Now that you have install your new sod, what you do in the next few weeks will be critical to the establishment of a healthy lawn for years to come.
If your sod came from Tri-Tex Grass, it’s already nutrient rich so all you need to add is water.
When it comes to watering, the biggest question is usually ‘how often, and how much’.
For the first 10 days, water your lawn three times a day for 10 minutes each time.
As water pressure varies, 10 minutes may not be the most efficient for your lawn. The goal is to insure that the water soaks through to the bottom of the block with each watering.
Water early in the morning, around 7:00 am, again at 12 noon, and finally around 4:00 pm. Avoid watering late in the afternoon, especially with St. Augustine and Zoysia grasses. Watering too late in the day can cause fungus to grow through the night.
For conservation, do not water on rainy days.
Be sure you cover the entire lawn evenly. Place containers in various areas to measure the amount of water delivered. Move the containers to different locations to complete your survey and insure even coverage.
After 10 days, your turf should be rooting into the existing soil. To check this, slightly tug on the turf; if the block separates from the soil below, continue the ‘3 times a day’ watering regiment.
Avoid mowing until the sod has rooted into your existing soil.
Once your new turf is rooted into the soil, cut back your ‘3 times a day’ watering to ‘once, every other day’, in the early morning, and increase the amount of time your sprinklers run to deliver 1 inch of water per week.
In our next chapter, we’ll cover the long term maintenance of your lawn.
If you have any questions, give us a call at 888-221-0422, and we’ll be happy to help.
See this ‘How To’ video on our YouTube channel: How To Establish Your New Lawn
