Caring For Transplanted Sod
When you need a new lawn in a hurry, sod is a good way to go. Sod will grow in within a couple of weeks, so you can go from no grass to backyard barbecue in no time. However, if you don't take proper care of your sod, all the money you spend to beautify your yard will wilt under the noon sun. The good news is that taking care of your sod is easy if you follow the right protocols.
Providing the Right Amount of Water to Promote Growth
When you first plant your sod, your first concern should be providing the right amount of water to keep your new lawn healthy. The roots of freshly laid sod will lie right on the surface of the ground. If you water frequently and for just a few minutes at a time, the roots will have access to water right on the surface and, thus, will not grow like they should.
In order to keep your lawn healthy, you need to water less frequently, but you need to allow the water to soak deeply into the ground. Longer waterings will sink more deeply into the ground, and allowing for more time between waterings will allow your roots to chase after the water. Thus, longer, less frequent waterings are the key to allowing sod to develop a healthy root system. Just make sure you don't let the sod dry out completely between waterings because too little watering can cause the sod to burn up under the heat of the sun.
Taking Out Weeds
If weeds start to grow in before your sod has had a chance to develop a proper root system, you should not take any steps to take out the weeds. Digging up weeds can hurt the root system of the sod and kill it before it has a chance to grow in. Using chemicals to kill weeds might not hurt a healthy lawn, but freshly planted sod is under stress, and should be considered under stress until the roots grow in. You should hold off with weed treatments until you cannot pull up the sod simply by grasping the sod with your hand and pulling.
Sod will not come in properly without care, and sod is not cheap. If you want your lawn to come in like it should, then you need to do your part. Watering and weeding are important parts of caring for a lawn, but you need to adjust or watering and weeding habits to care properly for freshly planted sod. For more tips, contact a company like the California Sod Center.