Wow! You’ve just transformed your property from dirt to a suddenly gorgeous, magazine-perfect lush lawn! Of course, now it’s up to you to keep it alive, make it flourish, and protect your investment in it. (But, no pressure.) Fortunately, knowing how to care for new sod will help ensure that your new grass will take root and become a fully established beautiful lawn quickly. Use these instructions for caring for new sod to help you develop a strong, healthy lawn with a lasting, beautiful appearance.

Are you looking for a lawn care company that can help you maintain your lush green lawn? Our team of experts will help you take care of your newly laid sod, Call now or contact us online!

How to Take Care of Freshly Laid Sod

Especially during the first six weeks after laying it, it is essential to pamper your sod. Follow these basic steps to help your new perishable sod develop into a rich, strong, thriving Utah lawn that you can enjoy for a lifetime:

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Water Abundantly

Your new sod needs deep watering as soon as it’s installed. Don’t wait until the following day. Heat builds up in stacks or rolls of sod, so the grass becomes very dehydrated when installed at your home. Water your new lawn twice each day for around 20 minutes each time. This should give your grass six full inches per watering cycle.

Arrange your routine for the best time to water new sod — mornings and late afternoons. Those are usually the best hours of the day to water a lawn because temperatures are cooler. Adjust your watering schedule to make sense based on the amount of rainfall the grass is absorbing.

Make sure your sprinklers are reaching all areas of the lawn. Look for any signs that some areas of your new grass may be too dry. Add extra water to those spots as needed to rehydrate them. Your new grass needs the most watering through the first 14 weeks after the sod is installed.

How to Take Care of Freshly Laid Sod? - Best Time to Water New Sod

Follow Expert Mowing Guidelines

Wait to mow your new lawn until the grass has firmly taken root. Typically, with sufficient watering, you can probably safely move after the first three weeks. If you installed the sod while it was dormant during the winter, wait around 3 to 4 weeks after the start of its growing cycle in the spring before you mow for the first time.

Before you mow, spot-check areas of your lawn to confirm that your sod is growing well and that a reasonably strong root system has developed and is binding it to the soil. Set your mower blades to cut off only the top one-third of the grass blades. After mowing, your grass should be around 3 to 4 inches tall.

Sharpen the lawnmower blades, as needed, to ensure that the mower is cutting the grass and not pulling it out of the ground with a dull blade. Your grass will flourish better, have greater resilience to common Utah lawn diseases and rot, and look more attractive if you cut it with a sharp blade.

How to Take Care of Freshly Laid Sod? - Weeding

Use Proper Weed Control

After your new sod is fully rooted and established as your lush new lawn, turn your attention to keeping your yard free from weeds that will try to crowd out the grass. After the first four mowings, if your lawn has endured those well and looks strong and healthy, you can start using weed control products.

Choose a weed control solution designed specifically for your lawn’s turf type and for the growing zone where your property is located. Ask for professional guidance on weed control products, if necessary.

How to Take Care of Freshly Laid Sod? - Weeding

Apply Lawn Pest Control

Wait another 4 to 5 mowings after you start using weed control before you begin using lawn pest control products on your new lawn. This should give your new grass plenty of time to recover from the process of establishing sod as your new lawn. Follow professional recommendations for your climate, soil condition, and turf species to determine the best lawn pest control agents to use on your new grass.

Ask your lawn pest control expert about bug barriers, protection from lawn grubs (beetle larvae), etc., and other common lawn pests in Utah. Begin to educate yourself on adequate lawn pest control in the region.

How to Take Care of Freshly Laid Sod? - Pest Control

Use the Right Fertilizer for Grass in Utah

Lawn nutrients are a vital component of your new lawn care regimen. Knowing when to fertilize new sod is essential to growing thick, lush grass with a strong root system. New grass needs routine feeding with proper nutrients for it to grow strong during the first several months. It’s important to know when to fertilize new grass.

Apply the first round of fertilizer about four weeks after laying your new sod. That will allow the sod sufficient time to recover from the trauma of the unrolling and installation and will ensure that it contains abundant hydration.

Ask your grass cultivation specialist about granular fertilizer with the best formulaic specifications for new lawns in the Utah climate and for your soil condition. Ask about organic nutrient solutions for grass that are best suited for your particular lawn’s needs.

How to Take Care of Freshly Laid Sod? - When to Fertilize New Sod

What Else Can You Do for Your New Grass?

In addition to watering abundantly, mowing judiciously, and administering weed control and lawn pest control solutions, avoid walking on your new lawn more than necessary to care for the grass. Give your new grass at least the first 2 to 3 weeks, or until after the first mowing before walking on the turf. This will protect the new grass from excessive stress and friction pulling at the tender roots and from potential soil compaction while the roots are striving to gain a hold on the soil.

Make Your New Lawn a Winner with Big League Lawns!

We are a leading Utah lawn care company. We provide lawn aeration, lawn pest control, and lawn nutrients to rehabilitate struggling grass into thriving, beautiful lawns. We serve our customers throughout Weber and Davis counties in Utah. Our team of lawn care experts has over 40 years of combined experience transforming Utah lawns. All our services are 100% guaranteed.

Call Big League Lawns at (801) 773-9999, or contact us online to schedule your free lawn analysis and estimate for lawn care.

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