You are ready to put in your lawn and the sod has been delivered, but something comes up and installation must be postponed. Don't worry! Although sod can't be stored for long periods of time, you can delay installation by a day or two if absolutely necessary. Any longer and the grass will begin to die or rot. You will need to take the following steps to ensure your sod survives until installation day.
Location
Sod is usually placed in the most convenient area, such as on a driveway or patio. This is a problem if the location is exposed to direct sunlight while the sod is being stored. Even worse, concrete can leach away some of the moisture in the sod, which combined with direct sunlight will dry out the sod rolls very quickly.
Move the sod to a a shaded location. If you don't have a shaded area, then cover the sod with a pop-up awning or a light-colored tarp so that the sunlight is blocked and reflected.
Method
How you store the sod is also important. Sod is typically delivered in rolls that are stacked upon each other. Depending on the amount of sod, the stacks of rolls may also be on top of pallets. When storing sod, it's best to unstack the rolls so that they aren't compressing each other. Leave them rolled up, though, as this helps conserve moisture.
If your sod is on pallets, leave them there. The pallets provide a barrier between the ground and the sod, which helps prevent the ground from leaching moisture from the rolls. For sod that is placed on bare ground, move it onto a tarp to help prevent water loss.
Moisture
Moisture management is important. The sod will die if it dries out, but it will rot if it becomes too moist. The key is to provide just enough moisture so that the roots stay moderately moist but not so much that water is dripping out of the sod rolls.
During hot weather, you may need to lightly mist the rolls with water every couple of hours, while in cooler weather, once or twice daily misting will be sufficient. Feel the rolls to judge moisture -- you want them to feel no more damp than a wrung-out sponge.
For more help with your sod delivery or new lawn, contact a sod installation company in your local area.
Share27 February 2020
About a year ago, I realized that part of the reason the plants in my yard kept dying was the fact that they were planted in the wrong places. I didn't pay much attention to which plants needed certain amounts of light, and it was costing them their lives. Several of the plants were really struggling to live, and it was really hard to see. I realized that if I ever wanted to make things right, I would need to create a landscaping plan that would work well for the natural landscape of my yard. This blog is all about understanding landscaping.
