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Tips for
Installing Sod

Step-By-Step Site Preparation

“The beauty is in the blades, but the ‘action’ is in the roots,” is a good adage to remember when growing grass. Thus, the value of proper site preparation and soil improvement, before any planting takes place, is that it will be easier for the grass roots to penetrate deeply and evenly.

Deep roots will make the lawn more drought resistant, more efficient at using water and nutrients, and denser, as new grass plant shoots emerge. A dense lawn crowds out weeds and better resists insects and disease.

Follow these simple steps for a beautiful, healthy and trouble-free lawn:

Step One

Clear the site of all building materials (wood, cement, bricks, etc,) as well as any buried stumps, rocks, stones, or other debris that is larger than 2-3 inches in diameter.

Step Two

Rough grade the entire area to eliminate drainage problems on the property. This would include sloping the grade away from building foundations, eliminating or reducing severe slopes and filling low-lying areas. A tractor mounted blade and/or box are most often used for rough grading, but if the area is small, it can be done with hand tools. The rough grading will probably uncover more debris that should be removed.

Step Three

Initial tilling to a depth of at least 2 inches should be completed prior to adding any topsoil or soil amendments. This will control most annual weeds, alleviate subsoil compaction, permit a bonding of the topsoil to the subsoil and improve root penetration, as well as air exchange and water movement.

Step Four

Add topsoil to achieve a total topsoil depth of 4-6 inches, after firming. The topsoil should be a loamy sand, sandy loam, clay loam, loam, silt loam, sandy clay loam or other soil suitable for the area. To the extent possible, practical, affordable and available, incorporate humus (fully decomposed organic matter) into the topsoil.

Step Five

Test the soil pH with a chemical soil test or pick up a soil test bag from your county extension agent to determine if any pH correcting materials are required. Acidic soils (pH of 6 and below) can be improved with the addition of lime.

The type (or source) and total amount of applied lime will be determined by the level of acidity and should be based on the recommendations of a reliable garden center, turf proffesional or soil scientist. Alkaline soils (pH of 7.5 and higher) can be improved with the addition of sulfur or gypsum. As with acidic soil correcting materials, the type and total amount of materials will be determined by the level of alkalinity and should be based on a professional’s recommendation.

Step Six

Finish grade the entire site, maintaining the rough grading contours and slopes, with a tractor-mounted box blade for large areas or a heavy duty rake for smaller sites.

Step Seven

Roll the area with a lawn roller one-third full of water to firm and settle the suface. Low spots revealed by this step should be filled to match the surrounding grade surface. If time permits, allow the area to settle further with rainfall or by applying irrigation water.

Conclusion

The site is now ready for turfgrass sod. With this degree of careful and thoughtful soil and site preparation, the resultant lawn will be absolutely beautiful. It will maintain a high degree of density, recover rapidly from wear, and require less maintenance, namely smaller quantities of water, fertilizer and pesticides.