Caring For New Sod

Where new sod has been installed, keep the sodded area moist, but not flooded. Proper watering is critical for establishment of new sod. It can make the difference between a successful investment and a failed investment. Insufficient watering is the leading cause for new lawn failure. You can resume regular mowing after about 15 days. Use caution when walking on the new sod, especially when the ground below is very wet. Wait six weeks after sod installation to fertilize. Following these specific watering instructions is very important to enjoying a beautifully established lawn. Please apply the instructions below to enjoy a plush green new lawn.

  1. A new lawn should be watered 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times per day. Be sure your new lawn has enough moisture to survive hot, dry, or windy days. Keep sod moist NOT SOGGY. Try to avoid walking on or across your new lawn. You may leave “depressions” behind. Once the sod is established and you have reduced your irrigation frequency your soil will “firm” up and you can enjoy your new lawn. If your lawn and soil are “soggy” you will need to reduce the irrigation frequency more until the lawn is “firm” and safe to walk on.
  2. The best watering times are in the morning (7:00 a.m.), even if it is just before sunrise, the afternoon (11:00 a.m.), the sod will require moisture during the hottest part of the day, and possibly irrigate a third time in the early evening (3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.). DO NOT water lawns overnight! Why? A lawn that is watered in the late evening tends to stay wet all night, providing an ideal environment for diseases, particularly during hot and humid weather. Fungus below will look like straw colored spots, “Dollar Spots”, in the lawn in a circular pattern. It looks like the grass is dying from the lack of water but more water may increase the fungus.
  3. Be careful not to over water your established lawn. Too much water can deprive the roots of oxygen and slow down development or possibly even kill the lawn.
  4. Make absolutely certain that water is getting to all areas of your new lawn, regardless of the type of sprinkling system you use. Corners and edges are easily missed by many sprinklers and are particularly vulnerable to dying out faster than the center portion of the lawn. Also, areas near buildings/ homes dry out faster because of reflected heat and may require more water.
  5. Runoff may occur on some soils and sloped areas before the soil is adequately moist. To conserve water and ensure adequate soak-in, turn off the water when runoff begins, wait thirty (30) minutes to an hour and restart the watering on the same area, repeating this start stop process, until proper soil moisture is achieved. Use multiple programs or cycle soak features found on your irrigation controller.
  6. After 1 to 2 weeks of proper watering pull up lightly on one piece of sod to see if the sod has taken root underground. Repeat this step throughout your property. You want the sod to be firmly rooted and difficult to pull upwards. At this point you can reduce your irrigation to once a day and either 5 days per week or every other day. If the grass at 2 to 3 weeks is fairly long and attached to the soil you are now ready for its first cutting.
  7. For the first mowing you want to turn the sprinklers off for a couple of days before to let the ground dry out before mowing. Use a new sharp blade for mowing and mow at least 3" in height.