Centipede Sod in Georgia

Soil Acidity

• Much of Georgia has highly acidic soil, which centipede can grow in, but the grass thrives in less acidic grounds with a pH level between 5.0 and 5.5. Conducting a soil test helps you pinpoint your yard's current pH levels and the exact amount of lime needed to amend the soil. Contact the University of Georgia Extension offices at 1-800-ASK-UGA1 for soil testing information. If you choose not to test the soil, noted Georgian gardener, television host and author Walter Reeves recommends adding 50 lbs. of lime per 1,000 square feet of yard as a good rule of thumb to reach acceptable soil acidity.

Site Preparation

• The best time to plant centipede sod in Georgia is during May and June. Kill off any existing vegetation on the site, using a glyphosate-based herbicide. Read the product label to determine how long you need to wait to sod after spraying. After the appropriate length of time passes, evenly spread out a 1-inch layer of organic material such as manure, compost or peat; your pH-increasing lime; and 10 lbs. of 5-10-15 fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of yard over the entire lawn. Till the top 6 to 12 inches of soil to mix the amendments into the ground and introduce air to the soil. Centipede thrives in loose, crumbly soil, and tilling eliminates any existing soil compaction.

Water

• Lightly moisten the tilled soil with 1/4 inch of water the night prior to laying the sod. Watering sod correctly is crucial --- too much or too little water can quickly kill the grass roots before they establish. Spray the new centipede with 1 inch of water immediately after the last strip of sod is laid, and then water twice per day for the next three weeks, adding just enough water to moisten the upper 1 inch of soil. After the sod roots to the soil, apply three applications of 1/4 inch of water to the lawn once every third day. Switch to irrigating with 1 inch of water every fifth day afterward.

Fertilizer

• Georgian centipede grass requires special fertilization rates. The fertilizer you till into the soil during site preparation helps to sustain the centipede's growth for its first month. Apply a dose of ammonium nitrate fertilizer in July, no sooner than one month after installation, at a rate of 1 lb. per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Apply 4 lbs. of 15-0-15 fertilizer to centipede sod once in mid-May and a second time in July after the sod becomes established. Avoid any extra or off-season fertilization to keep the lawn healthy.

Mowing

• Maintain centipede sod at a length of 1 to 1-3/4 inches. Cutting the lawn higher or lower than those heights reduces its chances of surviving winters and droughts. Mow the grass frequently enough that no more than a third of the blade height is removed in a single cutting session --- removing more stresses and damages the finicky centipede grass.