This gives the new grass plenty of time to extend new roots and bond with the underlying soil.
Early spring can also be an acceptable time for laying cool-season grasses.
Above all, avoid the blistering hot days of summer for laying sod.
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Sod availability may also play a role in your decision on when to lay sod.
Before Getting Started
Before starting any work at all, it’s important to evaluate your soil.
Started by testing your soil for the proper pH.
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Soil that is too acidic or too alkaline may cause your new grass to struggle and even fail.
To collect the sample, confirm you scoop up soil from several different spots in your yard.
Once the various samples are blended, place the recommended quantity of soil into a soil testing bag.
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Fill out the information sheet.
Then mail the bag and information sheet back to the extension office.
Typically, you add sulfur or ammonium sulfate to lower soil pH or addgarden limeto raise it.
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The extension service for your nearest university is usually the best source of such information.
Prices can range from as little as .30 per square foot to $3.00.
depending on the key in of grass you choose, availability, and transportation costs.
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Sod is generally sold by the square foot.
double-check to order at least 10 percent extra to allow for some waste, which is inevitable.
Allow plenty of time for this stageit may take as much as several weeks.
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But it may take multiple applications spaced over two to four weeks to fully kill off grass and weeds.
But once killed, this dead plant material can simply be churned into the soil with a tiller.
This will help further level out the site and loosen plant roots.
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This loose material can be bagged up for disposal.
A garden supply retailer who delivers topsoil can often blend in these amendments before delivering the load of topsoil.
Spread these granular materials over the site in a thin layer, using a drop spreader.
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Phosphorus is especially helpful, as this nutrient helps roots get established.
Make a second raking pass over the entire area with a leaf rake.
Compress the site with a lawn roller to achieve a level, fairly firm surface.
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But do not over-compress the soil.
Once the preparation steps are done, it’s best to move immediately to laying the new sod.
The reason is that the sod on the edges is the most likely to dry out.
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Never install sod on extremely hot or dry soil.
After laying these two rolls of sod, work your way in toward the center with your next strips.
A single roll of sod may not be long enough to cover the whole length of the lawn.
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Where rolls need to be trimmed, a sharp, straight-edged spade or garden knife is the best tool.
Take care to verify the edges of adjoining strips are tightly butted, but not buckled over overlapped.
Curved edges can be trimmed with a garden knife or sharp spade.
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give a shot to avoid short or narrow strips, as these tend to dry out too quickly.
When laying sod on slopes, lay the roll horizontally, perpendicular to the direction of the slope.
Fix Low Spots
Inspect the overall installation for low spots.
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Push it over the sod to press it down firmly against the soil.
The idea now is for that rug to send down roots and establish itself.
At the same time, it’s important not to overwater the new grass.
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About one month after installation, give your new lawn a feeding with traditional high-nitrogen lawn fertilizer.
Establishing a Lawn From Sod.Purdue University Extension.
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