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Quick advice regarding new sod, please!

7 years ago

Hello! Just some quick advice needed please ... I recently had some sod installed in a section of my front yard that was previously a bed. I noticed one section has some significant gaps between sections of sod. I didn't notice this after it was first laid (last Thurs). I watered about an hour Fri and again Sun and yesterday, each time at least an hour. Landscaper said to keep watering daily for 1-2 hrs. ... that seems like a lot to me but he's insisting you'd have a hard time overwatering sod. In any case, I'm more concerned about the gaps, which I really noticed on Sunday. Should I have him come back out or am I being too fussy about something that will eventually fill in anyway? Thanks!

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Comments (6)

reeljake
7 years ago
What kind of sod? Those gaps are a magnet for weed seeds if left open, but easily filled with some all purpose sand without disruption of the sod
catahoulablu
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks so much. I actually don't know what kind of sod (I'm in the Chicago area). I might give the landscaper a buzz and tell him to swing by to look at or fill in himself.
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Thanks for all of the comments, minus a few they have been very helpful! No, it is not a custom built home, but they are quite excited, certainly not the end of the world, lol. It is bigger than it looks from the outside and has some nice views from the back and is well located next to schools, a rec center, bike paths and parks. They looked for an existing home in their price range, but they are flying off the market so fast in this area that every house they bid on was gone quickly. This house is on the smaller side in this neighborhood and yes they were not happy with the quality of some of the interior finishing touches offered so will probably be changing them quickly. Happily they sold their first home in one day, received multiple offers and nearly doubled their money. It was a small fixer upper that they rehabbed. The shame of this is that I would guess the model did not look like this and with the options they chose this was how the builder finished it off. I am sure it was in a picture and they missed this detail. Why any professional would think this was acceptable is beyond me. They could easily sell and get their money back and more if it bothers them too much. Housing stock is very limited here. Some of the ideas that have been suggested are not that expensive of a fix if they choose to do them. Thanks again for all of the productive comments. I have been passing them on along with all of the renderings. Special thanks to Pal!!! You have been so helpful, I am sure they will be ecstatic with all of the smart suggestions, many which they can do affordably!
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Thanks for the reply! No, they did not roll the sod, claiming it was such a small area (200 sq ft) and did not need it. They just graded, applied a topsoil+leafgrow mix, and laid down the sod. Unfortunately, I cannot water in the middle of my day due to my work schedule. A timer would not help since I have to move the sprinkler mid-watering. That is why I have been going a little longer twice a day. The ground does get squishy in some spots, so I guess I will try cutting back on the water. But is 15 minutes really enough with temps above 90? It seems like the grass will dry out, even if I were to get the midday watering in. Also, sorry if this is naive, but is some yellowing normal with new sod installations? Will the grass repair itself once it establishes?
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gomez435
7 years ago
New sod you want to water everyday for a week or 2 depending on the weather. It's better to water it 3 times a day for 5-10 mins. The edges most likely dried out and shrunk between the days you didn't water.
catahoulablu
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I only missed ONE day of watering (I initially thought he said every other day) - installed Thurs., deep watered both Fri and Sun and the temps were fairly cool here and the area is dappled, not direct, sunlight. PLUS, there are two other sections installed nearby where this did not happen! I don't want to be an over-fussy pest to the landscaper ... I just don't know if this is something to have him come out and look at or not.
dchall_san_antonio
7 years ago
Is your landscaper a professional with a brick and mortar store or a guy with a sign on his truck? Because his advice to water for an hour every day is crazy. Gomez is right about watering a few minutes several times a day for a few weeks. Then start to back off on the frequency and go up on the time.

You need to know what kind of grass he put down. If it was Kentucky bluegrass sod, then the grass will spread to fill the gaps. If it was a fescue lawn, then you'll need to sand between the gaps and drop more fescue seed. Find out what kind of fescue it was so you can match the seed.
gomez435
7 years ago
It doesn't take much for new sod to dry a little and shrink a bit.

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