Rxdoxx
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join:2000-11-03
Middle River, MD
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Washington & Balti..
| Lawnmower on new sod?
Trying to figure out when and how I should cut it.
Little involved so bear with me...
Have about a 350sqft area along the back side of the pool, that was mess... heavy clay soil, moss overgrown, bare spots. weed patches, sunken slate step-stones...
Been working on it for the past 6 weeks, as best I can, meaning a little at a time.
Pried the stepstones out, got a tiller attachment to the weedwacker and started tilling the area (6-7" deep).
Mixed peat, cedar chips, gypsum, sulfur (and some other things..potash, phosphate iron) in, and as I got maybe 50-60 sqft done, I bought sod and laid it in.
Just finishing up now, laid the final 6 pieces Saturday.
Noticed the earliest laid part, the grass is getting high, maybe 6" or more, but to get to that area I'm going to have to move the mower down maybe 9-10 foot strip, over the much newer sod.
I didn't have any type of roller, so am hoping the earth re-settles nicely, but is real springy especially in the newest patching.
So, what I'm trying to figure out is the best way to go about caring for it.
Should I just let it go all summer to really take root?
Should I cut it higher than normal when I do?
Would it hurt anything just to let the early stuff grow wild and uncontrolled until the last stuff looks established enough to tolerate a cutting?
I've got concerns about running the heavy mower wheels and rutting things.
ANy suggestions/advice? TIA
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John Galt
Forward, March
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp | Use your weedwacker on the taller grass to keep it knocked down until the roots take hold on the other.
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A is A |
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Warzau
Premium
join:2000-10-26
Naperville, IL
clubs:
| reply to Rxdoxx
What Galt said. Also you can check if it's taking root by after a week grabbing a grass of sod and pulling up. If you obviously can pull up it's not ready, use a weed wacker. But if it's taking root you will not be able to pull it up, but don't tear at it. After a couple of weeks 2 or 3 let it dry, then mow it carefull, try to do your turns on sidewalks or driveways. DON'T add any weeding chemicals the first year. |
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seqrets
Premium
join:2001-05-03
Nederland, TX
clubs: | reply to Rxdoxx
Sounds like John Galt has a good idea.  |
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TheMG
join:2007-09-04
Edmonton, AB | reply to Rxdoxx
Just make sure to clean up the clippings, you don't want to block the sunlight getting to the new sod. |
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Rxdoxx
Premium,Mod
join:2000-11-03
Middle River, MD
clubs:
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Washington & Balti..
| reply to John Galt
One thing I haven't spotted yet is...
what is best for root growth?
Will cutting "force" the plant to focus more on blade regeneration? And if I let the blades get big, then will it force more root development for the extra demand on it?
Seems to make sense, but I haven't been able to confirm it.
Someone PM'd me a link (thanks fourboxers  )
»www.fairgreensod.com/sod-installation.htm
And one thing I gleaned from that is that I should cut no more than 1/3 of the growth, at least initially.. that seems like it is good sense.
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Pacrat
Old and Cranky
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-10
Cortland, OH
·RoadRunner Cable
1 edit | Set your mower as high as it will go... 3" or higher. You want to cut with a very sharp blade... cutting with a dull blade (and there's nothing duller than a string trimmer) will just tear the grass blades and have a tendency to rip out young grass plants. Cut with a very-well sharpened blade, make no turns on the sod, and mow often. Also... keep watering the hell out of your new sod until the roots establish themselves in the underlying soil. You really cannot hurt it by cutting it, provided the blade is dead sharp, and you mow as high as you can for the first few months.
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mattmag
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-04-09
NW Illinois
clubs: | reply to Rxdoxx
And, don't forget: WATER WATER WATER!!!
Keeping it nicely wet will also encourage roots to go deep. |
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TheMG
join:2007-09-04
Edmonton, AB
 ·TELUS
| reply to Rxdoxx
With the watering it is best to water it a lot, but not too often. You want the water to soak in underneath the sod, but you don't want to keep the sod constantly damp on the surface. If you keep it too wet the roots won't be encouraged to grow since water is easy to reach. By soaking it in and then giving it a break, the roots are encouraged to go down beneath to reach water as the top of the sod starts to dry.
Usually what we do is give it a good soaking until it's nice and squishy once a day for the first week. After that, resume normal watering schedule. Now, bear in mind that for us temperatures are around 20-25 Celsius during the summer days, so you may have to adjust if you live in a hotter climate. |
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madylarian
The curmudgeonly
Premium
join:2002-01-03
Parkville, MD
| reply to Rxdoxx
We had most of our backyard stripped and new sod laid about three years ago. We had to water every night to give it a good soaking. And we were told to let the grass grow to at least 4 inches before mowing and to set the mower blades as high as possible, at least about 3 inches. The soaking lasted for about 4-6 weeks and the mowing 8-10 weeks.
mady
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