Sod is a great way to establish a new lawn on your property. While it will give you an instantly green lawn, its roots will still be fragile and need time to establish after it has been installed. New sod typically takes about 2 weeks to develop shallow roots, during which you should avoid foot or mower traffic to avoid stressing it out. After 4 to 6 weeks, sod should have already established a solid root system. By then, you can start using it normally again! To ensure your new grass in Texas develops roots successfully, follow healthy watering practices.

It takes about 2 weeks for new sod to develop shallow roots.

Newly installed sod in Lubbock, TX.

Upon installation, you can enjoy the instant elevated appeal of your new sod. Although it looks lush and green, it hasn't yet established roots in the soil. Typically, new sod takes about 2 weeks to develop shallow roots. During this time, avoid walking on your new sod or mowing it to prevent stress to the fragile grass. Any type of stress can easily damage it and affect root development. During this stage, your new lawn focuses its energy on anchoring itself in the soil. Support it by providing ideal conditions for continued survival and root growth to set your grass up for success.

After about 4 to 6 weeks, your sod should have established a solid root system.

After about 4 to 6 weeks since your sod has been installed, it should have established a good root system. At this point, you can start using your lawn normally again because it is already strong enough to handle foot traffic and mowing. With solid roots, your new lawn will also absorb essential nutrients and water from the soil, helping it further fortify its root system and resist stressful conditions.

When mowing your new lawn for the first time, make sure to set the mower deck high to prevent cutting too much length from the grass blades.

Proper watering is crucial for helping sod develop roots and establish successfully in your soil.

To help your new sod develop strong roots and establish properly, follow proper watering practices. Adequate hydration ensures the initial survival of the fragile sod and its continued development. Here are some watering tips you can follow:

  • Water immediately upon installation: After sod is installed on your property, make sure you water it immediately to prevent the roots from drying out and keep the soil moist. This helps the new grass establish and develop roots.
  • Water lightly but frequently initially: For the first 2 weeks, your focus should be on watering lightly multiple times a day. This maintains enough soil moisture to encourage shallow root growth and help your lawn stay attached to the soil.
  • Adjust to deep but infrequent watering: After 2 weeks, you can gradually reduce the frequency of your watering sessions. However, make sure to increase the amount of water per session so it soaks deeply into the ground and allows the sod to grow deeper roots.

Call our team today to sign up for our sod installation service!

If you want to establish a new lawn on your property, installing sod is the way to go. Here at Bravo Xteriors, we offer a sod installation service to provide you with lush, green grass. Our team will follow a thorough process to ensure your sod is installed correctly and looks great. Our team proudly serves homes and businesses, as well as HOAs, in Lubbock, Shallowater, Levelland, TX, and throughout the neighboring areas. Call our team today at (806) 686-1191 to sign up for this service!