The Process for Laying Sod

The Sod

• Sod is grown on sod farms. When it is ready for harvest, it is usually cut at night for delivery in the morning. Farmers aim to deliver the sod within 24 hours of its being cut and it should be installed the same day to prevent it from drying out.

Soil Preparation

• There are two major steps to laying sod. The first is preparing the soil. The soil should first be tested. Testing soil can be as simple as using a paper pH test that you perform yourself, or it can be slightly more complicated by taking a soil sample and submitting it to your local county extension office or state university along with a nominal fee. The test results will tell you exactly which nutrients your soil lacks and how you can supply them. If you have patchy grass on the lawn that you're replacing, use a sod cutter to remove the old grass then run a rototiller over the soil a few times, or until the soil has a nice, crumbly texture. Amend the soil as needed at that time then rake it smooth and water it until it's just moist enough to settle.

Laying the Sod

• Laying the sod is the second step. When laying sod, it's best to have at least one helper, but more than one may be necessary if you're installing more than 1,000 square feet of sod. Lay the first piece using a straight edge as a guide, such as the house, a garden bed or walkway. It's also beneficial to stagger the pieces that follow by cutting the second piece in half and staggering them like you would if you were laying bricks.

Watering New Sod

• Because sod can quickly dry out, keep the sprinkler running on the pieces of sod as you lay them, moving it around the yard to water freshly laid pieces and prevent them from drying out. The sod should be watered daily for one to two weeks then every other day for another 10 days, or so, then the lawn will be able to take more infrequent, deep waterings as an established lawn. Keep people and pets off the sod for at least a week to avoid damaging it.