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Laying Sod Step by Step

By Ben Mester

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Published: 31Oct2010
Word count: 1184
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Laying sod is actually something that I really enjoy. I know that most people hate it, but it's a lot of fun taking a bare, dead area, and transforming it into a lush thriving lawn. I ran a landscaping business for a few years in San Diego, and was mostly involved in lawn care. I know that laying sod can either be a very rewarding experience when done correctly, or it can be a huge waste of money. There are many steps in the process of laying sod, all of which will be covered below, and many tips and tricks which will help make the project a success. Each step in the sod laying project is absolutely essential, and you can't move on to the next step until the previous step is fully completed.

1. Take Out Everything Else. The first step in your sod laying project is to completely clear out all of the old material. That means old plants, roots, everything. The best way to do this is to first dig up the surface material with either a flat shovel or a piece of heavier machinery, and then to get the roots, you'll most likely have to use a rototiller. This piece of machinery generally rents out for about $60 per 24 hour period, depending on the vendor of course. And depending on the size of the rototiller, you can loosen up the top 3-6 inches of top soil where your new sod is going to be laid. After this step is finished, you might want to walk through the area and pull out any rocks golf ball sized or larger.

This is also the perfect time to install a sprinkler system. Since the ground is loose, you'll be able to dig trenches for pipes very quickly. Pipes don't need to be buried deeper than 6 inches generally, and most of that will be loose from your rototiller. If you're installing sprinklers, how do you know how high to place the heads? I wouldn't do that part yet. I'd just install the pipes and put high risers out of the ground with caps on the end so no dirt gets into the system.

2. Leveling Your Soil. The next step in your sod laying involved getting your soil exactly how you want it. It's up to you to determine exactly what your soil needs. If your soil has lots of clay in it, you'll need gypsum to break it up. If your soil is somewhat poor, you'll want to buy topsoil and at least mix it in with the existing soil. You'll also want to pound metal stakes into the ground in the corners of the lot and a few in the middle. Then you can run string around each of the stakes, pulling it tight, so that you can tell if your ground is level.

But before you can tell if the ground is level, you have to use the special "string level" to make sure your string grid is level. When you've pounded in your stakes and run string throughout them, take your string level and place it on your string and try and get it level. Once you've done that to all the string on your grid, you'll be able to see if your ground is level. As far as how to make a string grid, since the shape of every yard is different, you'll just have to decide where to run your string.

3. Soil Amendments. This step involves the final touches to your ground. In order to get your soil perfectly ready for sod, you'll have to add what's called soil amendments, which are basically just special fertilizers. You can buy them at Home Depot or most anyplace. Read the directions and apply them accordingly, mixing them into your your soil and watering when you're finished. Make sure you water your soil a few times. This will give it a chance to settle and for the amendments to work in.

This is the time that you'll also want to install your sprinkler heads. Now that your ground is level and ready for sod, you'll want to install your sprinklers so that the heads are 1/2 inch above the dirt. Sod is generally 1/2 inch thick, so if all of your sprinkler heads are sticking 1/2 inch above the ground, they should line up perfectly with the sod. In order to get them all to the height you want, unscrew your riser from the pipe and cut off as many sections as it takes to get the right height. Do that to all of your sprinklers. After this, you'll be ready to order your sod.

4. Laying Sod. Your sod will arrive in strips which are generally 2 feet wide and about 8 feet long. This varies depending on the supplier. Before you start laying your sod, make sure you keep your ground nice and moist. You don't want pockets of air between your sod and the ground and you don't want the roots of your sod to dry out. Don't drench the ground. Just keep it moist. When laying your sod, start in the furthest corner and go all the way across the back wall. If you have too much sod in a strip or if you have an odd shape that you need to cut around, grab a sharp knife or box cutter and trim the sod. Then, start again on the same side, only don't line the seams of your sod up in straight lines. The lines of the strips of sod shouldn't match up. This will help it grow in better and not have any discrepancies.

When you reach one of your sprinklers you'll need your sharp knife again to cut a hole out of the sod where your sprinkler is. Keep going this way, making sure to keep the ground moist as you go along. It's important to lay your sod relatively quickly, especially on a hot dry day. It's also important to water the sod you've just placed as you go along. Every half an hour, spray the newly laid sod with a few second squirt of water.

5. Sod Roller. The final step of your sod laying experience is to use a sod roller. This step isn't completely necessary, but most people recommend it because it gets rid of any potential air pockets and makes sure there's good contact between the roots of your sod and the soil beneath. Most of them are made of plastic and you fill them up with water so that they're relatively heavy. They can usually be rented, probably from the same place you rented the rototiller from. Just make one pass on the sod. You don't want to overly walk on it or roll it. Just passing the roller over it once should suffice.

Now you have a nicely completed sod lawn! Make sure you water it at least once per day, depending on the weather conditions. The vendor who you buy the sod from will know specifically how often it needs to be watered. I hope your sod transforms your lawn and gives you a beautiful lawn.

Laying sod is a fun and rewarding process. I've really enjoyed it in the past. If you want more information about lawn care, check out my article about perfect grass.

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