Do not under underestimate how important the initial watering
of newly installed sod is.
New sod should be wet down an inch or two at least every day until the grass has taken root. Roots can be determined by pulling on the grass. If it does not pull from the ground it has rooted. This generally takes 2 weeks or 6 weeks November through March.
Once Centipede or St. Augustine sod is rooted it should receive approximately 1 inch of water a week.
Be careful not to over water, as more damage is done by over watering than by under watering. Soil should be soft underfoot but NOT oozing wet. Remember, turf roots need oxygen, too. You do not have to leave the sprinklers on for an extended period to water deeply, as there is no deep root system.
We recommend watering in the cooler morning hours because there is less evaporation. However, anytime of day is better than NO water.
Watering will vary for each lawn due to amount of sunlight, soil conditions and weather conditions.
Water should also not be running into the surrounding streets. A sprinkler is only adequate when it is moved often to ensure complete coverage. Use a screwdriver to monitor moisture. If the soil is dry, it will be tough to push the screwdriver all the way to the handle. If properly moist, the screwdriver should be cool or even moist when removed—like checking to see if a cake is baked!
Always pick up on a sod slab to make sure that the water has soaked through it and moistened the ground also. You’ll start seeing roots within a couple of days.
Invest in 2 sprinklers either the one on the tripod or the ones on the stake. They can be adjusted to 360 degrees or a lesser angle i.e. 90 or 180. If they are set up catacorner from each other you can get very nice coverage in a square/rectangle pattern. These have nice coverage and the pattern of the spray is easy to cover large areas (see the diagrams). Setting up 2 at a time may lessen your water pressure but for small yards you’d probably still have enough pressure to cover the entire space and you can set it to run longer to compensate. You could also put a timer on them for added convenience.
Be sure not to count on the rain as a substitute for watering. In general we need 2” of rain to substitute for a good watering. BUT if it is very dry and hot even this may not be enough!
LSU AG SOD GUIDELINES
Irrigate soon after installation. Never let the new sod get very dry. Irrigate as needed to wet down to an inch or two. Keep the sod moist, but not wet, for at least a week. Begin to back off watering the second week and more so the third week. Never keep SOD soggy for long periods. Never let the new sod get very dry for at least three weeks. It takes at least three weeks to get sod established and up to six weeks if installed in the cooler parts of the growing season, which runs October through March in south Louisiana. Begin fertilizing the turf after one month as is appropriate for the current season, the grass type and soil test recommendations. Mow regularly at the higher recommended height of cut for that cultivar. Mow whenever growth reaches 50 percent above the chosen cutting height. Commercial sod installers must be licensed by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and should adhere to the procedures Koske described. More information on lawn care is available at your local LSU AgCenter office. In addition, look for lawn & gardening and Get It Growing links in the LSU AgCenter Web site: www.lsuagcenter.com.