Steps Of The Sod Installation Process
When a part or all of your lawn isn't living up to your hopes, you'll likely want to either reseed it or simply have all new sod installed. Sod installation is the quickest way to get the lawn of your dreams, and professional sod installation can mean that you don't have to do any of the hard lifting.
Here are the basic steps of the sod installation process.
1. Preparing the ground
Sod typically comes in large strips of thickly growing grass, complete with grass blades on the top side and a couple of inches of roots beneath. But a grass plant can't thrive with just the amount of soil and roots included in the sod strip. So before placing the sod, your installation company will need to prepare the ground so the grass roots can grow down into it easily.
For example, if you currently have dead grass in the proposed spot, that will need to be removed. Or if the spot isn't level, it will need to be graded so that your lawn will be flat and all the grass roots will be able to touch the soil once installed. Depending on the situation, your installation company may also want to add topsoil or compost, and will likely till the ground as well.
2. Placing the sod strips
Once the groundwork has been laid and your yard is transformed into an ideal environment for your prospective lawn, the sod strips come into play. Your installers will measure and cut the sod precisely into shape, lay it carefully into position, and then tamp it down.
Your installers may use a heavy-duty lawn roller for the tamping process. This helps to firm the sod down into solid contact with the soil beneath, so the sod will have a smooth, flat appearance and the grass roots can easily reach down and grow into the ground.
3. Aftercare
Once the sod is well-installed in its designated spot, your sod installation professionals will need to water it well so that it doesn't dry out and die. Typically the first watering will occur right after installation. Your installation company should then leave you with instructions on how to keep the sod healthy in the future.
Your sod will need plenty of water from above until it can put down enough roots to bring up water from the ground. You'll need a good sprinkler set up to help you get through the next few weeks as the plants' roots grow.
Keep in mind that the installation process may vary slightly depending on your current lawn situation, the company you choose, or the type of grass involved. Get in touch with your local sod installation company to learn more.