Preparing your yard for new grass may seem like a daunting task, but the effort is certainly worth it to have a nearly immediate lush, green lawn. Now is a great time to lay down sod, before the heat of the summer arrives in Utah. Discover five key steps to laying down sod in today’s blog.
Steps to Laying Down Sod
Step One: Prepare the soil
Before laying down sod in Utah, your first step is to prepare the soil. Test your soil to see what your soil lacks and therefore, can know what fertilizer and amendments it needs. You will likely need to dig up and blend soil samples from all over your yard. Once you receive the results, follow the recommendations.
Here are the other four steps needed for laying down the soil.
Step Two: Deal with old sod
If you’re dealing with old sod, take a flat shovel and remove it. You can also use chemicals, like glyphosate, which are very effective and reasonably priced. Alternately, you can use a rototiller, taking care to first note locations of sprinkler heads. Keep in mind to not lay down new sod over old sod.
Step Three: Till the Soil
The next step is to till up the soil to let the new sod’s roots get deep down to establish the lawn. You can fertilize the soil under the sod (before or after the sod is laid) so long as you use a good fertilizer. Take note of how much topsoil you have. Although sod will grow on most soil types, having loamy soil will afford the sod the best chance at success.
Step Four: Lay down the sod
Assuming you’ve already purchased the sod, it’s time to lay it down. Wear loose, comfortable clothing, and ones you can get dirty. Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and apply sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses. Start by laying down the sod in narrow strips, beginning with the first row with the longest continuous fixed, straight edge. This could be your home, driveway, or sidewalk. Continue laying in straight lines while staggering the short ends in a brick-like pattern, so it’s more aesthetically pleasing, and a long seam won’t encourage water to channel, causing the seams to come apart and be exposed.
When laying sod, ensure you butt in pieces tightly, so there are no gaps. Then remove any air pockets by either using a lawn roller one-third filled with water or carefully but methodically walking across the sod with your feet close together.
Step Five: Water and fertilize your sod
Time to water and fertilize your sod, which needs to occur frequently for the first few weeks while the roots establish themselves. Check to ensure water is through the sod an inch or two into the soil beneath the sod pieces. Don’t ever let new sod dry out or stay saturated. You can tell if the root system is taking hold if you lift the corners of sod, and it begins resisting your tugging. When the new lawn in 32-4 inches tall, mow the lawn gently.
Ready for a New Lawn? Contact Monarch Sod
Now that you know the process of laying sod, if you haven’t purchased it yet, or looking for someone to install it, give us a call or visit us here. We serve Utah and Salt Lake Counties with sod grown professionally by local turfgrass farmers to ensure a beautiful, healthy lawn.
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