Bermuda sod question

5 years ago

I am in the process of filling up some bare areas in my lawn (120 sq ft) and been asked to pick up the sod (13 rolls) anytime between 8-5pm. I can pick it up first thing in the morning but plan on installing it around noon as I will have help later. Anything wrong in this or should I immediately install the sod? I don't mind picking it up at noonish and then come and install as well. Please advise. Thanks!

Featured Answer

dchall_san_antonio

5 years ago

Yes. You only need enough moisture for the roots to be in contact with moisture. Soggy soil is too wet. Roots also need air, so just enough to moisten the soil through the sod. If it ever feels squishy, you've watered too much. Keep off of it and wait for it to dry some before watering again. After 2 weeks you should be able to tug on the sod and it won't pull up. Then you can back way off on the frequency and go up on the duration. Warm season sod can transition to deep and infrequent watering pretty quickly.

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Comments (8)

dchall_san_antonio
5 years ago
That should be fine. Bermuda seems to be more resistant to disease that other grasses get sitting packed on a pallet.

If you have bare areas in a bermuda lawn, chances are good those places don't get enough light and will become bare again. If that happens you should look into another type of grass or convert the area into another kind of ground cover or hardscape.
ralph_zone8_nc thanked dchall_san_antonio
ralph_zone8_nc
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Thank you Sir, was counting on your advice :). Agreed, the plan is to baby these areas n then remove a tree in the front(next year). Can I put down some alfalfa before installing the sod? I already spoon fed little starter-fert. Also right now we have a light rain and may get heavier and stop by 5p. Can I get the sod and keep it in the garage n install it at 5p or worst case tmr morning?
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dchall_san_antonio
5 years ago
I would wait to put the alfalfa on top of the new sod. If you get a measurable amount of rain today, I would definitely wait to put the sod down until tomorrow. You don't want to compact the soil when you put the sod down. After the sod goes down you want to walk on it to press it down to make contact with the soil, but you don't want to compact the soil at the same time.
ralph_zone8_nc
Original Author
5 years ago
Rain stopped and the sod went down. I ran short of sod..so 2 areas look like patch work. So 3 times watering/day just to make it damp ?
ralph_zone8_nc
Original Author
5 years ago
Dchall - so looks like the sod can be much lower to blend and level off with the current yard. Is it too late to do? Apparently I should have dug and raked out more than what I thought. Is it too late to use a flat shovel and adjust this?
dchall_san_antonio
5 years ago
Anything can be done, but it might cost you. Are you going to have a problem with water backing up into the house? If not I would probably leave it alone, but if it's a problem, you might have to suck up the expense of new sod. There is a tool called a sod cutter which slices under the sod and lifts it out. Since you just put it down, you likely can lift it up and only lose a few roots, but be very ready to do everything before you start lifting up the sod.
ralph_zone8_nc
Original Author
5 years ago
No water will backup, so going to leave it alone for now. Probably at a later time, I will probably have someone do this for me when cutting the tree and resodding the tree area.