My New Sod Is Turning Yellow

Drought

• The roots of new sod need constant moisture to establish themselves in new soil. Laying the sod on hot, dry ground could burn the roots before new owners can irrigate the lawn. A light watering about 12 hours before laying the sod gives the new grass a cool moist bed. Saturating the new lawn immediately prevents drought damage during the lawn's most vulnerable hours. Water enough to wet the soil beneath the sod 4 inches deep. Water the same amount every two to three days for the first three weeks and weekly thereafter. In very hot weather, new sod needs water every day.

Air Pockets

• If patches of sod don't make firm contact with the ground, the new roots may not cross that empty space and a small section yellows and dies. Preparing the ground properly helps avoid these troubles. Till the soil to an even texture before laying sod and remove all rocks and roots. Anything that projects above the surface might lift a patch of sod above the dirt. Rake the soil level before the sod arrives, since hummocks interfere with mowing and depressions also create air pockets.

Nutrition

• Plants moved to nitrogen-poor soil soon lose their green color and develop yellowish leaves. Yards of new homes often contain a mixture of topsoil and subsoil and could be entirely subsoil. Tilling the yard 4 inches deep to blend soil types and break up dense subsoil helps prepare the ground for new grass. Applying fertilizer before laying sod might burn roots and kill patches of new grass. Allow the sod to establish itself before feeding. Fertilize in May and again in September, according to the University of Illinois. Until soil quality improves, grass in different areas may grow at different rates and display different shades of green.

Installation Problems

• Different kinds of grass grow best on specific soil types and require different amounts of sunlight and water. Consulting with a landscaper before ordering the sod helps homeowners choose the right types of grass for different areas of the yard. Lay the sod soon after arrival and don't store it in stacks for more than 36 hours. Pressing the sod down with a lawn roller makes a firmer contact between the root mat and the new ground, eliminating many air pockets. Problems could still emerge -- patches of yellow, dying grass near foundations might mark shallow soil over an old concrete spill.