Watering New Sod
How much water does your new sod need to properly root?
New Sod Watering Chart
New Sod Care - The First 5 Days
DAY 1
With new sod installation the goal is get it established fast and maintain a healthy root system.
During the first day it is important to water new sod as soon as it is installed. A good soaking in the first hour is much more beneficial than using 3 times the water later that evening. The best time to water sod is early morning or evening. Avoid mid day watering when the sun is strongest if possible.
THE NEXT 3 DAYS
Your new lawn will need the soil to be watered to a depth of 3″ to 5″. You can check watering depth by lifting up a small corner of your new sod and digging down to see how far the water has penetrated.
Alternately you can use a pencil or screw driver and push it down through the new sod. When you pull it out moist soil will stick to it at the depth the water has penetrated to.
ON DAY 5
You can scale back the amount of water by about 20%.
30 Min per zone twice a day will usually get you close to the correct amount of water. If is the middle of summer you should add a third watering time to account for evaporation and extended sun exposure.
An easy way to tell your under-watering is to look for gaps between the sod. If this happens it means the sod has shrunk and you may need to add soil to make the lawn smooth again.
For the most part sod is fairly forgiving and harder to kill than most trees and plants. Don’t worry too much if you are late in your watering schedule or miss a watering cycle, it may just take a little more time to fully establish.
TIPS: Try not to walk on your new lawn when it is wet, to avoid leaving footprints in the new loam below. If you have questions contact us. We are your Calgary Landscaping Experts.
AFTER 5 DAYS
We will now let the new roots dry out and begin training them to search out a deeper water source. Water on day 7, 8, 9 and stop on day 10 to dry out again.
Follow the watering chart for the remaining days until you reach the end of week 2. At this point you can mow your new lawn and then water it again on the same day after the cut.
When you reach the end of week 3 you can limit the water to twice a week. The time you water each area should also be adjusted.
Every yard is different for sun exposure, rain and slope, so you will have to refine your watering schedule to suit your specific property over time.
Remember maintaining your lawn can be the key to lower maintenance and water costs.
TIPS: Avoid frequent light watering, which results in shallow rooting. The lawn will need a good soaking and then time to dry out. This trains the roots to go deep into the soil and creates a healthy lawn that discourages weed growth.
Long term over-watering will saturate your soil and prevent air from reaching the root zone where it’s required. Water evenly and slowly enough so that the water penetrates the soil without running off.
If you have an irrigation system you will have to adjust your watering schedule on your smart phone or tablet. Learn more about your Wi-Fi residential irrigation controller.