10 Tips for Laying Sod and After
The thought about laying sod yourself or having someone lay sod for you can be stressful. As part of completing my Honey do List projects I recently installed sod in my backyard and would like to share my tips when attempting to lay sod or if your planning on laying sod soon.
- Is laying sod expensive?
Laying sod can be relatively expensive. Sod cost between .28 and .50 cents per Sq. Ft. However this does not include the costs that may be required for preparing the area. For example other costs may include sprinkler installation, top soil addition and paying workers to install the sod. For a 2,000 Sq. Ft. lawn you may end up spending between $500 and $1,000 dollars for just the sod.
- Is laying sod difficult?
Laying sod is not very difficult. The process is rather simple but does require the ability to lift and move large weights across the yard. It is key to lay the sod squares in a brick like pattern where each layer is slightly offset and overlaps the other. This will help prevent yellow lines during Sod establishment
- What to do before laying sod?
You will want to prepare the area before laying sod. You shouldn’t just lay it on the area you have as is without any preparation. You will want to install an automated sprinkler system (or other watering system), Prepare your soil with fertilizers or add topsoil, level out your yard or grade it and make sure you have enough time to lay your sod on the same day you get it from the sod farm.
- Why install sod?
There are many reasons to install sod instead of seeding your area. Sod will establish much quicker and will be usable within weeks instead of months. Seed can take a long time to take and may leave unwanted patches. Other reasons include it will reduce erosion, temperature around your house and increase the aesthetic beauty of your landscape.
- How long after laying sod can I walk on it?
Generally, you can walk on your new sod 2-4 weeks after laying it. This is mostly because of the need to saturate your grassed area with 1 inch of water each day. This saturation can cause you to leave holes and impressions in the soil under your sod and could increase the time it will take to establish.
- How soon after laying sod can you mow it?
Generally, you can mow your lawn after 2 – 4 weeks. It is key to mow your lawn on a day you have not watered to prevent creating impressions and uneven ground under your grass. After 2 weeks you can generally reduce your watering schedule and start watering every other day instead of every day.
- Add Top soil
We recommend adding top soil if the soil around your home is clay, sandy or not very healthy. Adding 3-4 inches of top soil gives your new sod the nutrients and soil it will need to establish quickly and to look much greener sooner than later.
- Use a cheap serrated knife to cut out sprinklers and edges
You may think about buying an expensive sod cutting knife but we found that a cheap serrated knife from Walmart or your local dollar store did just as good as the expensive sod knife. However, these knives do dull during the installation and may not be worth saving once you are done.
- Water at least 1 inch for 2 weeks
You may be wondering how much to water you grass after laying your sod and the answer varies by region. As a general rule of thumb, you will want to water your lawn with at least 1 inch every day for 2 weeks. Another sod laying tip is to check for dry spots every day and adjust your sprinklers as needed.
- When to lay sod?
You can lay sod from early spring to early fall. However, the early spring is a much better time as it will require you to water less time and you can conserve water. We had sod laid in early august when we moved into our new home and it established perfectly and looked great but required much more water to establish.
Bonus Tip: Invite a lot of your friends and family to help you move and lay your sod. The more people you have helping the faster it will go and the less heavy lifting you will have to do. Offering free pizza can help to convince helpers to come.
As you can see laying sod is not difficult but can take effort and time. If you want to learn more check out our article on 6 steps to laying sod. Follow us, Contact us and we will be happy to help you to finish your DIY projects or check out our landscapers at Our Honey Do list Network