Residential and commercial property owners considering installing a new sod lawn, here in Grand Rapids, MI, usually have many questions. The bulk of these questions center on how to promote strong root growth.
Caring for your new sod lawn requires a substantial investment of time in the beginning. It starts from the day you install your new sod to four weeks after installation. But the primary point to keep in mind when caring for your newly laid sod is that there are three primary maintenance phases. New sod maintenance can best be broken down as: installation day, two weeks after installation, and three to four weeks after installation.

Initial Watering: Day one of caring for your newly installed sod.

Hand watering lawn with red hose in Comstock Park, MI.

Immediately after installation is the most critical time when it comes to watering your new lawn. Should you happen to skip watering your lawn on installation day, your sod could develop visible gaps between each layer as the lack of water could cause it to dry and shrink.

You will want to begin watering your new sod as soon as the lawn technician finishes installing the last roll of sod onto your yard. You can water it by hand or with a sprinkler or irrigation system. So long as you water it thoroughly and evenly just after installation, it doesn't matter how you water your new sod.

You should apply enough water on the first day of installation so that the soil is moist about 3-4 inches deep.

Watering & Foot Traffic: Two weeks after installing your new sod.

Mowing new sod for the first time in Rockford, MI.

The next phase of caring for your newly installed sod begins on day two and lasts until day 14. This phase requires watering your lawn three to four times per day in 15 to 20-minute intervals. Your sod should be moist throughout the day to encourage deep root growth.

Remember, your new sod lawn is very delicate the first few weeks after installation. So, you'll want to make sure the lawn doesn't receive foot traffic during this phase. The 14th day after installation is when you can mow your sod for the first time.

Longer Water Sessions & Fertilizer: Weeks three and four after installing your new sod.

Professional performing fertilizer treatment for sod in Ada, MI.

Three weeks after sod installation, you can begin increasing the length of time of each watering session. So, if you were originally watering your lawn for 15 minutes per session, you may want to increase it to 30 minutes in week three. However, to ensure you don't drown your soil, you'll want to cut back on the number of times you water your lawn each day.

Once you hit the four-week mark, your new sod lawn should be ready for you to schedule its first fertilizer treatment. This also happens to be when some sod lawns are ready for normal use. To determine whether your sod is firmly established in the soil, you can tug on a tuft of grass. If it does not lift, this means the roots are established, and you can walk on it.

Get the roots of your lawn off to a great start with our sod installation service. Contact us today to get on our calendar!

New sod installed in backyard in Hudsonville, MI.

The first month of caring for your sod after installation takes a lot of work. It involves keeping your sod moist, carefully managing foot traffic, and more. It may be an involving process initially, but it'll be more than worth it once you see the results of your new lawn. And the good news is that when it comes to installing your sod and making sure it has strong root growth, we've got you covered!

Our team has been helping property owners install sod since 2003. And we install a cool-season grass, Kentucky Bluegrass sod, to ensure optimal growth here in Michigan. If you're in Grand Rapids, Ada, Cascade, or nearby in Michigan, let us help. Contact us today at (616) 293-0361 to schedule our sod installation service!