Maintenance of Your New Sod

Written By Grace Bluhm

Learn how to care for your new sod with these tips and tricks for the first few weeks.

1. Regular Watering

Bluhm Brothers Landscaping will handle the first watering after installation. After that, water your sod daily (or more if needed) to keep it evenly soaked until the roots take hold—usually within 2–3 weeks.

Once established, begin watering less often but still a minimum of 1” of water total per week, this encourages stronger root growth.

Keep in mind that weather plays a big role. On hot, dry, or windy days, extra watering may be necessary. As roots grow deeper, they’ll begin to find water naturally, so you can gradually space out watering. Full root depth (around six inches) may take up to two years.

2. Limit Traffic on New Sod

To help the sod establish firmly in the soil, avoid walking or letting pets on it for the first two weeks after installation.

3. Delay Mowing

After about 2–3 weeks, gently pull up on a corner of the sod to check if it has rooted. Once it’s secure, you can start mowing:

  • Set your mower blade to 3.5–4.5 inches.

  • Use a bag attachment to collect clippings (this prevents clippings from covering new grass).

  • For the first mow, cut vertically and then horizontally to ensure an even cut and collect all clippings.

During the growing season, continue mowing every 5–7 days at a height of 3 inches (bagging these clippings isn’t necessary).

Grace Bluhm