Sod question

Ok, I think the "Grass and Bamboo" forum is more for ornamental grass so I am posting this here.

We just sodded our entire backyard with St. Augustine this weekend. Other than watering it A LOT, is there anything else we should be doing? I mean we are obviously keeping the dogs from running and playing on it (just outside to do their business and then back in) but I'm not sure what else. We have been almost tippy-toe walking across it like it's a wet floor or something. Is that necessary? It just seems to me that as it's rooting we may break the roots and damage the sod by walking on it too much. Is that dumb?

The good news is it has been raining since the day after we put it down so it has stayed very moist and has not started yellowing up yet. We were told that would for sure happen as it gets established but so far it's still really green. Now I am just trying to keep it that way!

Jamie

Jamie,

I've heard a number of gardening people on the radio say that you should keep foot traffic to a minimum on new sod for a couple of weeks. You should mow it for the first time when it needs about and inch (no more) taken off (and San Augustine should always be mowed at the highest setting on your mower.)

Thanks Maggie! Just the "common sense" aspect of the foot traffic was what we were operating on. I just didn't know if we were being unnecessarily cautious. Ever since we put the sod down we have walked the long way around to get to various areas of the yard in an attempt to stay off of the sod. We have even been letting the dogs out while the sprinklers are running b/c they will do thier business up by the house and not out in the yard. I will try to keep up this routine for at least 2 weeks.

I knew St. Augustine should not be mowed real short, but we try to do that in the front as well (Burmuda grass) just because we seem to have less weeds and need to water less that way. St. Agustine is a water guzzler anyway so I think we are being obessive with the watering the sod. We may be the first people in history to kill new sod by OVER watering. Ha! I'm not even sure that's possible. :)

Ugh. Have fun! We had our sod put in at the end of May last year, builder's choice for the timing -- not ours. Basically, all you have to do is water, water, water and keep off it, like you said. For the first week, we kept ours downright soggy. Stepping on it made a squishing sound! LOL :)

For the next 2 weeks I watered the whole thing about 2x a day. Then a week or so later 1x each day. Then by the end of the fourth week, watering every other day, gradually going down to watering 2x per week during the summer.

Ah, I remember those days fondly. 2 toddlers and morning sickness, watering all that sod! :) Hope it all works out!!! :)

BTW, it's worth it this Spring :)
Jacci

Oh Jacci! I just got a mental image of a pregnant woman tying not to hurl as she dragged sprinklers around the yard and fought 2 little ones off the sod and out of trouble! :)

Ours is drenched right now! It rained a lot on Monday so we didn't water, but I watered again last night. The water squishes up between the pieces of sod and I kind of sink into it when I step on it. I am stepping on it to move the sprinklers around because even though we have 4 hooked up in a series, it isn't hitting every area. So there I am, dragging sprinklers around and fighting two big dogs to stay off it! So how long does it take to root? I know it will be this time next year before it's solid and you can't see the "seams" between pieces, but how long before you can't pull up each piece and see the dirt below? I am freaking out about it rooting if you can't tell!

You sound like me when I planted my first rose. I called the Antique Rose Emporium about some concerns, and the guy told me to take a deep breath and relax, it was going to be all right.

Now, take a deep breath and relax. It's going to be all right. Those roots know what to do, you are doing your part, they will do their part.

:-)

Ha! I ordered my first roses ever last fall from ARE. Aren't they great?! I wasn't as hyper about my roses as I am about this sod. I just keep seeing 300 $1 bills instead of grass and I am terrified of destroying it and flushing that $ down the drain. :)

Hey Jamie, if it makes you feel any better, I have a couple of dead spots, a few six in deep kid feet prints, a couple of my own feet prints....I saw the $400 bill and decided it was worth another $30 to over seed for protection. LOL The front looks rooted really well and has been mowed. Most of the back looks like it needs mowed and I am afraid to tug on a piece. :)

Hey Chele-

Abe pulled up a corner and it isn't rooted yet... but we just put it down last Saturday so I don't know what he's thinking! :) I have a few Great Dane and boxer-mix doggie prints in mine and a few gouged areas where they got to rough-housing before I could stop them. I am feeling better now b/c the few squares that were so dry and dead they looked like straw have new green on them this morning. Woo hoo!!!! Well I hope both of ours does okay- kids/dogs and sod don't mix I guess. Ha!