When a new lawn or sod is installed it will need to be taken care of. During the first two weeks after it has been installed it is important to make sure that it is kept wet. As soon as it is installed you need to thoroughly water it until it feels spongy to the step. New sod should be wet to a depth of four to six inches for the first week or two. It needs to be watered at least three to five times each day. To determine the depth of the moisture you can lift a corner of the sod. Keeping the new sod damp during the first week is very important.
You will need to stay off of the sod during this tyime so that it will take root. You do not want it to sink in and have depressions across the lawn from your footsteps. If it was planted during hot weather you will want to make sure that the sprinkler runs a few times each day so that it does not get dried out. If it dries out it will shrink and turn brown and can die. If the sod is watered properly it will penetrate through the soil at a faster rate.
During the third and fourth weeks you can start to water the sod less. You should reduce the number of times that you water it to one to three times per day during the third week and then during the fourth week you can go two or three weeks without watering the lawn. It is best to water your lawn in the early morning or the evening hours as this is the time when less evaporation will occur. Your lawn will need to be watered more during the first season that is planted than it will in the future.
