How do I care for my new sod?

Have you recently had new sod installed? To establish your new lawn and ensure lasting enjoyment, it's especially important to care for it properly during the first 6 weeks.

Day 1

The sod should be soaked with water as soon as it's laid. The soil on the back of the sod should be damp to wet.

Days 2 to 5

Check your lawn at least once per day, or more than once if it's hot or windy. If the soil is firm, lift a corner of the sod in several places. The soil should be damp, not dripping wet or dusty dry. Watch the colour of the sod. Green is good. Blue-green indicates not enough water and you will have problems within 12 to 24 hours. Yellow-tan means the sod is heat/moisture stressed and will go dormant.

Further watering

After five days or so, the soil will have soaked up water like a sponge. It's time to reduce your watering frequency or you will drown the new roots.

Mowing

Mow your new turf as soon as it grows to 3 inches.

Fertilization

The lawn doesn't need fertilizer for two weeks. Use this time to decide whether you are going to fertilize the lawn yourself or hire someone to do it for you. If you are going to do it yourself, be sure to use quality fertilizer applied at the correct intervals for the current time of year.

Online Resources

• Landscape Ontario - How to Maintain a Healthy Lawn
• Professional Lawn Care Association of Ontario - Lawn Care Tips