How Often to Water New Sod | Duration & Process Of Watering Explained

Some might have seen them in school gardens, cricket grounds, or parks. You might not have heard about sod, but you must have heard about turf. It is because people commonly refer to them as “turf.” Sod or turf is simply the “grass” attached to the part of the soil under it. The root system is what anchors the grass to the ground. It helps absorb water and nutrients from the ground so that the grass does not wither and die after rain.

This plant is easy to care for, requires very little maintenance, and is drought-resistant. You can find many types of grass, such as Fuschia, phlox, polka-dot, and many others. You can choose the type that suits your taste and keep it in your home simply by maintaining a healthy soil condition.

This is called sod generally. People might be confused between the grass and sod. They don’t know how much and when to provide water to new sods. In this essay, I will explain how often to water new sod.

Usually watering four to 5 times during the day, for around five to six minutes each time, is needed until the roots have been set up. For the most part, Root foundation will start within seven to fourteen days relying upon the season your sod is installed. 

Some People want their homes to be luxurious, and some want their homes to be simple. Most people dream of having a home near the rivers and gardens with colourful flowers in their backyards. Nearly every person wants a beautiful and lush green lawn in the house. You might be thinking about the care of gardens.

Cultivation and plantation require a heap of investment of both time and money to raise plants and flowers on your “lawn,” but it will undoubtedly increase the glamour and beauty of your house. If you plan for that, you need to choose between the “grass” seed or sod. These types are suitable for landscaping, but sod will instantly overhaul the landscaping look and feel. It is usually used in the fairway, lawns for businesses, and sports “grounds.”

How is New Sod Grown and Harvested?

Here are a few of the essential points that tell us how the new sod is grown and installed. 

• Like all other crops, sod is also first grown and harvested, and then it is sold in the market. 
• There are specialized farms everywhere in the world where it is grown and harvested.
• In the USA, it is grown in many varieties on almost 400000 acres of land. 
• Sod is harvested in between 12 to 18 months, and the time it takes to grow depends upon the variety of sod. 
• The growth rate also depends on climatic conditions and several other factors such as fertilizers, humidity, and more. 
• After the reaping of sod, it is sold in several ways like in square slabs, rectangular rolls, or four-foot-wide rolls depending upon the consumer’s requirement. 
• Currently, Mississippi State University is functioning on a hydroponic variety of sod to grow the better quality that will not be only lighter but will be easier to change positions without a struggle. It is also considered that this variety can be more beneficial than traditional ones.

How Often to Water New Sod

Pre-installation Phase

Sod has a very short lifetime. It cannot be stored for a longer time in stores and garages. The outer atmosphere damages the roots and the surface of the sod. So it should be installed as soon as it is taken. The below-given points suggest some of the things you have to do before installing new sod.

• New sod should be well-taken care of before it is installed. 
• When farmers cut the sod, they cut from the roots, which are still in the process. These roots dry out due to the moisture in the atmosphere, so they should be installed right after the delivery. 
• The place where the new sod will be installed must be well damp. 
• It should be soaked to 3 “inches” of water” deep in the ground, and for that, you need to give water for about 24-48 hours to that land. It will help the new sod to adapt new environment immediately. 
• Installing the new sod is a trouble-free job, but it requires complete care and attention, especially when put down.

Post-Installation Phase

Right after installing new sod, the surface should be given “water after installation” instantly because water is vital for all human beings on the earth, whether plants, to keep alive. Everything requires an adequate amount of water. If it is given too little, things will die, and if things gain more water, they will drown.

The newly installed sod requires the proper amount of water to flourish more appropriately and establish roots. It must keep in mind that each grass has different requirements for water. Sod also needs to be hydrated every time.

Day 1 of watering:

• On the first day, the new sod should be given water for about 1 hour.
• Give water according to the external environment that whether it is too hot or normal temperature. 
• It should be given two times a day.
• In the second phase of watering on the first day, reduce the time to 15 to 20 minutes.
• It should also be ensured that the lawn should get wet and fully absorb water.

Day 2 to 15 of watering:

• From the second day, it should be ensured that the sod should remain moist and soggy for the whole day. 
• From day two to fifteen, give water almost four to five times a day continuously for about two to three hours.
• Giving water continuously for fifteen “days between watering” will help the roots to get established. 
• Usually, the roots start to establish between 7 to 14 days after the installation, but it may affect climatic and atmospheric conditions.
• Don’t “lose water,” which can cause damage to sod, and avoid watering to reduce the evaporation rate.

Week 4 of watering:

• After giving water for fifteen days continuously, reduce the time of providing water to the lawn. 
• Give water once a day “per week” for about 15 to 20 minutes. 
• Check whether the establishment of roots has occurred or not by pulling the corner of the sod and if it gives resistance, limit the aggregation period of the day.
• If you encounter the purplish or grey colour on the sod, give water immediately.

Watering tips:

• To check the sod that is soaked, pull the turf’s corner and try to put any sharp tool like a screwdriver into the soil. If it moves inside up to 10cm, it means the ground has enough water, but if it is not moving inside more than 3cm, you need to give water to the land.
• It should be ensured that each corner of the sod should get water because sometimes they remain dry due to not reaching the water in “corners.”
• Some soils and slopes may run off before the ground is adequately moistened. To ensure water conservation and proper absorption, turn off the water when it starts raining, wait 30 minutes to an hour and resume watering on the same area until adequate soil “moisture” is obtained.
• Moisten the soil surface daily for the next two weeks. Especially in hot or windy periods, an increased amount and “frequency of water” will be required.
• Try to give water in the early morning to get the advantage of the growing cycle of grass, and at that time, there is low wind speed and less risk of evaporation.
• To keep the temperature low on the “turf soil surface,” if the temperature increases above the 37-degree centigrade, provide water by lightly sprinkling with a “sprinkler.”

Advantages of Sod

Many people are using sod for various purposes because it has various advantages like:

• It gives instant results.
• There is a fast establishment of roots in sod.
• The erosion problem can be controlled immediately.
• There is great flexibility in the scheduling of sod.
• It produces limited weeds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you overwater new sod?

Sprinkling water constantly on new sod able the roots to establish more strongly. If the new sod is growing in the summer season, it should be given water throughout the day to prevent the roots’ dryness and shrinkage.

The new sod should be watered continuously to ensure that the moisture should always remains in the soil after two weeks of installation. If it is possible, continue giving water for the next 2 weeks as well.

How often do you water newly laid sod?

The newly laid sod should be given water for a whole day after the immediate installation. It should be water two to three times a day for about 30 “minutes.” It will allow lawn and soil together moisture, which will help roots in establishing. During the first weeks of installation, provide water to the lawn for almost 15 to 20 minutes two times per day.

Should you water new sod every day?

Yes, new sod should be watered every day, which will help the roots in the establishing process, and it is necessary to provide water in the first 3 weeks of the newly sod surface.

Conclusion

To conclude this topic, New sod needs to be watered more often to establish roots. It should be watered 5 to 6 times a day for about 30 to 40 minutes on starting days. It is easy to establish a new sod lawn, but it requires a lot of care and proper requirement of water. We need to follow the basic watering schedule to establish the sod surface in the ground.

The new turfgrass gives water every day and keeps “the soil surface moist,” and after 3 “weeks,” it should be watered every other day for one week. After 5 weeks, you can give water till the ground should be soaked for 1″ inch of water” per week.

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