The optimal period of time for installation is from early spring to the fall freeze up.
SOD MUST BE INSTALLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER DELIVERY. DO NOT LEAVE SOD IN ROLLS BECAUSE IT IS A PERISHABLE PRODUCT.
Lay sod in a staggered or brick like formation. Make sure the edges meet and the ends do not overlap. If necessary, trim the ends with a knife. On slopes, lay sod across the slope and on steep slopes it may be necessary to peg the sod to prevent it from washing away in heavy rain.
Begin watering as soon as possible, do not wait, as sod needs water within the first hour of being unrolled. Water the sod thoroughly until the water penetrates the roll and reaches subsoil moisture but try to avoid getting it so soft that it is ‘squishy’. Repeat this every two or three days depending on the weather. Use a roller on the sod after watering it to ensure good root to soil contact. Avoid overfilling the roller, don’t go over half full, or you may get a ‘rippling’ effect occurring because the roller is too heavy or the soil is too soft.
At delivery time you should have received our “Guide to Greener Grass” which has been tailored to walk you through general site preparation, sod installation, watering your new sod as well as maintaining your investment.
The Turfgrass Producers International have developed an installation guide to answer all the common questions, please click here to view it.
Big Roll Installation
Big rolls can be installed using a skid steer with a fork attachment or a 3 point hitch tractor depending whats available. Please let us know which attachment you would like when you place your order.
The inserts are placed into the ends of the plastic tube that the sod is wrapped around, it is from these that the roll is lifted and that it unrolls off of. We recommend to not drive over previously laid sod as it can cause ruts to develop or tear the sod. Once you are in position to start, remove the pins that hold the sod in place during transport and pull the plastic wrap off the first wrap so that it is easily collected. You do not need to remove the plastic netting, although we do recommend it as it doesn’t break down quickly.
Start unrolling the roll slowly, driving as straight as possible to limit the stress on the roll and corrections that need to be made. The roll should have some ground pressure to ensure it doesn’t ‘free wheel’ on the rollers, but you don’t want to much or it can pull off your forks. If you reach the end of your run before the roll is empty you can use the pins to hold the sod in place on the roll after you cut it to make sure it doesn’t fall off in a pile.
Once the sod is on the ground it can be manipulated into its final resting place by using an aggressive rake or simply pulling it sideways by hand. The 4 foot roll is made up of two 24 inch strips which make moving them into place easier. As with the small rolls you want your joints to be tight but not overlapping.