Knowing how to lay down Grass Sod in your Yard

Still, you can try your hand at laying down grass sod on a barren path of yard. Sod is not expensive to buy and helps to turn your turf around easily. With these steps you will be able to rejuvenate your lawn successfully in no time. 

Steps to lay down grass sod in your yard

Here are the simple steps to lay down grass sod in your yard:

Step 1: Remove obstacles

The first step is to buy the best-suited grass sod. Sod has a very short shelf-life, around 48 hours, so you will need to prepare the work well before you buy the sod. Else, you may as well throw your money down the drain. 

First, make sure to remove everything from your lawn, such as live grass and weeds, or a landscape of fried grass blades. To do this, you can try method:

• Remove live grass and weeds – You can use a non-selective herbicide to remove weeds and patches of weakened grass from your lawn.
• Use shovel or sod cutter – If you don’t want to use a herbicide, you can use a shovel or sod cutter to manually dig up any remaining grass or weeds from the yard.
• Remove any pieces of dead lawn – You can use a hoe or a shovel and wheelbarrow to break up large chunks of dead lawn. You can choose to leave them to aerate and fertilize the soil, or remove them completely. 
• Check your yard – Make sure there are no fallen branches, twigs, sticks, toys, large rocks or other obstacles that would prevent the sod from laying properly.

Step 2: Evaluate the area

The next step to laying down sod in your lawn is to evaluate the area you plan to lay it on. There are several factors to consider, such as: 

• Sunlight – Make sure that the common sod in the area is able to thrive in the amount of sunlight it will receive in the particular area of your lawn. 
• Check irrigation system – If you have in-ground irrigation, run it to check how well it works. 
• Get soil test kits – You can use one or more soil test kits to check if your soil lacks fertilizer or any soil amendment. 
• Use the results – Once the soil test results are received you should begin adjusting the pH levels and add nutrients, as indicated by the test results. 
• Check the topsoil – Use a trowel or soil probe to dig down into the soil and check the inches of loamy topsoil your lawn has. If it is a thin layer, you should consider top-dressing which involves adding a couple-inch thick layer of topsoil and compost. 

Step 3: Till the soil

Though this may be time-consuming, tilling is an essential step in laying down grass sod in your lawn. Here’s how to effectively till the soil before laying grass sod:

• Till old lawn into the soil – Use a rake or hoe to break the remaining chunks of the old lawn. The dead grass will aerate and fertilize the lawn. Any seeds remaining get re-planted and help boost lawn growth.
• Loosen dirt – Grass tends to become compacted over years of use, especially where clay soil is common. Tilling breaks up the soil and lets the new sod to take root effectively. Besides this, tilling the soil also helps to aerate, which is crucial for a healthy lawn.
• Level soil – Make sure to level the soil or it may make mowing difficult once the grass grows. To do this, you should ensure that the soil edges is an inch or two lower as the sod resting against concrete will dry out and die quickly.

If you are not comfortable with tilling, you can rent power tillers or hire professional lawn care companies, such as Eden.

Step 4: Lay down the soil

Once you have done the preparation, it is time to lay down the sod. However, first you need to be ready for a day of sweaty, dirty work. Once you are ready, you can begin to:

• Use fresh sod – It is extremely important to buy grass sod which is new and lay it the same day as it dries out quickly. 
• Lay sod in narrow strips – Make sure to lay the first strip of sod next to the longest continuous fixed edge, such as along your driveway, sidewalk, driveway or flower bed.
• Lay sod in straight lines – Make sure to lay the sod in a straight line but crop the short ends in a brick-like pattern so you don’t create a long seam. 
• Do not leave gaps – As you lay down the sod, make sure to push in pieces tightly. Sod actually shrinks, so any gaps left while laying it will end up widening, leaving edges and roots exposed. 
• Use a knife – You can use a sod cutter or a sharp knife to cut pieces of sod to fill in any gaps left by the brick-pattern ends. 
• Remove air pockets – Use a rototiller or lawn roller to remove any air pockets from the laid down sod so the layer of sod is in complete contact with the underlying layer of topsoil. 
• Stake inclines – Sod tends to shift and slide on sloped areas so make sure to use sod stapls to keep the sod layer in place. 

Step 5: Water the sod

It is recommended to water the sod quickly right after laying it down. You will need to water the sodded lawn lightly but more frequently while it takes hold. Check to ensure that the water is seeping through sod pieces an inch or two into the topsoil. 

Step 6: Fertilize the lawn

According to lawn care experts at Eden, you should not fertilize your lawn immediately after laying down a new layer of sod. If the sod does not have any roots, it cannot receive any nutrients, so it is highly recommended to fertilize the lawn once you notice that the sod has taken root. 

Step 7: Mow the lawn

Similar to fertilizing, you should refrain from mowing the lawn too soon after laying down grass sod. Once the new lawn has reached around 3-4 inches in height, you can start to mow the lawn gently. 

Conclusion

The easiest way to lay down grass sod in your lawn is by first removing any obstacles, then evaluating the area, before tilling the soil, laying down the grass sod, water the sod, fertilizing your lawn and mowing it. If you are not familiar with grass sodding, then you should hire a professional lawn care company, such as Eden for best results.