A healthy lawn is a goal for most homeowners who work vigilantly to care for their grass to achieve the objective. Part of the process involves adequate mowing, proper watering, and knowing when it’s time to install new sod.
When a grass installation service puts a new layer of sod on your property, essential care tips should be followed for the greatest chance of survival. As with any live planting, sod should be installed sooner rather than later following purchase.
After installation, a reputable lawn care company will offer tips on caring for the sod to encourage the growth of healthy, green grass.
Preventing Dried-Out Sod
Dehydration sets in quickly with new sod. If the soil where it’s installed is dry, moisture will be lost rapidly with the soil draining the sod’s water. Because this causes the sod to dry out, it will likely fail. Before the lawn company performs the installation, the recommendation is to water the dry soil.
The install should be done when the ground is cool, either in the early morning or later in the evening. This ground temperature helps the roots retain moisture and prevents shock. With a summer install, frequent watering is encouraged in order to avoid root shrinkage, while a winter install will require measured watering.
Watering well is essential to prevent drying out for roughly the first month following installation, regardless of the season or climate.
It’s wise to hire a professional lawn service to provide quality care until the sod is established. Visit https://www.hgtv.ca/how-to-grow-the-best-lawn-in-your-neighborhood/ to learn how to grow the best lawn in your neighborhood.
Tips for Watering New Sod
Healthy growth with new sod depends on adequate watering. This involves watering the soil before installation to prevent the moisture from being drained from the roots. The watering cycle is based on the soil type and the climate. Watering is required roughly four times daily when installed over a clay surface.
This increases to seven times daily for installation over sandy loam surfaces. Watering should be just enough to moisten the roots. Sod is intolerant of a lot of water at one time: too much causes root rot. You want to avoid soggy soil beneath new sod.
Following sunrise is the ideal time to start watering, with each session spaced out to allow the root to soak up the moisture. Water for the last time when the sun begins to go down, at which point the moisture will soak up slowly. That makes it essential to avoid watering too much.
Overwatering New Sod
New sod is distinct from grass in that it’s possible and relatively easy to overwater sod. The very short roots have difficulty retaining much moisture. Instead, the roots prefer short bursts of less water instead of a large volume at once. When overwatered, the roots are unable to get the oxygen necessary to thrive.
When installed and overwatered in warm temperatures, the sod can become diseased. You can tell if you’re overwatering by checking the soil beneath the sod roughly five minutes after adding water. If the ground is soggy, you’re watering too much.
Too Much Foot Traffic
When new sod is installed, a primary care tip is to avoid walking on it too soon; that includes pets and children. Newly planted sod should be off limits until it’s time to mow. The sod remains vulnerable until the roots are firmly entrenched. A regimented watering schedule helps establish the roots.
If foot traffic is allowed before the roots take hold, poor rooting or root failure is likely.
Root Establishment
Sod roots are extremely short and delicate when new making it essential to avoid overwatering and handle them with care. The roots will begin to establish themselves usually a week following installation but can take roughly two weeks to really take hold.
Integral in the process are the season in which the sod was installed, the climate, and the soil quality. When in the rooting stage, proper watering can prevent failure.
If the sod is allowed to become soggy, root rot will occur, and the sod will fail. The recommendation is to keep the volume small and increase the frequency. Establishing the roots is the most critical aspect of sod care. As the first mow session approaches, less water will be needed for the sod.
The roots will then be able to bond further with the soil in preparation for mowing. When mowing the first time, the soil shouldn’t be soft, or you could pull the sod out by the roots. That will mean starting the process over with a new installation. Mowing should wait for roughly three weeks following installation.
Fertilizing New Sod
Quality fertilizer encourages new sod to thrive. It works to create and sustain a strong root system that will provide a lush lawn for the long term. Liquid fertilizers are ideal for new sod and are recommended by many professional companies.
These penetrate the soil’s surface to condition the ground beneath the surface, creating the optimum conditions for the new sod’s roots.
In order for the fertilizers to access roots deep beneath the surface, it’s recommended to aerate the lawn roughly six months after installation and then approximately twice a year.
Aerating establishes holes in the soil that allow the roots to absorb fertilizer, water, and nutrients for the best health and growth.
Final Thought
Professional lawn installation companies ensure new sod is installed properly and offer recommendations for adequate care to achieve a healthy result. Go here for guidance on choosing reliable lawn services for installation.
