Steps for How to Lay Sod

Send back discolored, wilting or dead sod pieces.

Laying sod on unprepared soil is an expensive risk. Soil sites must be tilled, graded and fertilized before sod is laid. In addition, keep the sod moist to prevent dried-out root systems. By lightly spraying the sod with water before, during and after the installation, you help the sod establish strong roots. Furthermore, following the proper sod installing steps contributes to the success of achieving a thick, lush growing lawn.

Things You'll Need

• Limestone
• Tiller
• Starter fertilizer
• Rotary fertilizer spreader
• Masonry trowel
• Lawn roller

Instructions

1. Spread 50 lbs. of limestone per 1,000 square feet to your lawn area. Work the limestone into the first 6 inches of top soil to correct pH problems or nutrient deficiencies in the yard.

2. Apply a starter fertilizer with a NPK amount of 1-2-1 to the lawn. Add the fertilizer at a rate of 1 lb. of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Work the starter fertilizer into the first 6 inches of top soil. Water the lawn area to moisten the soil.

3. Spray each piece of sod before laying on the soil. Start laying sod at the perimeters of the lawn and work your way in. Butt the sod edges together. Stagger the rows as if laying bricks to prevent seams from running across.

4. Cut sod pieces for small areas by overlapping a piece of sod over another piece and cutting all the way through, so that the edges butt tightly against each other. Use a sharp masonry trowel for cutting through the pieces.

5. Fill a lawn roller with 1/2 water. Push the lawn roller over the sod to help achieve soil adequate to sod contact. Water the sod, but do not saturate the soil.

Tips & Warnings

• Lay sod within the first 48 hours of delivery. If you need to store sod, unroll it and keep the sod in a shady area of the yard. Stacked-up sod generates heat and dries out the roots.

• Avoid accepting sod pieces less than 1 inch thick.

References

• University of Rhode Island Landscape Horticultural Program: Installing a Sod Lawn; Thomas Kowalsick, 2001
• Grounds-Mag; Sod and Laying Sod; Tony Bertauski