Preparing Yard for New Sod

Yard Preparation Guide

Looking to prepare your current or new yard with sod? Here is a step-by-step guide to preparing your yard for sod. These guidelines can help give you a beautiful and long-lasting yard. We have highlighted the most important steps in bold.

1. Spray your weeds and grasses with Roudup RT (even if you plan to bring topsoil.) we recommend waiting three days before moving forward. If not doing this step you will have old grass come through your soil.
2. Leveling the yard – This will help you get the yard ready for your new sod and have the area even.
3. Trench – install your sprinkler system. We recommend using a funny pipe. This is a pipe that is between a PVC pipe and a sprinkler. Some companies will bid cheaper by not using funny pipe in the design but it is highly recommended. Do not attach sprinklers  To the funny pipe at this time however you will want to place flags where the sprinklers will be or leave the funny pipe sticking up.
4. Backfill and settle compact trenches.  Doing this step will ensure that you do not have trenches later on in your yard we recommend using either compaction equipment or running water through the trenches and tell they are soaked.
5. Haul in topsoil –  If you are needing topsoil we recommend bringing this in at this time dirt is a filler so there isn’t any smell of organic matter it’s very compact and mostly rock whereas with topsoil you are getting a strong smell of organic matter and a few rocks which will help your sod grow much stronger and more durable we recommend using two to four inches of compost.
6. Rough Gate – at this point the soil should be 2 inches below any cement surface including sidewalks curbing or driveways. The soil does not need to be perfectly level and it should be graded to slope away from the house or building for proper drainage.
7. Place organic material on the soil (compost wood chips, peat moss, manure, etc.). 2 inches will do, 4 inches is better. If you choose 2 or more inches of material, leave your rough grade 3 inches below the cement surfaces.
8. Till deep which will allow for a mix soil and organic material. Do no skip this step
9. Remove rocks
10. Level soil and final grade.  They should leave this well one inch below any cement surface the more level you want your yard the more work it requires, however, the extra is worth it because sod does not hide imperfections on the surface of the soil. 
11. Once installed the sod will follow anything that you left on the soil surface such as settled trenches, bumps and imperfections.
12. Put sprinklers on the funny pipe after flushing the system with water.  The sprinkler heads should not be more than about 1/2 an inch out of the soil. Compacting the soil that was disturbed by placing the sprinklers should also be done at this point.
13. Run the sprinkler system  At this point to make sure that all sprinklers are functioning properly you will want to be familiar with the sprinkler system where your zones are and making sure that all of the sprinkler heads are working correctly.
14. Remove any rocks, roots or other items from the surface.
15. Measure the prepared area by diving the sidewalk to the front of the house, side of the house to the property line, four rectangles surrounding the flower bed, etc.) Measure each area width x length and then add all areas together. Here is a guide on measuring your sod.
16. Order the highest quality sod from Sod Kind by calling us at (801) 203-3035 or click here to get a sod estimate. Our sod farm is proudly serving Davis County, Salt Lake County, Utah County, Tooele County, Wasatch County, Summit County, Weber County, and more!
17. For additional information on how to install your sod click here to learn how
18. Fertilize
19. Maintain your new lawn