Tips for Laying Sod Squares

Test your Soil

• Having your soil tested is an important step in preparing for a successful lawn planting. The test will tell you the physical makeup and pH of the soil around your house. Aside from water and air, the dirt in your yard is made up of clay, silt and sand, and the most desired mixture is called "loam." Loam is 40 percent sand, 40 percent silt and 20 percent clay, and it feels loose and crumbly, rather than hard and tight. A pH that is too high or too low will affect grasses' and plants' abilities to grow in it. A high pH (alkaline) soil can be brought to neutral with sulfur, and a low pH (acid) can be raised with lime.

Kill and Till

• On lawns that will be completely sodded, kill off all the existing plant life using a glyphosate herbicide, then do your first tilling. If necessary, apply any top soils or organic supplements after the first tilling. About a week later, do the second tilling. After the second tilling, you can install sprinkler systems, sidewalks and other lawn accessories. Then rake and grade the lawn until it is smooth and about an inch below the level of the sidewalks.

Lay it Straight

• Lay your sod pieces in a straight line, following a sidewalk, flower bed or driveway. Push the joints together, minimizing spaces, and don't line up joints in multiple rows; keep the joints staggered from row to row so that the seams don't line up and form long gaps. Use a carpet knife to cut the pieces that need to fit around odd shapes, and try not to walk on the sod at this point.

Roll and Water

• Rent a lawn roller from your local home improvement store or equipment rental store and roll your lawn. The action taken by this piece of equipment presses the roots of the sod into the soil and is more important with newly sodded lawns than those that are simply being overseeded or revamped. Fill in any gaps or trenches with soil after your sod has had a week to settle. Water the lawn deeply on a daily basis (more often in hot, dry weather) for the first week, then allow more time between watering so that the roots can reach into the soil. Regular watering should continue for two to three weeks. Apply your fertilizers regularly. The lawn can be mowed after about four weeks.