How To Prep For Sod Installation - The Family Handyman

Benefits of Sod vs Reseeding

Reseeding is far cheaper and far less labor intensive than laying sod. But reseeding takes a month of diligent watering once or twice a day. The germinating seed can easily dry out and die in as little as one dry, sunny, hot day. Plus, you’ll run the risk of a heavy rain washing away all your fertilizer and seed, especially if you’re planting on a sloped yard. You won’t have a truly lush, thick lawn for several months. But most turf experts would agree that once it’s established, a seeded lawn is superior to a sodded one. The roots are better established, and you can perfectly match the seed to the conditions.

But if you’re impatient and love the idea of an instant, perfect carpet of grass, there’s nothing like freshly laid sod. After it’s laid, moderate watering and routine lawn care are all it requires.

Tips for Laying Sod

• Consider hiring out the laying. If you’re worn out from all the prep work, rest assured you did it better than many pros would have. Take a break and hire out the sod-laying part! That’s a lot of grunt work.
• Buy from the growers. Don’t buy sod rolls on pallets from home centers or garden centers. Sod has a very short shelf life and gets dried out and baked, especially if it’s out in the sun. Buy directly from sod farms if possible. Chances are your sod will be cut the same day you pick it up or have it delivered.
• Use quickly. If you have sod delivered, keep it out of the sun or use it immediately. Surprisingly, sod rolls begin heating in the center and deteriorate from the inside out.
• Be wary of low bids. Should you decide to hire out the prep work and sod laying, interview the con-tractor carefully. Unscrupulous installers will often do little or no prep work and just lay the sod on whatever they find in your yard. Expect to pay more for quality work and sod.
• Water, but don’t overwater. Water right after installation. If the sod dries out, the seams will part and cause large gaps between rows and ends. As with seeding, start with light, frequent waterings, and as the roots knit in, back off to encourage them to penetrate deeper into the soil to seek water. When water is needed later, water more deeply. Shallow watering will deter roots from penetrating the soil to seek more moisture.