How to Lay Sod Like a Professional
A gorgeous lawn that looks lush and fertile is a goal for every property owner.
The admiration it brings from neighbors and the sense of beauty it generates, combined with the capacity for an instant lawn make laying sod an attractive option.
For a do it yourselfer, there are some easy steps that help bring success.
Preparing the Site It's important to build a solid foundation for the sod to adhere to, without the prep work, the chances of sod taking are reduced significantly.
Rake the area that is being sodded, and ensure it is free of rocks, weeds, and other large objects.
The area then needs to be leveled and tilled, generally the soil should be an inch lower than the sidewalk, for proper drainage.
Make sure the soil is wet but not muddy as well, and then use a rake to address any small bumps and grooves.
Laying the Sod The actual steps of how to lay sod occur in this stage.
Sod is usually purchased in rolls to make for easy deployment and transport.
There are many methods of how to lay sod that make the process easier like laying in straight lines, and starting at the most visible area, which is usually by the side walk.
Sod is easy to cut so keeping a couple of pieces aside to address odd shaped areas is a good idea.
Pressing the Sod Once the sod is laid across the lawn, it needs to be pressed in order to make a solid connection to the soil underneath.
This is done with a tool appropriately called a lawn roller.
A lawn roller looks like the wheel from the front of a bulldozer, and for anyone who has been unlucky enough to get their foot under it, it feels just as heavy, because it is usually half filled with water.
This is a good thing, as it presses the root system of the sod against the moist soil, and makes a successful root a greater possibility.
Water Everywhere The final step in laying sod is also the most critical.
Like people, sod cannot survive without water for an extended period of time, so once the sod has been laid it's important to water it.
Continue to water it daily for a few hours at a time, and after about a week you can start to stretch it to watering every other day.
After about 3 to 4 weeks the lawn can be manicured, or cut.
Ensuring Success Your lawn has been through so much, and needs its rest time.
Making sure that the sod is not walked on excessively is important as the root system is trying to knit itself to the soil, and constant walking could delay or even kill the roots.
Knowing how to lay sod is a great skill to have, and when your friends ask you to show them how to lay sod you can negotiate a BBQ out of them.
Just don't do it on the new sod.
The admiration it brings from neighbors and the sense of beauty it generates, combined with the capacity for an instant lawn make laying sod an attractive option.
For a do it yourselfer, there are some easy steps that help bring success.
Preparing the Site It's important to build a solid foundation for the sod to adhere to, without the prep work, the chances of sod taking are reduced significantly.
Rake the area that is being sodded, and ensure it is free of rocks, weeds, and other large objects.
The area then needs to be leveled and tilled, generally the soil should be an inch lower than the sidewalk, for proper drainage.
Make sure the soil is wet but not muddy as well, and then use a rake to address any small bumps and grooves.
Laying the Sod The actual steps of how to lay sod occur in this stage.
Sod is usually purchased in rolls to make for easy deployment and transport.
There are many methods of how to lay sod that make the process easier like laying in straight lines, and starting at the most visible area, which is usually by the side walk.
Sod is easy to cut so keeping a couple of pieces aside to address odd shaped areas is a good idea.
Pressing the Sod Once the sod is laid across the lawn, it needs to be pressed in order to make a solid connection to the soil underneath.
This is done with a tool appropriately called a lawn roller.
A lawn roller looks like the wheel from the front of a bulldozer, and for anyone who has been unlucky enough to get their foot under it, it feels just as heavy, because it is usually half filled with water.
This is a good thing, as it presses the root system of the sod against the moist soil, and makes a successful root a greater possibility.
Water Everywhere The final step in laying sod is also the most critical.
Like people, sod cannot survive without water for an extended period of time, so once the sod has been laid it's important to water it.
Continue to water it daily for a few hours at a time, and after about a week you can start to stretch it to watering every other day.
After about 3 to 4 weeks the lawn can be manicured, or cut.
Ensuring Success Your lawn has been through so much, and needs its rest time.
Making sure that the sod is not walked on excessively is important as the root system is trying to knit itself to the soil, and constant walking could delay or even kill the roots.
Knowing how to lay sod is a great skill to have, and when your friends ask you to show them how to lay sod you can negotiate a BBQ out of them.
Just don't do it on the new sod.
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