Not sure how to lay sod? In about 2 minutes you'll be an expert. Laying sod is really easy. Follow these steps and you'll be drinking lemonade and playing croquet in no time.
Skip right to the instructions on how to lay sod.
Laying sod? Surprisingly easy. And I might be in the minority here, but I actually liked it. The prep was kind of gross, but laying and cutting the sod was fun—and the result? INSTANT. BOOM. Pretty green grass. Just like that.
Several years ago I ripped out most of my front yard and started from scratch. Overgrown bushes? Gone. Scraggly bushes? Gone. Possibly possessed bushes? Exorcised.
After measuring and making a few calls, I found I could sod my whole front yard for the grand total of $95. That’s $45 for the sod and $50 for delivery.
Table of Contents
How to Lay Sod
What you'll need
- Pieces of sod
- Fertilizer
- Top soil
- Knife to cut the sod
- Shovel
- Rake
- edger or kick style sod cutter
STEP 1
STEP 2
- The first thing you need to do is remove your old sod and dig up the earth and get it good and broken up. This job SUCKS.
- Now rake the soil out so it's level.
STEP 3
STEP 4
- Grab some lawn starter fertilizer.
- Sprinkle the fertilizer over your soil. (instructions on how much will be on your fertilizer container)
STEP 5
STEP 6
- Shovel a 3" layer of top soil over everything.
- Level the top soil with a rake.
THE FUN PART This is your final and most fun step.
STEP 7
STEP 8
- Always lay your sod in a brickwork pattern. In other words, don't have all your edges of sod lining up with each other. Stagger them.
- For a better chance of your sod "taking" on all the edges, slightly overlap the sod so it's a bit too tight, like you see in the picture below. Then step on the 2 edges where the sod meets. It'll squish down together forming a good bond of soil and sod.
STEP 9
STEP 10
- KEEP IT WATERED and let it get established.
- Let 'em play.
Can't I lay sod over my existing grass?
Nope. I'm afraid not. The sod needs to be in contact with soil. If you lay sod on existing lawn it will die a rather quick death, killing the lawn underneath as well. Then you'll have to get rid of TWO layers of lawn.
If you want to make the process of cutting out your existing lawn a bit easier you can:
- use a rototiller to cut up the grass and dig it into the soil below
- use a manual kick style sod cutter (you can rent one)
- Use a lawn edger or a flat style "shovel" like this.
- cover the grass with a black tarp for 1 month - 1 year. The longer you leave the tarp on the more decomposed the grass will become. So if you leave it on for only a month the roots should be dead making the grass easier to dig up or turn into the soil. If you leave it for a year the grass will have fully decomposed enough that you can rake it out and lay your sod right down.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
TIP
- To cut straight lines, lay a plank of wood down and run a sharp knife (I actually find a curved linoleum knife like this one here works GREAT) along the sod to cut it.
How long will it take sod to root?
Your sod should take root in about 2 weeks. To test it just pull up a corner of the sod. If it lifts easily it isn't rooted. If it doesn't lift or is hard to pull up, it has indeed rooted.
The only part left is to water, water, WATER.
How Much to Water New Sod (By Season) 💧
🌸 Spring
- Frequency: 1–2 times per day for the first 2 weeks
- Amount: Keep the sod and top 1–2" of soil consistently moist, not soggy
- Why: Temps are mild, so sod won’t dry out as fast. Once rooted, reduce to 2–3 times per week.
- Tip: Morning watering is best to prevent fungus.
☀️ Summer
- Frequency: 2–4 times per day for the first 1–2 weeks
- Amount: Heavier watering — enough to keep the sod and soil underneath constantly moist
- Why: Heat = faster evaporation and more stress on new roots. You must not let it dry out.
- Tip: Light watering midday can cool it off in extreme heat, but deep watering is key.
🍂 Fall
- Frequency: 1–2 times per day for the first 2 weeks
- Amount: Similar to spring — keep it moist, but you'll likely water less often due to cooler temps and rain
- Why: Cooler air and soil help sod retain moisture, making this a great time to lay sod
- Tip: Be cautious about overwatering if rain is frequent — soggy soil can cause root rot
You need to water deeply every single day for about a month to ensure the growth of your grass. Letting it dry out even once will spell disaster. It is not allowed to dry out. Speaking of which ...
You can fix yourself a drink if you like. You're done.
O.K. so now I've got you all hyped up to lay down some new sod. Good. Fantastic. That was my goal. So when are you going to do it?
What's the best time of year to lay sod?
- Whenever you have time to do it.*
- Late Summer. For cool season grasses (Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Rye, Fescues) the BEST time to lay sod is in the late summer or early fall. This because the temperatures are cooler and it's generally wetter, conditions which these grasses thrive in. The second best time to plant cool season grasses is spring.
- Spring. Spring is the best time to lay warm season grasses (Bermuda, Centipedegrass, Carpetgrass) again, because the conditions are more favourable for it.
