DIY Network

How to Buy and Lay Sod From "Grow It & Mow It" episode DMOW-101

Continuing on with the list, below are more simple basics you need to know for getting your grass to grow correctly.

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How to Buy Sod

• Look for thickness – not too thick, not too thin. Soil on the bottom should be 1/2 -3/4 of an inch.

• Look at the roots, the soil should be moist but not wet.

• If grass leaf is yellow or brown, don’t buy it.

• Make sure it’s cool, not hot or warm. If it’s warm then it’s been sitting around too long.

• If you have sod delivered to your home, lay it as soon as possible. Sod will die if it’s stacked up. If you have to store it before planting, water it to keep moist.

	Figure A
	Figure B

How to Lay Sod

• Start along an edge like a curb or a patio (figure A).

• Butt the ends together.

• When you lay the second row, stagger the seams (figure B). Ends of the second row should fall in the middle of the previous row – like laying bricks.

• Cut pieces that are too long with a knife (figure C).

• Once sod is all laid, roll over it with a roller (figure D). This will flatten any edges or seams that are sticking up.

• When sod is laid, water it deeply (figure E). Get a good saturation so the sod can take root. Water it every day for the first three days.

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

Turf Pro Advice

• Give your lawn a good one inch of water each week. Water in one or two heavy waterings rather than several shallow ones.

• In spring, apply pre-emergence fertilizer.

• Use some organics in your lawn – compost or sphagnum peat.
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Lawn Care: Killing Lawn (Web Exclusive), Soil Testing, Spreading Seed
  	How to Buy and Lay Sod