SOD CARE

Temperature at installation: 

  32-60 degrees - water immediately and every other day for 2 weeks for approx 20-30 minutes depending on the amount of rainfall.

      61-85 degrees - water immediately and once a day for 2 weeks for approx 20-30 minutes depending on the amount of rainfall.

     86 degrees and above - water immediately and twice a day for 2 weeks for 20-30 minutes depending on the amount of rainfall.

Watering must be started immediately after the sod is installed and it is essential that enough water be put down initially to thoroughly soak the sod and the soil underneath. The soil should be moist several inches deep. You should give your new sod a heavy initial watering in order to rid the sodded area of pockets, which dry out the sod. Corners and edges of newly sodded areas tend to dry out sooner and they are hard to water properly. You may have to hand water these areas even if you do have a lawn irrigation system. If a newly sodded area does dry out or turn brown, it does not mean the sod is dead, it may become green again in about two weeks with proper water application.After the initial watering, water enough to keep the soil under the sod moist, not muddy. In cool weather this may mean watering only every 3-4 days, in very hot weather you may have to water daily. Do not allow the sod or soil underneath to dry out completely between watering. In about 2 weeks the sod should start to take rood to the soil underneath and watering can be lessened to once or twice a week depending on the weather conditions. Water anytime the sod has a dry pale, blue gray color or if the grass does not spring back after walking on it. It is important to know that frequent shallow watering is not good for your lawn. This can cause the root system to grow near the surface; try watering less often but water deeply. Over time the roots will follow the water down into the soil and you will have a lush healthy lawn.

Turf roots need oxygen as well as water and over watering can damage your new sod. It takes 2-3 weeks for sod to become well rooted and you should stay off of the sod as much as possible during this period, especially in areas that are extremely wet or on a slope. You should avoid dog traffic and rough use or play for at least 4 weeks.

New sod should be mowed about 7 days after installation. Fescue should be mowed to 3 inches which is the tall setting on your mower and you should never remove more that 1/3 of the leaf blade in a single mowing.

PLEASE NOTE THAT CREATIVE RAIN IRRIGATION AND GRADING DOES NOT COVER SOD UNDER ANY WARRANTY. SOD REQUIRES ATTENTION AND PROPER MAINTENANCE ON A DAILY BASIS, OTHERWISE YOUR SOD MAY DIE.

We hope this information helps you in maintaining your new sod but if you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our office at 804-271-0604 or you may email us at creativerainirrigation@gmail.com