After sod has been laid on your property, there are a number of things you will want to do to give your new lawn the best chance of getting established and looking good all year.
During the first 2 weeks, the new sod should be kept wet and watered 3 to 5 times a day. Stay off the sod as much as you can and keep it damp during the first week, while it is damp it will be easy to leave impressions so it is important not to walk on it. Keeping it watered allows the roots to penetrate the soil faster and root down. At the end of the 2nd week it is safe to allow it to dry out enough for you to mow. Over the next 2 weeks you can begin to increase the number of days between watering, if you notice that the sod isn’t drying out you can skip a day.
During this first growing season, your lawn will need more water than normal to allow the roots to grow deeper into the soil. After about 6 months, your lawn should be well enough established to handle less watering. The less you water at this time, the deeper the roots will grow as the grass is looking for more available water deeper in the soil. Make sure you water if you see signs of stress. If your grass grows to be over 3 1/2 inches be sure that you mow. Mow your lawn to no shorter than 2 inches in order to help fend off weeks and slow water evaporation.
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