If you plan to lay new sod this season in hopes of having a stunning lawn all summer, you’re likely spending a lot of time doing your homework right now. There’s a lot to consider and plan for when investing in new sod. Most questions people have about caring for and maintaining their newly installed sod for landscaping revolve around watering: particularly how much, how often, and when.

Installation Day

Finally, the day for installing your new sod has arrived! You might be tempted to saturate the ground in preparation for the new sod, but you shouldn’t do that. The result would be a slippery, muddy landscape that difficult to work on. Instead, after the sod is installed, water for about 45 minutes to encourage the sod to take good root. This should be long enough to water all of the sod thoroughly and for the water to filter down into the soil. You want the soil to be moist, at least 3-4 inches deep. You need to pay special attention to the edges of the sod since those areas are less likely to be watered as thoroughly and more likely to dry out more quickly.

The First 10 Days

Generally, it takes ten days to 2 weeks for the sod to take root. After the first day, you should plan to water for about 20 minutes at a time, three times per day. Also, you want the soil to be moist consistently all day for those first ten days but not too waterlogged (since that can lead to root rot). Try to water during the early morning, in the evening, and then once during the middle of the day. There will be less evaporation in the morning and evening, so those are the most efficient times to water. Don’t forget that when it rains. You don’t need to water as much – you don’t want to overwater! As you approach the 10-day mark, you can start cutting back on the water a little.

The Next Two Weeks

You should still be watering during the next two weeks, but not as intensely. It is still best to water early or late to limit evaporation. Look for patches that might be drying out, and focus more of your water on those spots. The goal is to shoot for about an inch of water per week (including rainfall) and allow the new root system to take healthy hold as much time as possible. During these first four weeks, do not mow, and try not to walk on it too much (including your dog, if possible).

Happily Ever After

After the first month, you should be able to treat your new sod like the rest of your beautiful lawn. Contact us at 334-360-5317 to get a quote or make a purchase!