How Much Water for Marathon Sod in California?

Watering New Marathon

• To prevent wilting, water Marathon sod lightly after you install each 200 square feet. When you finish installing and rolling the sod on your new lawn, sprinkle it until it’s soaked. Water it until the water runs off at 7 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. the first week. Water it the same way at 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. the second week. Beginning with the third week, water it daily at 7 a.m., tapering off until you water it once every second or third day. Water more often when the weather is windy or warm and dry.

Watering Established Marathon

• Marathon sod should become established in about six to eight weeks. After that, water it once or twice a week in cool months and three or more times a week in warmer months. Water it 30 minutes each time or as long as necessary to penetrate the soil deeply. If you start watering and the water runs off, stop and wait for an hour or two for it to soak in, and then repeat the watering.

Not Enough Water

• If your Marathon starts to wilt, give it more water and increase the watering time. If it develops brown areas, probe each area with a knife or screwdriver. If you have a hard time penetrating the brown area, the browning is likely caused by a lack of water, not by disease, applying too much fertilizer or dog urine. Your sprinkler may have malfunctioned or you spaced your sprinklers poorly; use a hose to saturate the area, and then repair or adjust your sprinklers. If your Marathon develops a blue-gray tint with limp areas, it’s likely dehydrated and you need to water it immediately. Your Marathon will typically get dehydrated if your sprinkler coverage is not adequate or the grass is growing on the tops of mounds. It’s okay to water Marathon in full sun.

Too Much Water

• Watering Marathon too much, usually in low spots or shady areas, can suffocate the roots or cause the crown to rot. The crown is that part of the grass that meets the soil. If you see slimy, rotting grass, crusts of algae or muddy soil, you’ve been watering the grass too much. Raise or drain low spots and use lower volume sprinklers or reduce the length of irrigation. The longer moisture stays on Marathon, the greater the risk for developing fungal diseases. Water your grass between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Avoid watering it between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. If you water it night, it will remain wet for hours.