Watering and Maintenance

Watering Instructions for Newly Installed Sod

Proper watering of your new sod is the MOST important thing you can do. Test your sprinkler system prior to installing the sod to make sure all parts of the area are receiving ample water. The following schedule should help outline general guidelines for watering. Frequency and times will need to be adjusted per your location, based on time of year, soil type, sun exposure, etc.

SPRING:  (February, March, April) 3 times a day; morning, midday, and afternoon, for 4 – 7 minutes. Sod should be moist, not soggy. Once established, irrigate longer but less frequent by eliminating the midday watering. This should only be after the sod is rooted and in turn will encourage deep rooting.

SUMMER:  (May, June, July, August, and first part of September) Keep soil moist by watering more frequently. Reset sprinkler clocks to water approximately 4 – 7 minutes, 3 times a day at 7:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Shorter and more frequent watering is best. Watch sod for signs of stress and disease. Keep sod moist NOT SOGGY.
NOTE:  July and August are the monsoon season and over watering, high humidity, and high heat can lead to a disease outbreak during these conditions. During these times the water should be reduced to compensate for these conditions.

FALL:  (Mid-September, October, November) Similar watering to spring conditions.

WINTER:  (December, January) Water sod in mid-day to prevent freezing. Water as needed but avoid watering sod after 3:00 p.m. Sod requires watering a couple of times a week until established then once a week until spring.
*For Bermuda grasses, the irrigation times can be reduced.

Important Notes

1. You are exempted from the SNWA watering schedule for the first 30 days after installation to allow for the rooting of the turf.

2. Grass irrigation amounts are based on ET (evapotranspiration), not necessarily the time of the year. Above guidelines need to be adjusted up or down based on these factors.

3. A good way to monitor the amount of time you are irrigating is to check the moisture by feeling the grass just before the next watering. IE: Check the moisture in the grass at 2:45 PM before the 3:00 PM watering.

4. Grass needs watering once the existing supply has transpired through the leaves and soil. This often means a mid-day irrigation as there is no longer moisture in the soil to support the turf. Do not worry about irrigating in the middle of the day or burning the grass during establishment, as this can be one of the most critical irrigation times. Think of it as if you are outside at 3:00 PM. You will consume more water at that time than 8:00PM.

5. A dark green or blue area in your sod is usually associated with drying turf. This appearance is due to the leaf rolling up to protect the root. Catch it immediately with irrigation and the grass blades will open up. Allow this to continue and the dark areas will brown out. Do not panic, grass grows like hair and if the root survived then the grass will continue to grow and the brown area can be mowed off once the grass is higher.

6. Remember, 95% of all turf problems during the first 30 days of establishment are due to irrigation issues.

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