Turning Houses Into Homes: A Home and Garden Blog

3 Tips For Having Sod Delivered And Installing It Yourself

If you plan to install sod as a DIY project, you'll probably still want to have the sod delivered. A residential sod delivery service will probably deliver sod in mats that are stacked on a pallet. This is much easier to work with than a big roll of sod when you don't have commercial equipment. Here are a few tips for using a residential sod delivery service and installing your sod.

1. Measure Your Yard To Determine Amount To Buy

Measuring your home to determine the amount of sod you need can be tricky since you probably have a house right in the middle of your yard. Talk to the sod company about calculating the amount of sod you should buy. They might take measurements of your yard from satellite images or they might have you take measurements of your yard and bring them with you when you select the type of sod you want.

2. Sod Needs To Be Fresh And Installed Right Away

To increase the chances of your sod staying healthy once you've installed it, it's important to get the sod in the ground as fast as you can. The sod company will probably cut the sod and stack it shortly before delivery so the sod is nice and fresh. You should be ready to go on delivery day so you can start laying the sod mats down as soon as they arrive.

The hard part of installing sod is clearing the soil and getting it ready for new sod. This is often time consuming, but the work should be completed before the sod is delivered.

3. Start With Damp Soil To Help Roots Establish

Try watering your soil before the sod delivery arrives so the soil as a little time to dry, but is still wet when you start the installation process. Damp soil encourages the sod roots to wiggle in and take hold. However, you don't want the soil to be too damp, and you don't want to install sod in heavy rain.

Once you're ready to put the sod down, start with a long straight edge, which might be along a fence. Press the sod mats against the soil as you go so there are no trapped pockets of air to keep roots from burrowing in. Place the mats against each other in a pattern that keeps you from walking on the sod if at all possible. The sod company may advise you to wait several days before walking on your new sod.

Installing your own sod can be a fulfilling DIY project that you can admire all summer when the grass grows and thrives. However, be sure to understand the steps before you have the sod delivered so you can work fast to establish the roots and keep the grass healthy. 

For more information, contact a local company like Novasack Turf Farms.


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