Sod Installation Instructions

Clear your yard of all debris, rocks, and other items. Grade the lawn area with a metal rake and hoe, or by calling in a contractor to use heavy equipment if your yard is too large for you to handle. Rake it so that the soil is fine without chunks or bumps. Shovel topsoil in areas if necessary. Grade the soil so that it is approximately 1 1/2 inches deep. Also grade the soil away from your house if possible, to allow for drainage. The standard suggested grade is ½ inch for every ten feet.

Take a sample of your soil to a local garden center or your town's extension service to determine soil pH and nutrient levels; it should be between 6.0 and 7.0. You can rake in some limestone powder to increase the soil pH if necessary. Also rake in some starter fertilizer that is high in phosphorus. Follow the directions on the packages for amounts to apply.

Make sure that the sod pieces are moist when they are delivered. You should lay your new sod within three days of delivery to ensure it is healthy and hasn't dried out. Water your soil with a garden hose before you begin laying the sod if it is dry.

Lay the initial row of sod in a straight line. Stagger adjacent rows so the seams don't match, as you would when you're laying a wood floor or brickwork. Push the ends of the sod pieces together so they are tightly abutted and tamp down the seams with the back of a rake or hoe. Fill any cracks by shoveling topsoil into them. Immediately water the sod after you've laid it.

Roll the sod with a lawn roller to pack it down once it is dry. This will remove any air pockets that could impede growth.

Keep your newly laid sod moist using a garden hose with sprinkler attached. You should keep the soil under the sod moist; one inch of water every two to three days is sufficient. Take an empty coffee can and measure up from the bottom with a measuring tape, mark it with a permanent marker at one inch. Place this on the sod when watering your yard. This will help you determine how much water you are delivering to the lawn.

Change your watering schedule after the sod has rooted. This usually takes about two weeks. Water one inch every five to six days. After one month reduce this to one inch per week. After one month apply a standard lawn fertilizer according to the package directions.