Thinking about adding sod to your home’s landscape? Doing so is a great way to enhance your home’s curb appeal by promoting a greener, healthier lawn.
There are situations in which natural grass won’t grow, forcing homeowners to look for alternative solutions, which is where sod comes into play: featuring square patches consisting of grass and soil, they can be applied to a landscape for an instant makeover.
In order for sod to last, however, you’ll need to ensure the roots take hold in the ground.
How Long Does it Take?
The time required for sod to take root varies depending on several different factors, including the variety of sod, time of year, climate, pH of the soil, sun exposure, water, air, etc.
With that said, you can expect sod to take root in 2 to 6 weeks in proper conditions. There are times when sod will take root in less than 2 weeks, but there are also times when it requires more than 6 weeks.
Thankfully, though, you can speed up the process by following some simple steps.
Water Your Sod Immediately
The first thing you should do after laying sod in your yard is to water it. Water is essential for the healthy growth and development of sod, so don’t underestimate its importance.
Keeping your sod moist and well hydrated will encourage the shallow roots to take hold, which of course is necessary for the larger, deeper roots to take hold. Give your sod enough water so it’s moist to the touch but not so much that it’s soggy.
Cut Back on Water
For the deep roots to take hold, you’ll need to cut back on watering your sod.
Most professional landscapers will agree that new sod should be watered once daily during the first week. After that, however, you should cut back to once every other day. This will encourage the roots to spider outwards and go deeper into the soil to find moisture.
Add Fertilizer
You can further stimulate the root growth and expansion of your sod by applying fertilizer to it. Choose a high-grade NPK fertilizer that offers the slow release of nitrogen, and apply it to your sod.
Once applied, go back over the soil with water to allow the fertilizer to soak in. Fertilizer is like food for grass, feeding it essential nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.
The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.
If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or
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