New sod looks finished the day it goes down, but it isn't attached to anything yet. For the next few weeks its roots are growing down into your soil, and in the East Valley sun new grass can dry out fast. Here's how to get it through the first month.
Week 1–2: keep it wet
Give the sod a deep soak the day it's installed, deep enough that the soil underneath is damp, not just the grass. After that, water several short times a day so the roots never dry out. In the summer heat that may mean three or four cycles a day; in cooler months, fewer. If the edges or seams start to turn tan, they need more water.
Week 2–3: start backing off
Gently tug a corner. If it resists, roots are taking hold. Now water less often but longer, which pushes the roots deeper. Deep roots are what carry a lawn through a Mesa July.
First mow
Mow once the sod is rooted and the grass is a bit taller than you normally keep it. Use a sharp blade, take off only the top third, and skip watering the morning you mow so the ground is firm.
Stay off it. Keep kids, pets and heavy traffic off new sod for about two weeks. Footprints in soft soil leave dips that are hard to fix later.
Hold off on fertilizer
Fresh sod doesn't need feeding right away. Let it root first, then start a regular fertilizing schedule.
Not sure your sprinklers are covering the whole yard evenly? That's the most common reason new sod struggles, and it's an easy check for us.
