 | New sod
in general-Keep sod wet for the first two (2) weeks. After that, test by
inserting your finger under the sod, if it feels moist you’re okay. |
| In two
(2) weeks you should see white roots coming from the sod into the ground, and
the sod will be anchored pretty well. If you need to roll out some lumps in
the ground, now would be a good time to do it. Back off the watering so the
ground firms up, and you won’t make an uneven situation worse. Most often
uneven conditions result from ground settling after major dirt fills. A good
rain or soaking before sodding can greatly reduce settling. |
| If you
haven’t mowed the new turf, now would also be a good time. We mow our turf
about 2.75". Set your mower around 3" and mow. Remow in 3 or 4 days with the
mower set at 2.75". If you desire a lower mowing height come down gradually,
and mow frequently; so that you don’t take more than 1/3 of the leaf area at
one time. |
| Always
keep your blade sharp, especially so now with newly rooted turf. Sharpen
blades at least every 8 hours of mowing time, more often if you’ve hit
things-like rocks. |
| After
two (2) weeks or so using trial and error try to cut down on the frequency of
watering. In hot weather this may not be possible. When you do water, soak
deep! Light frequent watering encourages shallow rooting. Try watering two (2)
days, then skip one (1), then water one (1) day then skip one (1), and so on. |
| If you
see a bluish-grey flat look to your turf, water immediately! This is wilting
and it’s the first stage of the plant going into dormancy or dying. Dormancy
is not really a bad thing in established turf, because it is a defense
mechanism that the plant uses to cut water loss and protects itself. The bad
part is that if the wilting leaves don’t receive moisture quickly (like that
day), the wilted leaves will die and turn brown. |
| When
moisture and/or cool temperatures are restored, the plant will send new shoots
up from the crown of the plant. This however takes time and the turf has
turned brown. This process takes several weeks so be patient, but it will
green back up. |
|
Aristotle’s golden mean states, "moderation in all things". This rule also
applies to watering. Too much water can result in a saturated or even ponded
soil, and turf roots need oxygen in the soil to survive. An overly watered
turf allows certain types of weeds to grow, nutsedge for example. Avoid
ponding in full sun. The water can act like a magnifying glass and actually
cook the turf, resulting in a condition called sunscald. |
| For
established turf, good soakings once or twice per week should suffice if
drought conditions exist. |
| When
sod is installed, soak immediately. It is critical that the sod is completely
soaked through and the soil under the sod is soaked. When this happens the
soil on the sod bonds with the native soil. This will enable the new sod to
wick up available moisture in the soil profile and makes much more moisture
available to the new turf plant. |
