How to Keep Sod From Dying

Use a drum roller filled with water to flatten the sod. This will remove any air pockets between the sod and the ground. If you don’t remove the air pockets so that the sod roots are in contact with the ground below, the sod roots will not be able to establish in the ground and continue to grow.

Water the sod two times per day -- once in the morning and once in the afternoon -- using a sprinkler and garden hose. The sod will need at least 1 inch of water per day. Use an empty vegetable can to measure the amount of water the sod is getting. Place the can in a location on the sod where the sprinkler will reach. When the can has 1/2 inch of water at each watering, that section is done.

Avoid walking on the sod until the first mowing, which is during the second or third week if the sod roots are established. Only walk on the sod to place the sprinkler and can.

Check the sod roots at the end of week two. Lift up on one corner of the sod. If it doesn’t give, the roots are established. If the sod lifts up, wait until the end of the third week to test the sod roots again.

Mow the sod toward the end of the third week if the roots are established. Only remove 1/3 of the grass blade. If you remove more than this, the grass will become stressed and may die back. If you need to mow the sod shorter, wait two or three days and mow the sod again, removing only 1/3 of the blade. Don't mow the sod shorter than 2 inches tall.

Continue watering the sod after the first mowing for another two weeks, but only water the sod once a day instead of two times a day, and give the sod 1 inch of water during this single watering. After this, only water once a week or when dry periods persist.

Fertilize the sod one month after the sod was installed, but only if it is before October. Use a regular lawn fertilizer, but do not use a fertilizer with weed killer. Follow the directions on the package as to the amount of fertilizer you need and set the lawn spreader accordingly. If the one month period falls after September, wait until the following spring to fertilize the sod.