Fall Sod Maintenance Tips

In the Fall, it’s important to start prepping your lawn for the Winter. This will help protect your lawn and ensure that it is nice and healthy come Spring the next year.

Fall can be one of the best times to install sod but you want to ensure you give the sod enough time to grow roots before it starts getting too cold. Early fall (September-October) is a great time to have sod installed.

It takes about 6 weeks for your sod to grow roots so this gives it enough time to become strong and healthy before the temperatures start really getting cold.

Caring for your sod isn’t too much different than caring for a regular lawn.

1. Rake leaves off sod

While leaves do break down eventually and can help fertilize your lawn, they can also cause problems. Leaving leaves on your lawn, especially wet leaves, can block light and reduce air flow to your grass. It can also hold in moisture which can lead to fungus growth. All of these things aren’t good for your lawn so be sure to rake all those pesky leaves away.

You could choose to keep those leaves and make a compost pile to make fertilizer for your lawn or garden. You could also mulch the leaves to create a fertilizer as well.

2. Continue Mowing

You may need to mow less often but it’s important to continue mowing your lawn into the fall. You can lower the blade on your mower each time you mow until you get down to 1-1.5 inches as this is the best height for your lawn during the Fall season.

3. Apply Fertilizer

In the later fall you can apply a fertilizer to your lawn. If your sod is very new (less than 6 weeks old) then you should wait to put the fertilizer on. You want to apply a winterizing fertilizer around November to keep your grass properly fed during the Winter.

4. Water Properly

You want to ensure that your grass is still getting the water that it needs but also not getting too much water. Pay attention to the amount of rain you are getting and if you need to give your lawn extra water. You want to make sure that your grass is staying damp til about 5 inches deep. This helps the grass stay healthy when it goes dormant for the winter.

Southern Sodgrass and Landscape Supply can help you get the “greenest” lawn in your neighborhood. We serve most of central North Carolina, contact us today for more information about our sod products and to schedule a delivery day and time. You can reach us at (336) 996-4SOD that’s (336) 996-4763.