New sod care with OtO

If you've just laid down new sod, follow this article for tips and tricks to ensure OtO gives your new sod the TLC it needs to grow beautifully for years to come.

Important watering tips for sod:

• Do not water late in the evenings or at night. New sod is more vulnerable to diseases, being wet for long periods of time can encourage this
• Edges and corners between sod rolls along with grass beside pavement are more susceptible to drying out. You will want to focus more watering attention here.
• If Sod comes out of place, move it back and give it extra water
• Always make sure water is penetrating the soil underneath the sod. If there is run off and it still hasn’t reached the soil, wait for 15-30mins then resume watering.

First 7 Days

You will want to make sure your sod and soil is not too dry during its first few days. We recommend watering at least 3 times per day; once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the early evening. If it is hot out or the area has high drainage (like on a hill) you may have to do more.

Minimize foot traffic during this time while the new root system is establishing.

OtO Tips during the first 7 days:

1. Set one zone over top of your new sod, schedule it for the early morning and set the watering limit to Eco Lite (1/4") to minimize spray impact.
2. Duplicate that zone, and set it to water in the afternoon.
3. Duplicate the zone again and set it to water in the early evening.
4. Check to make sure that the area is getting completely soaked. If water is not reaching the soil under the sod, you should add more zones. 

7 - 13 Days

The root system should be starting to establish itself now. Gently pull back a corner of the sod in several places to check. 

• If it is difficult to pull up, you should be able to cut back watering to once a day in the morning. Change the morning zone to Normal (1 1/4") and delete the unnecessary zones.
• If it comes up fairly easily, this could mean a few things:
  • If it is nice lush green, it could be over watered.
  • If parts are yellowing, it could mean it is being under watered.

14 - 21 Days

Assuming your sod is well-rooted, you should be able to reduce your watering to every other day. It is also safe to mow at this point, just set your blade to the highest possible setting. During this period, you want to keep your lawn at around 2.5 - 3 inches.

OtO Tips during the first 7 days:

1. Edit zone schedule to Odd or Even Days of the month
2. Maintain a weekly water limit of Normal (1 1/4")

Learn more

• How to use OtO on gardening beds
• Over-seeding a lawn with OtO