HomeLawn Care BasicsProper Planting

Proper planting techniques are the first step in ensuring success with any new lawn. A little bit of extra care in soil preparation can produce lawns that are healthier, more deeply-rooted, and more drought tolerant for years to come. See below for helpful tips on how to properly install sod so that your new lawn remains healthy and ready to enjoy!

The first step in establishing new sod is to assess the existing site and design a plan for proper planting. Some sites may have existing vegetation, debris, or other items in place that need removal. It is also important to inspect the perimeter of the site to see if there are obstructions in place that may prevent adequate sunlight, water, or even maintenance equipment from reaching the lawn. If potential obstructions or debris exist, it is best to remove them prior to preparing the soil for planting. This is also a good time to take initial measurements of the lawn so that you can estimate the budget, purchase the correct amount of seed or sod, determine what type of tillage or other equipment can access the site, and design irrigation plans if needed.

Perennial turfgrasses are some of the most hardy species of plants for use in urban sites, as is demonstrated by their success when planted on hard, compacted soils. While tilling may not be necessary, or even possible in all cases, tilling the soil prior to sodding is the most important and effective way to ensure your newly laid sod can establish roots after planting. Furthermore, university research shows that tilling to a depth of 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) will dramatically improve drought tolerance and turfgrass survival during prolonged periods of no rainfall or irrigation.

However, if tilling is not possible or practical, your lawn can still benefit from other soil preparation practices such as raking, aerification, and soil amendments. Renting a core aerator and pulling plugs from the existing soil is a great way to open it up for incorporating soil amendments. Even holes as deep as only 0.5 – 2 inches (1.5-5 cm) can allow for soil amendments to penetrate deep enough to allow newly established lawns to root deeply.

New sod should be established by laying it in rows that are perpendicular in direction to the most severe slope. Be sure to begin laying the sod at the point farthest away from the entrance so that you are not walking over new sod after it is laid. Also, if possible, it is often helpful to select a hardscape with a straight line as a starting point. This makes it easier to continue straight lines as sod is laid throughout the new lawn and prevents excess waste or moving of sod after it is laid.

If possible, make one final pass with a rake as the sod is being laid to ensure good sod-to-soil contact. Lay each row of sod in a staggered, brick-like fashion and ensure that each slab or roll of sod is laid firmly in place to the adjacent pieces and that the edges do not overlap. Edges that overlap will dry out easily and will likely be scalped during the first mowing. If possible, rolling the newly laid sod with a drum-type, water-filled roller immediately after planting is a great way to make sure the sod is firmly in place with good sod-to-soil contact.

Seeding is a great way to establish new lawns and requires many of the same techniques as sodding (see Site Preparation). However, one benefit of seeding is that it can often be performed without significant soil preparation. Grass seed is often inter-seeded into existing lawns to thicken them up or re-stablish damaged areas. The benefits of seeding are that it is often cheaper than sodding, requires less manual labor, and does not require significant soil preparation or re-grading of slopes. There are also often more choices of grass varieties when seeding, particularly in cool-season grasses like Tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and others. The major drawback of seeding, as opposed to sodding, and the time it takes to germinate and establish a new lawn. Furthermore, there are only particular times of year that seeding is most successful, unlike sodding which can be performed year-round.

Be sure to apply the correct amount of seed based on the labeled recommendations, and if possible apply it in at least two different directions that are perpendicular to each other. This greatly improves the uniformity of the seed application to produce a nice evenly planted lawn. After seeding, cover the seed with a grow-in fabric or some type of natural, decomposable mulch, often wheat straw. This will help protect the seed from drying out in the direct sun. Keep the seed moist until it germinates (Table 1) and matures. After germination and establishment begin gradually reducing irrigation until the lawn has been mowed at which point a routine irrigation program can begin if needed. In many places, rainfall alone is enough to establish new lawns, particularly when seeded during late fall.