Laying sod

Laying sod can be an arduous task, but is worth the effort for those who don’t mind a little physical labor.  Briefly, the process involves a day’s worth of working the soil of the area where you will be laying the sod, and then unloading the not very light rolls of sod from a truck and unrolling them.  Those who don’t want to perform this labor should look up a sod contractor, which will likely double the price of the whole operation, but save you a lot of work.

 

Those want to lay the sod themselves, read on:

 

The first step in the process of laying sod is to extinguish anything growing already where you would like to lay the sod.  Patchy grass and weeds will compete with the sod’s roots and will eventually grow through to live on the surface again.

 

Resurfacing an area to lay sod upon can be accomplished with a hula hoe.  This involves scraping out grasses and weeds to a shallow depth (one half to one full inch).  Be sure to wear gloves for this, as bare hands may blister.  You could take a roto tiller to the beast as well if you have access.

 

Next, you will want to smooth out any bumps on the bare surface to make it as flat as possible.  A bumpy lawn can be unattractive, though larger topological features can be nice.  While you are working the top soil, this is also a good time to add soil amendments (a high phosphorus starter fertilizer, store bought compost or finished household compost).  Work the top layer well, the nicer the soil, the nicer the lawn.  But don’t get carried away with amendments, as unnatural levels of nutrients damage the bacterial and fungal components of the soil that are necessary for healthy plant growth.

 

It is common to rent a roller (a water filled cylinder you push like a mower) and roll the soil out uniformly flat.  This rented roller will be used later in the installation also.

 

Think about which way you want to orient the sod; following the straight lines already present is a good idea.  Also, think about what cuts you will likely need to make and get a sod cutter or sharp knife to cut them later.  Then unload a roll and lay it at one extreme side of the yard. Unroll the next roll on the other side of the lawn.  This insures that the pieces on the edges (those most likely to dry out) won’t be cut, and thus will be better suited to face drying out.

 

After the two extreme edges are laid, lay the next innermost row.  Be sure that adjacent pieces are firmly butted together.  Also, lay rows in a brickwork pattern, so that seams don’t run long distances across your turf.

 

If there are any low spots, bolster them with some extra soil while you can still get to it.

 

When the sod is all laid out, run the roller over the lawn again to make firm contact between the sod roots and the soil they will grow into.  Water thoroughly, and continue to water thoroughly daily for a couple weeks while the lawn gets established. Then gradually decrease the watering schedule till you arrive at what is recommended for your climate and variety of grass.