Proper watering practices are a must when caring for your lawn. Sod is a living, perishable product that requires proper care and maintenance in order to survive.

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Within 30 minutes of any sod installation, Drumm's Turf and Sawmll LLC recommend that you water the newly laid sod within 30 minutes, applying at least 1" of water to allow the soil beneath the sod to moisten. At times, when temperatures are high mid-summer, you may need to begin watering during the actual install as directed by our foreman. 

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Continue watering this new sod twice per day for two weeks. It is recommended that you do this once in the morning (between 6AM and 8AM) and once in the afternoon. This should not be done in the evening or at night due to the fact that any remaining water can cause disease or fungus.

 

However, you should make sure that water gets to all areas on the lawn. Sprinklers can miss corners and edges that are vulnerable to dry out and areas near buildings typically need extra attention due to how quickly they dry out. Avoiding hand watering and instead using a sprinkler system or similar system can help prevent you from missing areas. 

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Within a few weeks, you should not have to water it as much. It usually takes about 2-3 weeks for the sod to root and, after that, it will be more drought resistant. At this point, irrigating deeply and infrequently encourages roots to grow deep and, therefore, encourages the sod to be even more drought resistant.

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Please keep in mind that infrequent, deep watering is better than shallow watering at any point in this process. Roots will only grow as deep as the water supply goes.

People choose sod because they want their lawn to look the best it can from the moment they choose to upgrade. Most people want it to stay that way. While proper watering procedures are an extremely important part of maintaining a healthy lawn, fertilizing is necessary in ensuring that your lawn remains healthy for a long time.

 

It is recommended that you fertilize your lawn 3-4 times during the growing season. We recommend a slow-release or controlled-release form of Nitrogen to be used whenever possible. 

Newly installed sod can be installed about a week after installation. It is recommended that you use a walk-behind power motor with the cutting height set high to 3 inches. A riding mower can be used once the sod has rooted, usually around 3 weeks.

 

For the best looking lawn, you should never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade per mowing and, in general, sharp mower blades are better than dull. Grass clippings may be left on the lawn to return nutrients to the soil.