Patches of dead grass can trouble any lawn, not only creating an unpleasant sight but also threatening to cause weed problems. The preferred solution that lawn owners turn to when dealing with these dead spots comes in the form of sod. Sod refers to any piece of soil from which grass is currently growing. Aside from patching one’s lawn, sod can simply be used when one wishes to avoid the process of planting grass seeds, as waiting for the seeds to bloom can take months whereas sod can provide one with grass in a matter of weeks.
Repairing your lawn through sod installation & repair is easy but still requires some premeditation and care in order to guarantee optimal results. Start off by finding out the cause of your dead grass and dealing with it before installing any sod. If the underlying cause isn’t deal with, it will very likely end up killing the newly planted grass as well. The causes can vary greatly and can sometimes be difficult to determine. Insects and disease rank highly on this list, as does an overwhelming amount of traffic as well as too much shade. Digging a few inches into the dead spot can often help pinpoint the culprit. It’s also possible that there is no persistent danger and the dead patch was simply caused by a spill of some sorts, usually a chemical one.
Once you have dealt with the cause of your dead grass, you can move onto the sod installation & repair process. Start by outlining the spot of dead grass and finding out exactly how much turfgrass sod you need to purchase. When laying down the sod, make sure each piece fits tightly next to the others and use soil to fill any potential gaps while avoiding any overlapping or stretching of the sod. A lawn roller can help with the sod forming a good contact with the soil beneath once it is planted.
During the first week, you might need to water the sod daily, especially in the absence of rain. The soil underneath the sod needs to be wet but not oversaturated with water, so if needed, you can lift up a piece of sod to check the soil’s saturation level. In the subsequent weeks, you should gradually decrease the amount of watering the sod receives. You should also look to limit any traffic over the sod so that grass may grow freely and roots can take place. If followed properly, these steps will not only yield results much faster than if you planted grass seeds, but you also won’t need to worry about weed management.