Few homeowners would question the benefits of a lush lawn. However, many homeowners don't want to wait a year or two for a well-established seed lawn. The answer to that dilemma is to lay sod. If you've settled on that solution, avoid the following mistakes for a beautiful instant lawn.
Don’t Schedule the Delivery Too Far in Advance
Sod installation is a multi-step process. The first step is to measure your lawn to determine how much sod you need. As soon as you have that calculation, you can order your sod. You can set your delivery time when it's most convenient for you. That timeframe, though, needs to include the time you have set aside for laying the sod.
Whether the sod arrives in rolls or folds, it's alive. The sod consists of a thin layer of soil with the live turfgrass embedded in it. The turfgrass can't live indefinitely in rolls or folds with that thin layer of soil. It will start to overheat and decompose. Therefore, you can't store your sod for several days until you have time to lay it. Ideally, you should lay it the same day or the next day after delivery.
Don’t Fail to Prepare the Yard
Similarly, you should prepare the yard for sod installation before the delivery. That way, you can install it as soon as the palette of sod arrives. However, don't try to install sod over a yard you haven't prepared just to keep the sod rolls from decomposing. Your sod won't thrive if you haven't prepared the yard for the installation.
That preparation includes the removal of all old grass or plants. The turfgrass roots can't gain a foothold in the soil if they have to grow past existing plant life. You also need to gently loosen the soil you've exposed and rake it. Lightly water the soil enough so that it's not powdery but not so much that it's muddy — the water should penetrate about
1 ½ inch.
Don't forget about the edges of your yard. You need to lower the grade of the soil near the curbs and sidewalks so the grass doesn't sit too high in those areas. If the grass is too high, it won't get enough water and you're more likely to scalp it when you mow. Use a flat shovel to lower the grade where the sod will meet hardscaping.
Don’t Leave the Soil Unfertilized
Part of your soil preparation for laying sod needs to be a soil test. This test will tell you if your soil's pH is too far off to grow grass. Plants generally prefer soil that's relatively neutral in pH, which means the pH level should come in between six and seven. Certain grass varieties prefer soil at a specific pH, so talk to your turf farm about the grass in your sod.
You can buy pH kits at your home and garden center. You'll need to treat your soil based on the results of this test. At a minimum, you should apply a starter fertilizer. You may also need to apply lime based on the pH test results. The addition of finished compost before you lay the sod is also a good idea to promote the sod’s health.
Don’t Lay the Sod Unevenly or Too Evenly
Laying sod is almost as easy as unrolling a carpet — the action is very similar. However, if you don't take care with how the sod strips line up, you can end up with an unattractive pattern. One issue homeowners try to avoid is gaps between the strips. You don't want bald spots, but don't overcompensate by overlapping the strips because the lawn will be uneven.
The other common issue is getting too perfect with the laying. The goal is to stagger the strips like bricks or hardwood planks. So, once you've laid the first line of sod — ideally along a straight edge like a fence line or a sidewalk — cut the next strip in half so it's shorter than the first. That way, the strip will end halfway along the initial strip, which creates a more attractive final pattern.
