What is the best watering schedule for freshly planted sod?

Question

I just laid fresh sod and I'm wondering what the best watering routine is to make sure it takes root. I'm worried about over watering, so please also tell me the signs to watch out for that too.

Answer 1

1" of water per week is the correct answer for an established lawn with established roots. Sod has no root system yet and 1" per week will result in wasted water and possible errosion/run-off.

Never water a lawn at night, period. This promotes disease. Fungus must have water on the grass leaf to move upon and penetrate the leaf. Night watering does not allow the leaf to dry for many hours (until daylight). It is also cooler at night, all perfect growing conditions for fungus.

Water a couple times per day the first week. Each watering needs to be no more than 10-15 minutes. Water early morning and then again after midday. You want the grass blades to dry out before nightfall. Wind and extreme heat may require more frequent waterings. Cut back to a single daily watering the second week for only 10-15 minutes. Reduce to every other day for 15-20 minutes the third week and then as needed thereafter. The key is to maintain an even soil moisture in the top soil. You do not want the soil wet. Monitor the soil moisture content and adjust the watering appropriately.

How can you tell if you are overwatering? If you have standing water you are over watering. If you have run-off evrytime you water you are over watering, cut back the watering time. The grass will yellow and die if you over water. The grass will yellow and die if you under water. A plant's response to both conditions is the same. There is no way to tell which condition you have if all you do is look at a plant. Look at your soil conditions. If you have moist soil (not wet), then you have good growing conditions for that sod. You just need to maintain good soil moisture in the top 1/2 - 1" of soil, initially, to create a good growing condition for the sod's roots.

Answer 2

New Sod Watering Schedule

Answer 3

Assuming you have an in-ground sprinkler system, 20 minutes in the morning, 20 in the late afternoon for 2 weeks would be sufficient, then cut back to 20 minutes in the morning for 2 weeks. By then you should have sufficient root growth. After that, adjust your schedule based on the condition of you lawn. If you are living in a very hot area, you'll need more water, cooler areas less. Where I live, we get up to 110+ in the summer, and I water once a day (before sunrise) for 20 minutes, and never have a problem.

Answer 4

Depends on where you live and how hot it is. In my state I was told to water once at nite every other day because at night the sun doesn't dry it up so it has enough moisture to last through the next day but the hotter it gets then to water everyday if the sod does not seem to be moisturized enough. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

One inch a week, or whatever your local nursery suggests.