Sod Care and Support

Your sod will be dehydrated after it's been installed. In the installation process, it's been harvested, transported, and transplanted into a new environment. It's crucial to soak your sod for 120 minutes immediately after installation. Moving forward, the rule of thumb is to water your sod for 90 minutes twice per day. A good schedule would be 7:00 am to 8:30 am and 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Adjust for weather and delay the watering schedule for rain.

After watering and monitoring your sod for the first two weeks, gently tug a few pieces across different areas of your lawn. Each roll should be firmly rooted and stuck to the ground. This means that the rooting process was successful and the sod won't move or shift when you mow.

Only after your sod is rooted should you consider mowing. This typically takes 2 to 3 weeks depending on which summer month your sod was installed. Once you've confirmed that it's rooted, set your mower to the highest setting - meaning the mower blade should be farthest from the ground. Gently mow your new grass ensuring you cut less than 1/3 of the grass blade height at a time. For example, if the grass is 3" high when you start mowing, do not cut more than 1" off the top. At least 2" should remain when you're finished mowing.

Make sure to clear all the lawn clippings after the first few mowing sessions. It's critical to ensure the clippings don't lay on top of the fresh sod as this could result in fungus growth, reduce the amount of sunlight available to the sod, limit the amount of water that soaks into the soil and roots, and speed up decomposition which will overheat the young grass.