How to Lay Sod

No matter the season, it is never too late to transform your garden. And sod is a great solution for this. But, it is essential to know that you need to take care of sod and maintain it regularly.

If you are the type of person who wants an incredible landscape but are unable to take out time for maintenance because of your schedule, you can look for other alternatives like artificial turf. You can weigh down the pros and cons and then decide which option will work best for you.

As for sod, we have listed all the steps to laying sod so that any questions that you may have in mind can be cleared out before you finalize the decision.

Prepare Soil

The first and fundamental step is definitely to prepare the soil for the sod. Whether you are learning the process of how to lay sod for the first time or you want to brush up your memory, never forget this basic yet significant step of laying sod. You will be using a rototiller to first loosen up a few inches of soil, preferably 6-8 inches for the sod.

Check pH and Add Organic Matter

Even before preparing the soil, you need to check the pH of the soil to make sure that it is optimum for the sod to be placed. A pH between 6.5-7, i.e. towards the acidic side, would be the best rate for placing sod. Once you are done with that, and you have also prepared the soil, you would have to put in some organic matter or soil nutrients so that you can ensure that the soil will be able to provide a healthy environment to the sod that will be placed.

Rake the Soil

Another very essential step is to rake the soil so that it can be made sure that the soil is at the same level. This is very important because if not, the sod will not lay properly on an uneven surface. Hence, you must use a rake to flatten the surface on which the sod can be placed appropriately.

To make sure that there are no uneven surfaces, water the area and see if any damps are being created. If so, fill those areas and flatten the surface well before jumping to the next step!

Lay the Sod

Finally, you can now lay the sod on the surface that is now completely ready for it. The sod will come in a particular size, and so you need to make sure that you place it in straight rows one after another without leaving any gap in between.

Be extra sure about NOT placing small pieces towards the edges as they might dry out and die early if placed on the corners. You can fill in the gaps through the leftover turf in the middle though.

Roll the Sod and Watering Procedure

Once the turf is completely placed, use a roller over the sod to make sure that everything is settled. After which you need to take care of the watering procedure. At the start, make sure to water the sod every day more frequently, eventually shifting to twice a week in your 2nd or 3rd week. Once four weeks have passed, watering once a week either through rain or irrigation should be enough!

We hope that this guide has helped you understand the process better. If you are looking for more creative landscaping ideas, contact Red Mountain Landscaping today, and we will help you build the dream landscaping for your home!