SOD – What you need to know

Steps for Sod Preparation and Installation

Measure area for Sod
Multiply the length times the width of the area you are looking to sod. This gives you your total square footage to order. You can either order by the square foot – or by the roll (1 roll is 9 square feet 2x4.5’)

We suggest you add 5% to the total for areas that are irregularly shaped. 

Soil Preparation for Sod

1.      Clear the site of all rocks, stones or other debris that is larger than 1-2 inches in diameter.

2.      Rough grade the entire area to eliminate drainage problems by sloping the grade away from building foundations and filling low-lying areas. 

3.      Till the existing soil to a minimum depth of at least 2 inches before adding any topsoil or soil amendments.

4.      Add topsoil, if necessary, to achieve a total topsoil depth of 4-6 inches.   

5.      Test the soil pH according to the guidelines described at http://www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/brochlink1.htm  Lakeview Nurseries recommends the UMASS Soil testing lab based on its prompt and professional service.  Follow the recommendations regarding lime or gypsum addition to correct pH discrepancies.

6.      Apply "starter fertilizer" that is high in phosphate (P, or the middle number on a bag of fertilizer), at the recommended rate. Lightly incorporate this starter fertilizer into the top 2-3 inches of topsoil to avoid root injury.   

Call us at the Lunenburg store (978) 342-3770 to order the necessary amount of sod and to schedule delivery on the day you plan to start laying your sod. Sod needs to be install day of delivery!  Same-day installation of your sod is imperative to the success of establishment.  Sod is a living plant that requires immediate water, nutrients, and air to live and establish itself.

Laying Your Quality Massachusetts Grown Sod

1.      Start at a straight line such as a driveway or walk.

2.      Lay out the sod as you would a rug or tiles.

3.      Make sure all joints are butted tightly together - without overlapping or spaces between strips of sod.

4.      Stagger the joints in each row like rows of bricks.

5.      Use a large sharp knife for shaping sod around trees, at flower beds or along borders.

6.      Completely soak the sod with at least 1" of water. Start watering 20 minutes after the first strip is laid.

7.      Roll or tamp the sod to smooth out small bumps and air pockets. This will assure good contact with the soil.

Immediate Watering Schedule

8.      To gauge watering, simply place an empty can about 6"away from sprinkler.

9.      When there is an inch of water in the can, it is time to move the sprinkler to the next area.

10.  Reflected heat along buildings dries sod quickly; be sure to water such areas more often.

Second through Fifth Day Watering 
It's very important to check your lawn at least once per day during the week after installation, to ensure that there is adequate moisture for the turf to flourish. During hot and/or windy weather, you may need to check for moisture more than once per day. Walk on the new lawn to inspect it. If you observe water puddles or soil that is so soft that you leave footprints, it is too wet.  However, if you walk across your lawn to inspect it and find that the soil is very firm, lift a comer of the grass in several places. The soil should be damp-- not dripping wet or dusty dry.

Further Watering 
After about five days, it is time to start reducing your watering habits. If you do not reduce the amount of water applied to your lawn, you risk drowning the sod or preventing proper root development. Grass plants will not grow in waterlogged soils! Now is the time to begin stretching out the amount of time between waterings. If you have an automatic sprinkler system, you will need to reset the timer. Follow this philosophy: deep, infrequent watering. Watch the color of the sod for watering: green is good, blue-green indicates not enough water, and yellow-tan means the sod is heat/moisture stressed and will go dormant. 

Signs of Under Watering
Areas where the grass has wilted, or turned a straw color, have not received enough water. Seeing green grass turn brown almost overnight will get your attention! This is the most obvious symptom of under watering. Sod that has not been watered adequately shows signs of yellowing along the edges of each individual piece first. The roots and crowns of the grass plant are still alive, and in most cases, new leaves will appear in seven to ten days, if immediate action is taken. Another indication of under watering is cracks that appear between the rows of sod. Both of these signs of under watering that can be corrected by watering longer than you have been currently, with more water. Temperatures above 80° generally mean more water is needed, while temperatures below 60° mean less water is needed. In the cooler months of March, April, October and November, sod needs much less water.

Mowing 
Your new living carpet needs mowing 6-7 days after installation.  The basic mowing rule is never removing more than 1/3 of the leaf blade during a single mowing. Mow when grass height reaches 3"-3 1/2".  Set your mower at a cutting height of 2"-2 1/2".  For best appearance, be sure to keep your mower blades sharp.
 
How Soon Can I Use the Sod?  
For best establishment, the sod needs time to properly root to the new soil.  Early watering often makes the soil underneath the sod soft, and susceptible to ruts. Making deep footprints when the soil is soft won't hurt the sod, but will make for an uneven lawn in the future. Therefore, use your new lawn sparingly until good root establishment has taken place, usually 2-3 weeks.  Avoid concentrated play activities, dog traffic or similar rough usage until four weeks have passed.  There are no restrictions on visually enjoying your lawn! 
 
Weed Killers 
Your new sod does not need any type of weed killers. Should a dandelion or other small weed pop up, pull it out, making sure that you pulled out the root as well. Pulling out roots will ensure that weeds will not return.
 
Fertilization 
Other than the Starter Fertilizer you applied when laying the sod your new lawn does not need any fertilizer for at least two weeks. During this time, you can weigh your options, and decide if you plan on fertilizing the yard yourself, or hiring our landscaping service to do it for you. If you plan on fertilizing your sod yourself, stop into either our Lunenburg or Winchendon stores and we’ll help you set up a fertilization schedule.