How To Prepare For Your New Lawn

Preparing the soil for new sod is the most crucial step before sodding. A new lawn that has proper soil preparation will use 20-40% less water. Here are the steps to follow when preparing your new lawn:

• Clear the site of all rocks, stones, and other debris that are larger than 2-3 inches in diameter.
• Till the existing soil to a minimum depth of 2 inches before adding any topsoil (4-6 inches recommended). You can add compost before you till as well to help further reduce the amount of water needed.
• Add topsoil if necessary, to achieve a total topsoil depth of 4-6 inches.
• Apply a ‘starting fertilizer’ that is high in phosphate. Lightly incorporate this fertilizer in the top 2-3 inches of topsoil to avoid root injury.
• Lightly roll the topsoil to settle the surface and create a level area for sod installation to prevent any air pockets. As a rule of thumb, make sure the soil is 1 inch below any mowing strips, sidewalks, driveways, and patios to accommodate for the sod.

Once your site is prepared, you are ready to order and lay the sod. Before you start laying the sod it is important to understand the steps you need to take to ensure your sod roots properly.