Watching the grass grow sounds good but only in theory. Yes, but when you want a lawn where you can walk on, and your kids will play with their toys, this will be a long tiring thing, right? So, what is the easy and fast way to get a flawless looking lawn? The new way to renovate your old lawn is by laying sod. Yes, the sod installation process is as easy as it sounds. This way, you can get an “instant lawn” in just a few days. All the homeowners can easily install the sod. From the preparation of the soil to the grown grass, the whole process only takes 2-3 weeks to lay sod.
Still, doubt in your mind whether you can do it or not? Read this blog as today we bring an ultimate step by step guide on how to install sod. Just with little hard work of yours, you will get a healthy and smooth looking lawn area.
So whether you want to renew your weedy and sparse lawn or just want to create a new fantastic lawn by laying sod. This guide will surely help you in understanding the whole process, and then you can easily install sod in your land area.
Time Required: 1 day
Difficulty Level: Beginner
So, let’s start with the procedure
source: thisoldhouse.com
Things You’ll need
These are some things that you’ll need in this whole installation and maintenance process. All these items are easily available in the local market.
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So, after you’re ready with your tools and materials, it’s time to start the installation process:
1. Measure the Space
source: lawnsolutionsaustralia.com.au
It is always best to measure the area on which you want to lay the sod. Measure the whole area carefully either in square feet or just by walking on the land. Because typically the human step roughly covers 3 feet, so you can estimate the area by that. Whatever method you used to measure the ground, make sure you do it properly because you don’t want to spend unnecessary money on buying extra sod, right?
2. Prep the Soil
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After you purchase the sod, it is time to lay them down and in that the very first step is to prepare the soil for the sod. For that, just use a rototiller to loosen up the soil from 6-8 inches from the top. And then spread the organic soil or finished compost on it and you can also add 2-3 inches of sand.
Tip: If your land has stray plants and weeds, first remove them and then use herbicide and fertilizers to make the soil healthy and ready for the sodding process.
3. Rake Soil Level
source: shutterstock.com
After you’re done with the second step, it’s time to move forward in the process. So, the next thing to do is to level the surface. It is essential to do this step. You can use an iron rake to level any kind of unlevel surfaces and spots. And later water the soil because it is necessary to soil to be moist when you lay sod. Sprinkle some water on the land well 24 to 48 hours before installation.
4. Lay the First Row
source: medinaturf.com
After you’re done with the above three steps, it’s finally time to lay the sod! It is always good to start with a straight edge. So, select the areas such as fence, patio, or driveway and work with the long and bigger pieces. Starting laying sod one by one. Avoid walking on it, as you will make footprints on them, and it’s quite hard to remove them later on. Use a shove to remove any air pockets and carefully lay one layer while avoiding any kind of wrinkles.
5. Continue Laying
source: homedepot.com
After you successfully place the first row of sod, it’s time to install the other ones. Continue the whole process and use a knife to cut down the pieces as needed. And don’t forget to pat down each row of sod to remove any air pockets. By patting the ground, you’ll get a smooth layer of sod.
6. Fill in the Spaces
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After you cover your lawn with all the sod, it’s time to check gaps, curves, or oddly shaped areas. These hard to reach spaces are important to be filled. Use a utility knife and cut the sod into smaller pieces, and patch all the small seams and spaces. Always lay shorter rows in the flower bed and walkways regions.
7. Press the Sod Down
source: amazon.com
In this step, your installation process almost gets completed. only one thing is left and that is the smoothing of the sod layer. Yes, it is also a necessary step, so don’t think to skip this. Use a large lawn roller to smooth out the new sod against the soil. This will tighten the connection between sod & the soil. This will help the sod to grow roots in the soil.
Tip: For a few weeks, limit the traffic on the sod such as pets and children, it may damage the sod.
8. Water and Maintain
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The above seven steps are the installation process steps, but the whole process won’t get completed until you will not maintain your newly laid sod. Yes, new sod should be watered as soon as possible. Avoid walking on it and water it in the morning for at least one week daily. After one week you can reduce the irrigation schedule.
Tip: Never water the sod at night because there are high chances that the bed wet sod will get fungal diseases.
9. Mowing Grass
source: hgtv.com
After watering the sod for about ten days, the grass will grow up to 3 inches. It’s the best time to mow your grass. It is better to use a walk-behind mower as the grass is still fragile, but once it is well arranged, you can use the Riding Mower. And if you’re interested to know about the various small riding lawn mowers, you can read our previous blog on that.
Trim the grass from 3 inches to 2 inches, and you can always grow them longer in the summertime. But make sure to cut the excess length (approx one-third of the total length) of grass from time to time.
Tip: In addition to mowing, don’t forget to fertilize it so that you’ll get a healthy lawn.
source: popularmechanics.com
Your Lawn is Ready!!
After all these steps and your hard work, your process of laying sod is completed. Avoid walking on it and give an only appropriate amount of water. Just take care of it for a few weeks, and after that, you’ll get a toe-tickling and healthy lawn, on which you and your family can enjoy playing and walking on it.
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