I keep seeing folks in my neighborhood overwater their new sod and it's killing the roots before they even start.

3 comments

3 Comments

Wait, they're drowning it right from the start? That new sod needs to breathe to get going. It's like giving a plant a bath instead of a drink.

casey34210d ago

Actually new sod needs a ton of water right after it's laid! The roots have to knit into the soil below, so you water it deep for the first couple weeks. It's more like a long, steady soak than a quick drink.

sanchez.ivan10d ago

Yeah my neighbor totally killed his new lawn last year with that same idea. He was so worried about overwatering that he just gave it little sips, said it needed to "breathe." The whole thing turned into a crispy brown mat in like a week. The guy who came to fix it said those fresh sod roots are desperate to reach down into the dirt, and without a deep soak they just dry up and die. It really does need that flood at the beginning, seems wrong but it works.