Six Must Have Products for Sod Lawn Installation and Maintenance

Several years ago, I was blessed to have the ability to build a custom home in Virginia. With the custom new home came a new and bare ground that needed new lawn. I chose to have sod lawn installed, rather than having to grow grass from seeds. Installation of sod is a popular way to establish a new lawn, that produces both faster results and is more aesthetically pleasing.

Sod may be more expensive than traditional seed grass, but in the long run it is worth it. Due to its price, it is of importance to properly prepare the soil and install sod correctly. Sod lawn can be professionally installed or it can be done as a weekend project. Whichever installation method you choose, several products can make the job and sod lawn care easier.

Water and proper watering is important for growing lawn grass, however sod requires maintenance in the first 4-6 weeks. It is important to not over-water the sod, but it is important to provide it enough for roots to grow further into the soil. When spending a good amount of money on sod, I would suggest investing in an automatic sprinkler system.

Automatic sprinklers is something that I had installed before the sod was installed. With the automatic watering system, you can schedule watering times and you can also have a rain sensor. The rain sensor tells the sprinklers to shut off, since it already rained and the grass has received its amount of water for the day. Sprinklers are a good investment for those of us who do not have the time to water our lawn, or do not know the right amounts of water sod requires in the beginning. Since you are already investing in sod lawn, it would be a shame to have it die and require replacement because of watering issues.

Soil PH Testers are useful products to have when making an investment in sod lawn. A soil PH tester can help you determine which plants will have the best suitable environment in your area. A multipurpose soil PH tester will work for both sod, and gardening plants, so it can be used for an entire landscaping project. It can also determine soil moisture and light intensity.

Soil PH Testers are good investments for sod lawn because certain grass requires more light. In my lawn, Kentucky bluegrass was planted, which was good in the location due to all the sun exposure. However, if you choose a different grass, it may not have the right environment if your lawn has a lot of shade.

Multipurpose soil PH testers are inexpensive. Lowe's sells Mosser Lee Soil Master, which costs around $10. Again, a soil PH tester can be used for sod lawn installation and other gardening plants. It is a product that can be used throughout landscaping projects.

Depending on the size and specifications of your sod lawn projects, you may need lawn stripper and rototiller equipment. All the heavy equipment can usually be rented out at stores like Lowe's, or another local hardware store that offers equipment rental. If you are doing this project yourself, check with the hardware store if they have the equipment available and see about scheduling the rental.
For professionally installed sod lawn, usually the landscaper brings all the equipment needed. Doing the project yourself on a weekend can save you money, but make sure to give yourself enough time for scheduling and delivery mishaps. The rototiller and stripper you rent may be needed for only several hours, therefore you would not have to pay for an entire weekend rental.

One product I recommend buying for installing sod lawns is a sharp carpet knife. A sharp carpet knife will allow you to cut pieces of sod for smaller area, or allow you to work with the shape of your yard. In my case, one part of the yard was on an angle and the pieces had to be cut to fit. A sharp carpet knife will cut through sod without any problems and does not dull out easily.
Amazingly enough, Lowe's sells carpet knives as well. Carpet knives at Lowe's cost around $12, so again it is not a product that breaks the budget but it will allow you to do a much better sod lawn job.

One product I recommend for the finishing touches is a good lawn roller. A lawn roller can be used for sod lawn installation, they are available for rental or you can purchase one at most hardware stores. The cost of a good lawn roller is around $120, and most are attachable to lawn tractors. A good lawn roller should be filled with water and should come with a drainage plug. Rolling the sod after it is installed will help the roots get in direct contact with the soil, which will also allow the roots of the sod to grow better. If you do not roll your lawn, you might end up with dead grass spots where roots of the sod did not adhere to soil and died out.

Check with hardware stores such as Lowe's or local hardware stores for rental prices and times. The size of your lawn roller will depend on the yard and the size of your sod lawn project.

A product I would also like to mention is weed killer. With my sod lawn the problem of crabgrass started several weeks after installation. I would suggest purchasing and using weed killers, along with good fertilizer for your sod lawn. Both fertilizer and weed killers will give you healthier lawn grass, which in turn looks beautiful and well maintained. The fertilizer and weed killers are made in different specifications, some are multipurpose that will work with any lawn grass. You can either check with the landscaper where you've purchased the sod lawn from for suggestions, or check with the local hardware store to see exactly what your grass needs to grow healthy.

References:

Precise Fit 42" Poly Walk-Behind Lawn Roller

Kobalt Folding Lock-Back Carpet Knife

Mosser Lee Soil Master Moisture, Light & pH Meter