A green, vibrant, healthy lawn starts with good soil, meticulous preparation, and an eye for detail. Simply laying sod down over un-prepared land can be counterproductive and time consuming if things don't go as planned. There are 4 important steps in how to lay sod to insure that your lawn is the gem of the block. Laying sod starts with sufficient breaking of the ground, proper nutrients, proper leveling, and frequent watering after the grass sod is laid.
You must break the ground on which you are laying the sod in order for the grass to root properly. There is a special rake that you can get at the hardware store that is called a "thatching rake" - this is my favorite tool for breaking ground. For one of the most widely used grasses, centipede, you only need to break the ground about 1/4 inch. On the other hand, for St. Augustine, you need to give the roots a great deal of growing room in order for the grass leaves to thrive and grow long.
After you break the ground, go ahead and put out a light sprinkling of pulverized limestone (lime). Lime will "sweeten up" acidic soil...and can't really be over used. Lime will help make your soil less acidic. Acidic soil is common around pine trees, for instance, and is an area that should be layered liberally with lime. Another soil enrichment that you can do is to add "starter fertilizer", which can also be found at your local hardware store or building supply store like Lowes or Home Depot. Beware though not to use "weed and feed" as it will burn the new sod.
One of the most important things to do when laying a new lawn is to properly level the ground. You can do this by hand or you can hire someone to "grade" your lot with heavy machinery. It all depends upon how much time and labor you are willing to put into hand grading your yard. If you have a small lawn like mine, you may elect to hand grade the yard. There is another specialty rake that landscapers use that is very wide with short (3" or so in length) tines on one side and a flat scraper on the other side. It looks like a conventional rake, but is specifically for leveling and separating out rocks and other debris. Take your time leveling your yard and you'll be glad you did - having to take up rooted sod and doing this over is no fun!
Watering sod that has been freshly installed is THE most important step to success. You must water your new lawn twice a day for at least 10 days to 2 weeks, depending upon the rainfall in your area. Do not let your new sod get dry and parched. Warning signs of an overly dry area are faded greyish green leaves of grass that just look dry.
So that's it! Your new lawn will establish in a short period of time and you will be mowing in no time. Give your new lawn at least 4 weeks and up to 6 weeks until your first mowing in order to allow the root system to establish. After that, mow only 1/3rd of the length of the blade of grass for maximum health of your lawn.
-By Ashley Brooks, Busy Bee Lawn Care, Columbia South Carolina, Lawn Care Service at it's Best!
