Creating a New Lawn: Laying Sod

Whether you think your lawn could use a facelift, you want to add more grass space in your yard, or your new house needs grass fast, laying sod is the perfect solution. You can use grass seed to get similar and less expensive results, but seed won't grown in as fast as you can lay sod!

Before laying sod, you will need to remove the old lawn first. If you are covering an area that is just soil, you can skip this step. There are a couple ways to remove your current lawn. The first is to dig out the grass with a shovel, exposing the soil. This option is inexpensive, but is time consuming and difficult work. Another option is to use a sod cutter to remove grass and roots quickly and easily. You can strip a large area of grass much faster than using a shovel and cleanup is easier because sod cutter creates sheets (or at least large chunks), that can be rolled and picked up quickly. Sod cutters are available for rent from any local rental center. I do a large number of lawn/sod projects for which a sod cutter is key so I recently purchased one from iShop Landscaping.

Once you remove your old lawn and reveal the soil, be sure that all roots have been removed and the soil is clear of debris. Use a rototiller to break up the soil and provide the best possible base for your new lawn. Rototillers are also available at your local rental center. This is a perfect time to lay fertilizer because the tilling will mix the fertilizer with the soil.

After the lawn has been tilled and fertilizer has been added, you will want to rake the soil to level it out. As you rake, make sure all rocks and other debris are eliminated to provide the most level surface possible. For most lawns, this will be sufficient to begin laying sod, however, lawns that are difficult to level out by raking may need to be rolled flat with a rolling drum.

Now that your lawn is level, you can begin laying sod. Start by laying sod on the outer most edges of your lawn. As you move inward, be sure to lay rolls as close as possible without overlap. Also, rows of sod should not have seams that line up; stagger your sod rolls for optimal irrigation and grass fill-in. As you are laying, you may notice strips that seem lower than the rest. Just remove the strip and lay a bit of top soil to level the lawn out. When you get to the middle of the lawn, you will probably need to trim some strips with a sharp knife to get them to fit. It is best that trimmed strips are not on the outside of the lawn because they may dry out easier there.

When the sod is laid, use the roller (if you had one for soil leveling) to press the sod into the soil and level the area out. Otherwise, you can begin watering and watching your grass grow! Remember, it is very important that the new sod is watered thoroughly everyday for 10-14 days after it is laid. It is best to wait until you are sure the sod is rooted before attempting to mow. You can check by pulling lightly on the grass around your lawn, if the sod strip stays put, you will probably be safe to mow. Now that you've spent the time and money to create or rejuvenate your lawn, be sure to take care of the grass by fertilizing and watering frequently. This will ensure the grass is always greener on your side of the fence!