One of the most important aspects of home maintenance is understanding how to treat your new sod lawn within the first weeks, months, and beyond. To help you navigate sod maintenance, we’ve put together a list of important tips and recommendations.

Immediately:

Watering is the single most important step in successfully establishing your new lawn, and needs to start within an hour after the sod is laid.

The First Two Weeks:

Watering must occur for no less than 1 hour and should continue through the night, 24-hours per day for the first two weeks.

If you can walk on it without sinking in, you haven’t watered enough.

Weeks Three and Four:

The third and fourth week you need to water every other day for 90 minutes.

Weeks Five, Six and Beyond:

The fifth and sixth week, you need to water every third day for 90 minutes, and continue doing that if you desire green grass in the Midwest.

When it comes to sod, YES, you even have to water through the rain, and watering established grass in Iowa is necessary during times of low rainfall or drought to keep a lawn healthy.

Need more information?

If you’d like more detailed information, these blogs from bos sod farms and Green Valley Turf Co. have great tips for watering, mowing, feeding and annual maintenance.