Installing sod on your property is a great way to quickly get a beautiful new lawn. However, when it is first installed, it will be very delicate and you'll need to take extra precautions to ensure that you don't damage it while it's still establishing its roots. This is especially true here in Arizona, where the high temperatures can put your new sod under a lot of stress. When it comes to mowing your newly installed sod for the first time, you'll want to make sure the conditions are just right so you don't harm it in any way. To make sure the first mow goes smoothly, you should follow these tips: wait 14 days after installation to mow it, make sure the roots are established, don't water the day before you are going to mow, and never cut off more than 1/3 of the grass blades. By following these tips, you can feel confident that your first mow will go smoothly and you won't cause any damage or stress to your new sod.
While your newly installed sod will look great directly after it's installed, it will still be weak due to the fact that its roots haven't had time to establish themselves in the soil yet. Usually, it takes around 14 days for the roots of newly installed sod to establish themselves, so that's how long you should wait before you mow it for the first time. If your sod was installed in the winter, it can take even longer than 2 weeks for the roots to take hold and you should wait around 20 to 30 days before you mow it for the first time.
Before you mow your sod for the first time, you'll want to test it to make sure that the roots have established themselves in your soil. One way to do this is by gently pulling up on the sod. If it lifts up, the roots aren't ready and you'll want to wait a few more days before mowing. If it holds strong to the soil, then you can go ahead and mow it.
While watering your sod frequently after it is installed is vital to ensuring that it grows successfully, you'll want to skip watering it the day before you are going to mow it for the first time. That's because you'll want to give it a chance to firm up so that it can endure foot and mower traffic. If it's too moist, you could cause damage to your sod because it will be too soft and will sink as you mow it.
When mowing your sod, you'll want to follow the 1/3 rule which states that you should never cut more than 1/3 off the top of the grass blades during a single mow. That's because cutting your sod too short can stress out your grass. Your sod will already be fragile as it is trying to establish itself and any additional stress could cause serious damage to it.
Make sure your mower blades are sharp to ensure they don't rip and tear your grass during the mow!
If you're looking to establish a new lawn from scratch, installing sod is a great way to do so. At Little John's Lawns, we offer a sod installation service that will give you the beautiful lawn that you've always wanted. We offer this service to property owners in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, AZ and throughout the surrounding areas. Give us a call to schedule our sod installation service today!
Welcome to Little John’s Lawns! We are a family-owned company that specializes in providing professional lawn maintenance, lawn care, pest control, and irrigation services in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, and Queen Creek, AZ.