How to Cut Through Sod With Roots

Rent a gas powered sod cutter from a machine supply or hardware store. Most sod cutters come with instruction manuals. Read this manual before operating the sod cutter to familiarize yourself with the controls specific to your particular machine as well as safety warnings and precautions.

Inspect the sod you will be cutting. Remove obstructions such as rocks, sticks, landscaping staples or wire. Mark objects you should avoid such as sprinkler heads. Push a rod into the ground 2 to 3 inches. If the rod will not sink into the ground, water the soil 24 hours before cutting sod.

Place the sod cutter in neutral and the blade in the transport position. Move the machine to the area you will be cutting. Move the blade to the cutting position. Adjust the blade depth to cut the sod and roots in the soil. Soil conditions will affect the cutting depth. You can cut sod deeper in loamy soil than hard clay. Consult the user's manual for suggestions on cutting depths for the machine you are using.

Start the sod cutter with the motor in neutral. Slowly adjust the cutting speed. Then adjust the throttle. Push the machine forward slowly to cut the sod. When you reach the end of a row, end the cut by pulling the blade back into the transport position while holding the throttle. The strip of sod will cut as the blade leaves the ground.

To turn and reset the sod cutter, pull down on the handlebars of the machine to lift the blades from the ground. Tilt the machine back, and turn it to reset the sod cutter into the next row. The rows should overlap to avoid leaving narrow strips of grass behind.