How to Lay Sod Grass Properly

Sod grass is mainly used for golf courses, stadiums, and lawns. Using the sods in gardens helps in curbing soil erosion and floods. It helps in cooling and bettering air and water quality as well.

Who doesn't like a luscious green lawn?! Usually, beautiful homes surrounded by greenery are always in for some praise. However, growing grass by planting seeds may take time before you could enjoy the view.

There is a solution to the problem. Laying sod grass allows you to get a beautiful green lawn within 2 - 3 weeks!

Sod is a grass that is already planted; meaning it's a grass with a portion of soil tied together with roots or other thin material. Laying this already-planted grass saves on time, rather than having to actually wait for the seeds to grow. The following instructions will help you to lay sod grass in the right manner.

Before placing an order for sod grass, it will be helpful to measure the yard.

▶ Sketch the area that you wished to lay sod on, on a paper. Measure the yard with a measuring tape. Include the measurements on the sketch. It will help you know exactly how much sod you will need to cover your yard.

You can divide the sketched yard into geometric patterns like square, rectangle, and circle to help you in the measurement.

▶ After measuring the area and the needed sod grass, place an order with garden centers or sod farms near you. Schedule the delivery after you have completed the first necessary preparation. Laying the section of grass immediately after the delivery can be crucial to keep the sods in good-quality condition.

▶ The price for the sod varies from its type to the area of the yard. Say, for a 2,000 sq ft ground, sod grass will cost between USD 300 - 600.

▶ The second important step in the installation process is preparing the soil to lay the sod. Use machines like rototiller to loosen the soil. It helps the sod grass roots to go deeper.

▶ Remove all the rocks, weeds, and any other trash from the soil.

▶ Add fertilizer and organic matter in the soil to make it healthy.

After preparing the soil, it is time to lay the sod. Sod usually comes in slabs. Laying it is much like laying bricks.

Step 1: First, choose a straight vertical edge of your yard, like a sidewalk to start laying the sods. Place the edge of the rolled sod against the straight edge, and unroll it.

Step 2: Follow the same process with the second sod by placing its edge with the first one. Do not overlap or stretch the sods.

Step 3: To fit the sods in the unusual edges of the lawn, cut the sod with a knife to fit it into shape.

Step 4: If you encounter any rough area, rake it. If there is a gap between two sod slabs, place the soil in the gap to fill it.

Step 5: It is important to keep the sods moist as they tend to get dry quickly. Keep the sods moist by sprinkling water as you are laying them.

Step 6: After you have covered all the area, roll the sod with a lawn roller. It will help level the grass and ensure contact between the roots and the soil.

After laying the sods, your new garden needs some care.

▶ Water the sods thoroughly and regularly for the first week. It will avoid dryness and shrinking of grass. You can reduce the watering gradually after the first week. By end of the fourth week, water the sods only twice a day.

▶ Avoid using the new sod grass lawn for a couple of weeks.

▶ You can mow your lawn after 10 days of laying the sods or once the grass is 10 inches in height.

▶ It is a good idea to keep the activities on the newly installed sods for at least the first 4 weeks. After 4 weeks of installation, you can feed a starter fertilizer to the sods. It will provide the necessary nutrients that may have been washed out due to heavy watering.

By following these vital steps, you can lay sod grass in your yard all by yourself.

◆ The raked soil should be 1 inch below the sidewalk or the yard edge.

◆ If possible, choose the sod soil that's similar to your yard.

◆ Kneel on a piece of plywood as you lay the sods. It will avoid roughing up of the already-placed grass.

◆ Cut small holes in the sods to fit around the in-ground sprinklers.

◆ Though there is a debate on laying sod grass over existing grass or dead grass, it will be far more beneficial to remove the old grass before installing new sods. Removal of the old grass will allow the new sods to have direct contact with the soil, and they will root faster.

Laying the new sod grass might look like a bit of work, but the outcome is definitely rewarding. Arrange for this "instant grass" in your garden, and enjoy the luscious green scenery that will complement your beautiful house!