1. Do your homework– Sod installation is more successful if you choose the correct sod for your soil! Do a little research to find out which types of sod thrive in your climate and which sods will hold up against the type of wear and tear you plan on issuing. It’s also important to test the soil before sod installation. Sod grows best in well-aerated, acidic soil. For a minimal cost, you can have the soil sent to a lab to be tested to make sure it will be fertile enough for sod.
2. Preparation is key– It is important to make sure that the soil is properly prepared before sod installation. It is unadvisable to leave existing grass, no matter how bad it is. You will need to rototill the area to make sure no roots exist in the current soil and give the soil a chance to be properly aerated and moisturized. Level out the area you plan to sod. You will also want to make sure you have the tools you will need before you start the project. A sod cutter, a spreader and a rake are very helpful!
3. Make a plan and enlist a friend– Look at your yard and make a plan on how you want to tackle the sod installation project. You will want to start on the longest straight edge that will allow you to lay row after row of the sod without having to step on previously laid rows. Enlist a friend who will help you. You’ll want to make sure that you lay the pieces of sod flat against the soil and smooth out any wrinkles, footprints or air pockets that may occur. It’s also a good idea to keep the soil pieces as big as possible, so avoid cutting strips to fit awkward curves if possible. After you install the sod, make sure you follow all recommended maintenance steps.
I like how you mentioned that the soil has to be properly prepared before installing the sod or else it won’t work out. Homeowners should keep that in mind so that they can have the soil prepared before the sod installation. Thanks for bringing this up because I bet a lot of people don’t know about it.
I appreciate the advice about testing sod in a lab to see if it’s fertile enough. I’m thinking about replacing my sod with a fresh new one this summer that will keep green. Since I don’t want one that isn’t fertile, I’ll leave it to the professionals and get their opinion on what kind to get.
It makes sense that sod is more successful if you choose the right kind for your soil. My husband and I would like to have sod installed soon because we think it would help our yard look a lot better and less drab. We’ll have to talk to professionals about which kind would work best for our property so it can look as good as possible.