I have always been one of those people who loves to create a warm, inviting atmosphere for others, which is why I started looking at landscaping design in the first place. It was incredible to me to see how much of a difference I was able to make by adding a few new plants, and after that first project, I wanted to help other people. I started volunteering to help friends and neighbors do their landscaping, and after a few months, I had developed quite a following. This blog is all about creating a warm, inviting yard through smart landscaping and an eye for detail.
Installing sod is an exciting stage of landscape development. It's like getting an instant yard. However, sod is usually at its more vulnerable directly following transplant. You might be eager to use your yard right away, but first you need to consider the needs of your grass or it will not survive. Here are some tips for keeping your sod alive after planting.
1. Give plenty of water.
Water is the key component for sod success after planting. If you water too little, the sod will not develop a strong root system into the ground it was planted on. Water is what encourages the shallow roots of cut sod to delve down into the prepared topsoil. Because you want the water to penetrate deeply, you need to give the grass a good soaking on a daily basis during the first week following planting. If the weather is very hot, water even more often during the coolest periods of the day, such as early morning or later in the evening.
Once your sod has started to root, you can give more time between waterings, but the duration should still be thorough. Long watering still encourages the deep root growth you want from your grass. In contrast, short, quick watering will produce short roots, so your grass will not be resilient in the future.
2. Limit traffic
Even though your new carpet of grass looks incredibly inviting, do not invite the children out to play soccer on your new lawn yet. Instead, keep people off the grass until your sod has started to take hold. Stepping on grass puts it under stress. Established grass recovers from this stress easily. New sod, however, is already devoting a lot of time to recovering from the stress of transplant.
3. Hold off on grass enhancers, maintenance, and other treatments
Now that your sod is planted, you might immediately jump to maintenance mode, including adding fertilizers and weed barriers. Your new grass doesn't need to be treated for weeds, and fertilizer can throw off the chemical balance of your grass as it tries to get established. Your sod should come cut directly from a sod farm, where the grass is healthy and well cared for. Wait a season before using any treatments on the grass.
Finally, even though your sod will get long as it grows after planting, wait a few weeks before taking out your lawnmower to cut it back. That extra growth helps to produce the food the grass needs for root development, and you want to give your sod as much time as possible to get established before mowing.
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