If you’ve installed new sod at your home or business recently, you might be thinking to yourself, what’s next? How do I maintain my new sod, so it continues to thrive?
The key to caring for new sod is knowing what to do for it and how often. Here are some tips from Emerald Sod Farms, your trusted sod experts in Denver.
For the first two weeks after installation, be sure to water your sod properly. It usually takes 10 days to two weeks for sod to take root. We recommend keeping the sod soaked thoroughly as much as possible and watering four to six inches deep for the first week after installation to help the new sod take root. You can check on the moisture level by lifting a corner of the sod and touching it. We also recommend staying off the new sod until it take new root properly. During those first two weeks, you should be watering your new sod daily, and depending on the time of year, you may need to water it multiple times a day to help it become established. Be sure to cut back on the watering after 10 days because the roots will need to look for water at that point to get stronger.
After you’ve had the sod in for a couple weeks, you also want to cut back now on the watering. However, you’ll still want to water it regularly, at least three to four times a week, depending on how it’s taken root. We recommend deep watering in the morning or evening to avoid rapid evaporation and to continue to provide a healthy dose of moisture for your new sod. Usually, it takes several months and a full growing season for your sod to become established fully.
Once your sod has become established fully, you can water less often. Now is also an ideal time to adjust your sprinklers or watering systems to help your lawn, and to start to mow your grass regularly, along with other care and maintenance of your new grass and lawn such as fertilizing.
We recommend that you wait until your sod is established for the first time you mow your lawn and that you adjust your mower to mow at the highest setting. The first few mowings should be done with a rotary mower, diagonal to the way the sod was installed. Another tip: Never cut off more than a third of the plant’s height when mowing. This can shock the plant and leave it more susceptible to disease, as well as diminish the lawn’s appearance.
Got more questions about organic sod and sod installation? Emerald Sod Farms, your Denver sod price experts, are here to help you. For information about our sod products and the areas we serve, contact us at Emerald Sod Farms or call 303-654-0202.