After you’ve laid the first row, smooth out any areas that have wrinkled or bunched up, but be careful not to step on it. "Of course, there is usually a fair amount of prep work involved, depending on the situation, and the sod must be watered and monitored carefully until it is established. Lay down your sod lawn in narrow strips, starting your first row with the longest continuous fixed, straight edge (whether that’s your house, the driveway or sidewalk). Put a little organic matter around the edges to prevent them from drying out and water. Pro Tip: Lay your new roll of sod over the top of the area to be patched. Laying and Trimming Sod. Rake your footprints out of the next patch of dirt and unroll the next sod roll. Measure the area of the damaged section of lawn, and plan to purchase a piece of sod about 1/3 larger than that area. Ensure the new sod has good contact with the soil underneath by either using a weighted lawn roller or by placing boards on the new sod and walking on the boards a few times to press the sod flat. Lay the sod now by beginning it … This is key to not having weeds growing up between your sod strips while the lawn is establishing. Make sure the edges are tightly butted up against each other, avoiding any gaps or overlaps. Keep these other points in mind when installing sod in winter: Sod left outside overnight might freeze in cold weather! If you plant sod, cut a piece the size of the patch and lay it in. 7. Unroll the sod next to a straight side. Once you’ve cut the sod to the appropriate size, lay it on the soil and “knit” the edges of the sod to the adjacent grass by folding and pressing them together. To avoid roughing up the planting surface or the new sod, kneel on a board or piece of plywood as you work. Place it over the problem area. Once you’ve cut the sod to the appropriate size, lay it on the soil and “knit” the edges of the sod to the adjacent grass by folding and pressing them together. Water it daily for a couple of weeks and it will blend invisibly into your lawn. How Not to Sod- Beginner Mistakes Out on The Job. Use a good-quality topsoil or compost to provide a rich bed on which to lay the sod. Press the sod down so that it’s level with the rest of your lawn, and then water it thoroughly. Press the sod down so that it’s level with the rest of your lawn, and then water it thoroughly. Before you lay your new sod, use a sod cutter or sharp utility knife to cut the sod to fit the space. In just a few simple steps, you can have that damaged patch of your lawn looking good as new. Prepare the Soil. Lay the rolls out in a brick-wall pattern, staggering the cuts and leaving no gaps (but don’t overlap the edges.) 4 Unroll the first piece of sod. Or maybe you’ve got a new puppy who decided to practice digging in the back yard. Rake the soil as you lay the sod to clear any bumps under the surface. But growing a whole new lawn isn’t the only reason to use sod. Sod is best laid in rows beginning along a straight edge like the side of a driveway or sidewalk, with the sod pieces butting up tightly against edges and each other. Maybe you had a guest drive across your lawn and tear up the turf adjacent to your driveway. Lay your first row of sod, usually along the longest side of the yard. Then, carefully pat the patch into the ground with a shovel to remove any air pockets and encourage the sod to take root. If you determined that your soil needs extra compost, organic matter, lime or sulfur … Autumn is an excellent time to lay sod, since the grass will have a month or so to take hold before winter’s cold halts growth for the season. This does not harm the plant but might make it hard to unroll. One person can place pieces of sod in a wheelbarrow and roll them to the work area. Using a shovel, cut a patch of the sod to fit the bald spot in your lawn. Now you can take on more renovation projects with more know-how. Apply a liberal amount of fertilizer to the soil to provide it with nutrients immediately before laying the sod. Be sure to stagger the joints between courses of sod. All the homeowners can easily install the sod. The new way to renovate your old lawn is by laying sod. Work to smooth out any wrinkles in the sod. The first step when laying sod is to prepare the soil. Laying sod is such a fast way to start new grass that it is almost no exaggeration to say it gives you an "instant lawn. 5 Water the soil before you lay down the sod. Sod is a good choice over grass seed because once you’ve patched a lawn with sod that’s rooted and grown for a short time, it’s difficult to tell where the patching occurred. This way, you can get an “instant lawn” in just a few days. If the sod seems higher than the surrounding lawn, remove a little soil out of the patch, smooth and try again. Give your lawn a fresh look by laying sod to cover dead spots. 