*If you lay sod in the middle of a heat wave in the middle of summer it'll still grow. You just have to baby it more, making sure it never dries out, possibly watering multiple times a day.
Congratulations on your first lay.
Liz
You are always so motivating. Plus the tip about drinking after seems good. That might just be the reason some of my project don't go as planned. Or at all.
Janet
I'd much rather follow your tips than Martha Stewart's, anyday...you are so much funnier.....but stay out of jail, please....although,.. she was probably served her gin and tonics there, and heck, we may have even paid for them. Hmmmm....maybe jail
wouldn't be so bad...is there a beach there?
Crystal
I think jail was good for Martha's image. I mean, is it just me or did she seem much more laid back once she did time? I feel like she started taking herself much less seriously, which is a good thing. Not that I recommend jail for a lifestyle makeover. Maybe a spa day. ;)
Alena
I agree with you. I don't watch her show (it it's still running?) but the few times I saw her on TV after she had finished her special 'staycation' she did seem more laid back.
Dawna Jones
My husband and I build houses for a living so I am familiar with all things do it yourself including sod laying,can't say it was the best lay I've ever had but the drinking in the end did produce some nice rental children! Love your blog Karen!
http://www.dawnajonesdesign.com/
Sherry in KS
"...but the drinking in the end did produce some nice rental children!" LOL!!
Brenda j
Get drunk and roll around on wet sod. Oh, we Canadian sure know how to have a good time eh? :)) (my double chin)
marilyn
precious babies..xo
olemike
Nice post - great pictures.
Mary Werner
Rental kids are so much more humane than hamsters that eat their young - great idea!
Sam Braun
if you have the gin and tonics first (or your kids make them kinda strong)... you could lay a heringbone pattern instead lol... i hear chevron's kinda in this year! and for the newbies to laying things... don't forget to liberate the sprinkler heads through the sod...the water gets out better that way :)
of course, if you like your gel nails more than dirt, you can also hire a group of dirty men-boys with sod-layer tans and a banged up pick-up to do it for you--while you "supervise" sipping your gin and tonic--but that's a whole different kinda post for you Karen! happy summer sod-lovers!
Alena
If laying sod in chevron pattern you would need to cut the ends at 45 degree angle.
Not that it cannot be done but you will waste quite a bit. And, really, why bother? You won't see the pattern after a couple of weeks.
AnnW
Is there ANYTHING you can't do? I used to watch Martha Stewart on TV and I was convinced I could plant a tree after watching her. Now I can lay sod, if I can find a yard that needs it.
I was going to email you. I need to know how to regroutt 55 year old tile. Also, how to caulk that teeny tiny line around the place the tub fits into the wooden surround and the vanity meets the sink. I have tons of square and rectangular flagstones. Is it hard to make a patio. Can I just drop them on the grass? Thanks Ann
Deb J.
Laying sod is very satisfying but I recommend NOT doing it in the rain:). I did that once (my children were too young to mix and deliver drinks but I had trained my husband) and while it made for a really successful sod take, the rolls continued to get heavier and heavier as they got wetter and wetter. Tough! However if you do have the older rental kids (16, 17, 18) you might manage to make them do the lifting - that way you get the benefit of the successful sod without the aching back and BIG BIG muddy shoes. Just a thought.
Mary Jane
Laying sod is easier than I thought it would be. And the kids are soooo cute!
Sue
Great tutorial! Really cute rental kids too ;o)
Con
Some semi-related advice: if you're laying lines on a photo in Photoshop, you can use the 'Geometry Options' drop-down in the toolbar to automatically add nice arrowheads to your lines. Avoids the hassle of manually drawing them, looks spiffy and frees up more time for drinking.
Karen
LOL. Thanks Con. Are you referring to "shapes". I usually use it to make arrows, but I don't really like their arrowheads, so I thought I'd try w/out today. ~ karen!
mimiindublin
"rental children for photo" what a great business idea!
are mine too old? 16,18,19?
Heather
Rental kids are adorable.
Monsterscircus
Lovely how to Lay sod tutorial and lovely children! Have a wonderful Day!
Gayla T
Do they have rent-a-kid in Canada? Great looking pair. If they can mix drinks they may be able to cook. I'd keep them if I were you. Thankfully, my sod laying days are over. I love that you left grass. Not what I expected at all.......better!
Barbie
Looks beautiful! Great job Karen!
Lindsay @ Off For the Season
Where do you find rental children? I need them to fix me drinks...errr....help me lay sod. Who am I kidding, I need a small child to make me the perfect gin and tonic. Do you go on craigslist, or e-bay, or what?
Tina
Etsy! You can get homemade children in a variety of styles and colors!
Teresa
You are awesome! Luv the giggles I get every time I read your blog.... Hubby doesn't get it, which is typical lol