeks later
• Once the sod has anchored itself to the ground, reduce the frequency of your watering cycles gradually; as you reduce the frequency, you should increase the duration of the remaining cycles; ie., if you had four 5 minute cycles, increase the first three by 1 minute and eliminate the last cycle. Remove one cycle every 4-5 days. When you reach one cycle per day, your next adjustment will be to remove days. Follow the same process for this; first go to every other day and add time to the length of the remaining cycles; then adjust to every third day. Seasonal adjustments may need to be made to compensate for the heat of the summer or dampness of the winter. Typically, it is better to add a second cycle on to an “every third day schedule” than it is to water with an “everyday” or “every second day” schedule; this will allow the soil to be moistened to a greater depth which will make your lawn more drought tolerant by forcing the roots to grow deeper into the ground to find the water. When winter rains begin, turn off your system completely during the wet times.