Why is Sod Maintenance So Important?
These are the essential steps to care for your new lawn
Installing sod is the best way to start a new lawn. Sod lawns are much more productive and require less maintenance than seeded grass lawns. It is essential to maintain your sod lawn after it has been installed. You can hire a lawn sod installer in Lynnwood for the perfect installation process.
Once your sod has been installed, it is important to water it daily for a week. Then water once daily for a further week with one inch of water. This will keep the sod rooted in the soil. It should take only a few weeks to establish a healthy sod lawn. The soil must not dry out before the roots can grow into it.
It is best to water your lawn at night (from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.), and not during the day. Because less water evaporates at night, your lawn will use water more efficiently. Even if you find this difficult, remember that while watering during the day won't damage your lawn, you might need to water it longer.
Once the sod has rooted, you can reduce the number of watering sessions but increase the water intake. After the sod is rooted, you can water it twice per week for half an hour for two weeks, then reduce it to once per week for forty-five minutes sessions.
To ensure the roots stay strong and healthy, you should maintain a consistent watering schedule for your sod lawn. You should water your lawn regularly if it is installed in the middle of the summer. Then, start again next spring.
The weather can have an impact on how you water your sod. You won't have to water your sod if there is less than one inch of rain on a given day. However, if it is very hot or very dry, you can revert to a two-weekly watering schedule until the weather becomes cooler or more humid.
You can start to mow your sod when it has grown five inches or more. You should not allow it to grow more than five inches. At first, you should only mow a few inches at a stretch. You should leave about 2 to 3 inches of grass after you have finished mowing. For one summer season, don't cut your grass any shorter than that. To aid in fertilization and seeding, you can spread your clippings, especially in troubled areas, across the lawn.
Chemical fertilization is only allowed if the sod was planted in the spring or early summer. You can fertilize next spring. Avoid fertilizing your lawn for the first two months following its installation. Also, avoid fertilizing during the hot summer months. Your sod will be drier from the chemicals than the sun and heat. You should fertilize your lawn in September, and again in November using a slow-release fertilizer. High nitrogen fertilizers can cause disease.
Apply the chemical fertilizer to the dried sod, then water it thoroughly to ensure maximum fertilizer absorption. You will have a lawn that is beautiful for many years by taking care of it from the beginning.