How Should I Prepare My Lawn Before Laying Sod?

Before Laying Sod

How Should I Prepare My Lawn Before Laying Sod?

You’ve chosen the perfect sod variety for your lawn, marked the perfect time to lay the sod on your calendar, and scheduled for your new sod to be delivered directly to your door by Council Growers Sod in Southern Hillsborough County. If you want your sod to have the very best chance of growing into a gorgeous, lush new lawn, then you’ll need to start putting in work to prepare long before that sod is delivered. In this post, we’ll go over all the things you need to do to prepare your lawn for laying new sod.

Completely Clear the Area

The first step in preparing your lawn for new sod is to completely clear the whole lawn down to the bare dirt. Yes, that means every single blade of grass needs to be removed. There are tools that can help you with this process, but be prepared to get in there and pull some weeds and grass by hand.

Test Your Soil

Once all the grass and weeds are gone, grab a soil test kit from your local lawn care store and test out your soil. The ideal test results will depend on the sod variety you choose, so do your research, so you’ll know what nutrient levels your sod variety will like best.

Make Soil Amendments

Once you receive your soil test results, it’s time to make any necessary amendments so that your soil is the perfect mixture to receive your new sod. Once again, make amendments based on what the sod variety you choose likes. Test the soil again after amendments are made and continue to add nutrients as needed until you get the right levels.

Level the Lot

Once the soil is tested and amended, it’s time to make sure everything is perfectly level. We’re not going to lie…leveling a lawn can be difficult. You may want to seek the help of a professional lawn care company to do this, or just check out some YouTube videos and try it yourself. Whatever you decide, make sure the lot is as level as possible so that your new sod lies down nice and flat.

Aerate

All that soil clearing, testing, and leveling might leave you with some compressed, compact dirt. New sod doesn’t always take well to the soil that’s too compressed. Use an aerator to poke holes in the soil and fluff it up a bit, which will allow the roots of the new sod more room to grow in.

High-Quality Sod in Tampa Bay

Now that your lawn is prepared, it’s time to lay down that new sod. Here at Council Growers Sod in Tampa Bay, we have all the sod varieties that thrive in central Florida. We deliver our locally grown, freshly harvested sod directly to your door, so it’s never just sitting around on a pallet drying out. Plus, we offer professional sod installation services for people who don’t want to go it alone. Call us at (813) 633-8665 or place an order online to get started on your dream lawn today!