When is the Best Time of Year to Lay Sod? | The Family Handyman

January 24, 2022 Post a Comment

When Is the Best Fourth dimension of Yr To Lay Sod?

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Soil coating with rolls of sod being unrolled Angelika-Angelika/Getty Images

Take information technology from me, seeding a new backyard volition almost always yield better results than sodding one. Just there is a time and a place for using sod.

We don't similar to await. That'south why we buy single-serving coffee makers and microwave bacon. Information technology'due south why there seems to be a fast-food restaurant and a bulldoze-thru window on just well-nigh every corner. We're an impatient lot. And that's why we accept sod, considering many of us prefer a ready-fabricated backyard to 1 that needs time and nurturing.

Notation: What follows reflects recommendations for Northern lawns (north of Interstate 70) when installing cultured sod with cool-flavor grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue. Timing will vary by several days or even weeks, depending on the arrival of winter in each region.

Why Practise Nosotros Lay Sod?

Although seeding a new lawn or reseeding an existing one will requite you more grass type options and a healthier, meliorate-performing backyard, sodding does have its benefits:

It'due south a lot quicker. In a few hours, you accept an instant lawn that looks like information technology'southward been in that location forever.
Information technology requires less pampering once installed. There'southward no need to water three or four times daily, similar you do when nursing new grass seedlings to maturity.
The installation window for sodding is wide open, compared to the tighter window with seeding.
You can savour your sodded lawn sooner than a seeded one.

Best Weather condition to Lay Sod

Because the sod producer did all the preliminary hard work, all you demand to do is brand sure the footing is properly prepared beforehand. Cultured sod comes with a pre-established root system to get it off to a quick showtime. The all-time growing conditions for laying sod are the same as planting a lawn from seed:

Begin soil grooming past core aerifying areas compacted past heavy traffic or naturally-existing heavy soil.
Conduct a soil exam and add amendments such as lime, sulfur or compost.
Brand sure the terminate grade is true. The surface should slope away from foundations. All depression areas should exist filled in and loftier spots removed.
Remove all large stones, soil clods, tree roots and other debris from the surface.
Once prepared, the soil surface should exist firm and covered with about one-half inch of loose soil. It should have just enough moisture content to keep the grit down. Do not lay sod on summit of muddy or extremely dry, dusty soil.

All-time Time of Year to Lay Sod

Laying sod can be done almost any time afterwards the footing thaws in the spring and earlier it freezes again in late fall. Some times, notwithstanding, are improve than others:

Delay sod installations until soil temperatures are consistently in the mid-50s F or warmer. Buy an cheap soil thermometer to track this.
The best time to lay sod is tardily summer or early autumn, when daytime temperatures are however warm and dark temperatures are libation. Warm soil temperatures help sod roots speedily knit into the soil surface. This also gives the sod plenty of time to become established before winter weather arrives.

Worst Time of Year to Lay Sod

Don't lay sod too early in the spring or too late in the autumn. Sod producers don't brainstorm harvesting until weather condition are correct anyway. Get your irrigation system operational, pressure level-wash your deck and remove your outdoor furniture from storage. Just then should you lot order your sod.
Don't sod during the dog days of summer. Sod rolls can oestrus up and quickly deteriorate during transport, or while it's however stacked on a pallet waiting to be installed.
Sodding during an extended drought can be problematic, fifty-fifty with sprinklers or an irrigation system. Continuous cycles of as well wet and too dry soil conditions will stress new sod.
Avoid laying sod just earlier the ground freezes. I once watched sod put downward during a late November snowstorm; it froze solid before knitting into the soil. Incredibly, it popped out from nether the snow the following spring with no astringent damage or subsequent issues. That demonstrates how hardy sod tin be. That's non to say I would recommend information technology! The installer got lucky.

Summit Sod Laying Tips for Success

Cheque effectually for reputable sod sources then the sod you're getting contains the right grasses for your lawn. Besides, brand sure it contains grass varieties with electric current genetics. Some sod growers like to utilise older varieties because they're cheaper and produce a ingather faster. That's important to them, but not necessarily beneficial to yous. Some of the old standby varieties need more water, fertilizer and fungicides. They also can produce more than thatch which can crusade trouble downwards the road. Focus on selecting sod grown with elite varieties that will demonstrate improved color, better turf density and affliction tolerance, plus require less lawn fertilizer and h2o.
Apply a quality starter fertilizer before laying the sod. This type of fertilizer will comprise college percentages of phosphorus and potassium, the second and 3rd numbers on the fertilizer bag.
If sodding a hillside or steep slope, lay sod horizontally. Using biodegradable or wooden stakes to anchor the sod rolls will besides assist foreclose the pieces from sliding out of place, especially during a heavy rain event.
Stagger the sod rolls to eliminate long-running seams. This volition assist to "lock" the sod rolls together once installed.
Employ a abrupt-edged spade or sod pocketknife to advisedly cut sod pieces and then they fit snugly confronting copse, mural beds and sidewalks. This will result in a professional-looking job that you can exist proud of. Tight-fitting seams will also grow together and disappear quicker than loose-fitting ones.
H2o daily until the sod is firmly knitted into the soil. And so starting time to water less frequently and for longer periods. It's easy to over-h2o, so be careful.
Don't mow besides soon. Requite the sod time to knit into the ground. But don't wait likewise long either. Removing more than than one-third to 1-half of the foliage blade during i pass tin can stupor newly installed sod.
Continuous watering can make your lawn's surface soft. Make sure the basis is house earlier driving backyard mowing equipment over it.
Fertilize with the same starter fertilizer 30 to 45 days after installation.

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Originally Published: November 09, 2021

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