Tips on laying sod

Got the dirt lot blues? Tired of looking at a barren brown landscape? How about some inexpensive ground coverings and landscaping homeowners can do themselves?

First on the list:  sod. Quite simply, sod is grass with the portion of the soil beneath it held together by the roots.

The first step in laying sod is determining the square footage (width multiplied by length) that you wish to cover.

Sod is one of the least expensive ground coverings available; 500-square feet can be purchased locally at Southwest Sod for $160, which includes free delivery. The company typically can deliver the sod the next day.

To reduce the amount of work, this article will break the task into several days. The total time required to lay 500 square feet of sod is about six hours. The total cost is less than $200.

Day 1:  Clear the land

Once you determine the area you want to cover, it needs to be prepared. First clear all the debris, rocks and any weeds. The weeds can be pulled by hand, removed with a shovel or a herbicide can be applied to the ground to kill them.

Day 2:  Prep the site

Once the area has been cleared, the second step is to prepare the soil for the sod in order to encourage a fast, deep rooting process. Properly prepared soil is crucial to growth and will assist in providing nutrients for freshly laid sod.

To add nutrients to the soil, spread several bags of compost to the area you are preparing. For 500 square feet, use about eight bags of compost.

Once the compost is down, it is time to till the area to a depth of four to six inches. This can be done with a simple garden hoe, or, even better, rent a tiller. The tiller will break up the soil to a more manageable consistency and lessen the workload.

Once the area is tilled, level the surface, water the ground and order the sod.

Day 3:  Lay the sod

Begin laying sod down a straight edge of the prepared area, and continue until a single row is complete. Make sure that individual sods are closely butted together, but do not allow them to overlap.

Now start the second row with a half cut of sod before working down alongside the first row. This type of brickwork pattern promotes stronger bonding as the sod roots into the soil. Finish the second row with the other half cut of sod. Start the third row with a full cut of sod, and repeat this pattern until you have covered the entire area.

After all the sod is laid, push down on all joining edges of sod. Resist the temptation to stretch sod by tugging it. If you are concerned about any gaps, simply fill them with a little topsoil and tamp down.

Water the sod as soon as it is laid. Give it a thorough soaking for the next 5 to 7 days until firm rooting is established. Water early in the morning or in the cooler part of the evening. Watering sod during the hottest part of the day can cause grass to burn due to the magnification of light rays through the water itself.

Cut the sod about a week after laying it. Never cut off more than 1/3 of the length in any one cut. Early cutting helps to ward off disease. The first few cuts should just ‘top’ the lawn. Use a lightweight mower until the sod has completely bedded in.

And, voila, in just days you have a beautiful, green lawn to enjoy.

Photo by Michael K. Rich

(A version of this article appeared in the summer issue of InMaricopa the Magazine)