6 Steps To Lay Sod Yourself (With Pictures) Turn under the old sod with a gas-powered rotary tiller. Again, bear in mind that you can always cut more material away, but you can’t add material. Day at Work Building a Yard Then start laying other strips pushing the edges tightly together, but taking care that they don't overlap. We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. Then dig out the bad spot and plug in the new sod. Once you’re done laying the sod, just follow our new sod care guidelines until it’s matured and firmly rooted in the soil. Here's How You Lay The Sod: You should start laying strips beside the longest patch on the plot, usually next to the driveway, sidewalk, fence, or the side of the house. Lay sod on either side of the string. Unroll it and slide it up against the first roll. Laying sod is hard work, so it’s no wonder why people are always hunting for a shortcut when they’re installing a fresh lawn. Spread 2 inches of finished compost (this may be available for free if your town has a municipal compost center). Here’s how to cut out damaged grass and cut a sod patch that fits perfectly in its place: Lay a piece of sod over the bad spot and slice through both the sod and the damaged turf below with a sharp spade. And there you have it! Work with whole pieces, laying them one at a time, end to end. Rake slightly past the edges of the damaged area if necessary to form an even rectangular patch of soil for the sod to rest on. And if you have a tall stack of sod, it’s a good idea to rotate the pieces when watering so even the bottom pieces get a good watering if it’s going to be days before you lay the sod. Avoid walking on the sod as you lay it, and rake out any footprints you make in soil as you go. Before laying your new sod, use a hoe and rake to remove any remaining dead grass from the damaged area. Because these strips dry out quickly, you should pick them up or arrange for delivery as near as possible to the day you are going to lay them. The top.5 inches (1.3 cm) of soil should be loose enough that when you walk across the soil your feet leave.5 in (1.3 cm) footprints. We’re helping doers in their home improvement projects. So you won't have to cut the sod in odd shapes, remove the dead grass so that the prepared area forms a square. Water the prepared surface for 3 days before the sod is laid. Spread 2 inches (5.1 cm) of topsoil or compost and other amendments over the soil. When the lawn is fully covered, check for gaps in hard-to-reach, curved or oddly shaped areas. Check out our Outdoor Living and Landscaping playlist for more lawn care tips: https://thd.co/2SdxuyN#TheHomeDepot #HomeImprovement #DIYSUBSCRIBE to The Home Depot: http://thd.co/2iib0HEBrowse our selection of sod: https://thd.co/2RLp6S0See our other lawn care and maintenance guides here: https://thd.co/2HV7gMIFollow these steps when learning how to lay sod:0:06 Supplies you'll need0:14 Test your soil0:28 Measure the area0:35 Till organic matter0:50 Level the soil1:01 Water soil1:05 Lay turf1:19 Lay turf in rows1:56 Fill seams2:03 Use lawn rollerFollow these steps for new sod care:2:07 Water sod2:24 Appropriate time to mow2:31 Fertilize lawnAbout The Home Depot:How doers get more done. This will give you a patch that exactly matches the size and shape of the hole below. Water the sod twice a … It’s always better to have extra material, rather than not enough. Start unrolling sod along a straight edge in your lawn. Remove the top layer of soil, digging down about 2 inches if possible. Don’t lay down sod on dry soil or it won’t attach properly. Sod is sold in strips 20” wide x 40” long. In most cases it won't be necessary to add too much extra dirt, but the little bit of compost will help give some nutrients to the roots while your new grass becomes established This person can also lay the pieces of sod on the soil. Make sure that you place the edges of the sod tightly against any hard surfaces, such as cement edgings, walks, or driveways. Unroll one piece at a time, end to end, and avoid walking on pieces of sod as you're laying new ones down. Prepare the damaged area by removing all dead grass and 1" to 2" of soil 3/4" past the edge of the dead grass. It is best to install the same day you receive it, or at least tarp the unused sod to prevent the cold wind from freezing it. Cut the edges of the area straight. Be sure to order a species of sod that’s similar, if not identical to the grass that’s already in your lawn. 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