Watering Advice for the First Two Weeks after Sod Lawn Installation

The establishment of your new sod lawn is easy. Sod should be laid on your dry soil the very day it arrives. If temperatures are above 80° the soil should be moistened the day before to cool soil temperatures.

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BEFORE LAYING: DO NOT OVER WATER

So you or the installers are not working in muddy conditions. After the sod is installed the initial watering should soak the sod and hydrate the soil. All you have to do is water it and stay off. Keep the lawn moist at all times, preferably by frequent light sprinklings. The watering process should be repeated three times a day during the hottest months of the year, 80°plus, at approximately 8 AM, 11 AM and 2 PM (early, mid- morning and early afternoon), every day. A fourth watering may be added if necessary. DON’T LET THE LAWN DRY OUT!!! Remember the key is to KEEP IT MOIST, NOT SOAKED. Too much water causes algae and fungus.

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Day 1:

As soon as you have laid your sod, you are going to want to water it. That First Watering should be about 45- 60 minutes depending on how hot it is outside, and if you have rotors or pop-up irrigation heads. (45 mins for pop-ups and 60 mins for rotors approximately.)

You will water your lawn two more times that same day. These times for only 15-20 minutes each approximately. Please be sure that your water is being fully absorbed by the lawn and is not soggy boggy wet. (we are not flooding it, we just want to keep it evenly moist.)

Note: If you have a large amount of sod that you will be laying all in one day we recommend that you start watering your lawn in large sections so that by the end of the day your first few rolls have not dried out. This is especially helpful when it is really hot outside.

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Day 2 and the Following Two Weeks:

You will be watering your Sod Lawn two times per day for 15-20 minutes. Our recommended times are (8:00 am, and 1pm).

After 2 weeks please shut off your water for 1-2 days and let your SOIL dry out a little bit so that you can walk on it. We do not want you to sink into the ground.

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Mowing your Lawn:

After you have let your soil absorb all the water for 1-2 days you may now mow your new Sod Lawn at the highest setting on your lawn mower.

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Watering Your Lawn After The First Two Weeks

Watering is most effective if done during early morning hours, 3 or 4 am, when sunlight and heat cannot cause excessive evaporation. After your lawn becomes established it requires approximately 1 ½ inches of water per week, ½ inch every other day, during the heat of the summer. Spring and fall may only require once or twice a week watering depending on weather conditions. Cut water back during the winter, sometimes your lawn will only require watering once or twice a month, depending on weather conditions.

The soil should be soaked through when watered. Water should penetrate at least 6 inches into the soil to insure deep rooting. If your lawn needs water it will turn from bright green to blue or gray-green.

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Week 3:

You may now start watering your lawn once a day for 15-20 minutes approximately.

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Week 4:

You may now start watering your lawn every other day or less approximately depending on the weather.