When Is a Good Time to Sod?

Cool-Season Sod

• Cool-season sod types include some varieties of bentgrass, hard fescue mixed with Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass mixed with perennial ryegrasses and fine fescues and red fescue mixed with Kentucky bluegrass. Install this type of sod in the early spring or early fall, as the grass will go dormant during the heat of the summer months. In addition, cool-season sod types such as Kentucky bluegrass stop growing roots when temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Warm-Season Sod

• Warm-season sod types include zoysia, St. Augustine, buffalo, Bermuda and seashore paspalum, according to the University of California. Install your warm-season sod in the early spring, or when temperatures rise after the winter months. It is important to sod warm-season grass before the heat of the summer months. Sod needs time to establish a strong root system, which is difficult to do on dried-out soil. Furthermore, planting warm-season sod in the fall will give you a short growing season.

Preparing the Soil

• Sod that's laid on unprepared soil is likely to fail. In fact, newly planted sod on compacted soil is at risk of contracting a fungal disease. Prepare your soil by tilling the first 6 to 8 inches of top soil. Make sure all weed growth has been removed. Distribute a starter fertilizer on the lawn that is high in phosphorous. Use a starter fertilizer that has a NPK amount of 5-10-5. Distribute at a rate of 20 lbs. per 1,000 square feet. Work the starter fertilizer into the first 2 to 4 inches of soil.

When to Sod

• Install your sod when it is delivered. Sod left out can dry out, which will prevent the sod from establishing in the soil. If you can't install your sod as soon as it is delivered, lay out the pieces under a structure or tree. Avoid stacking the sod up, because it will generate heat, thus drying out the roots. Try to install your sod in the morning, so that it is laid on the ground in cool weather and not during the heat of the afternoon.