Site preparations for sodding are the same as preparations for establishment from seed. The soil surface should be smooth and dry or slightly moist, but not wet. Cool-season grasses may be sodded at almost any time of the year that the soil is not frozen. However, late summer, spring or fall are the optimum times. Sod is typically cut into rectangular strips that are delivered folded or rolled on pallets. Once delivered, the sod should be laid within 24-48 hours to avoid decomposition within the rolls or folds and death of the turf. When placing the sod, lay in a staggered, brick-like pattern so that seams do not line up. Place the strips tightly against one another along all edges to avoid drying and to speed up “knitting together” of the strips. Once placed, roll the lawn surface with a light roller before watering and press any raised areas down to avoid scalping by mowers. Finally, walk the entire area and fill in any small openings between turf strips with soil.
Begin watering new sod within a half hour after it is laid on the soil. Apply at least 1 inch of water so that the soil beneath the sod is very wet. Ideally, the soil 3 to 4 inches below the surface should be moist.
Your new lawn needs to be watered twice per day, for 10-20 minutes per session every day for at least two months.
Make absolutely certain that water is getting to all areas of your new lawn, regardless of the type of sprinkling system you use. Corners and edges are easily missed by many sprinklers and are particularly vulnerable to drying out faster than the center portion of your lawn. Areas near buildings dry out faster because of reflected heat and may require more water.
Runoff may occur on some soils and sloped areas before the soil is adequately moist. To conserve water and ensure adequate soak-in, turn off the water when runoff begins, wait 30-60 minutes, and restart the watering on the same area. Repeat this start and stop process until proper soil moisture is achieved.
Newly established turf is very sensitive to most herbicides and weed control should be avoided until the area is completely established. A good rule of thumb is to wait until after the third mowing before considering applying any herbicide. As always, thoroughly reading and carefully following the instructions on herbicide labels is critical.
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Website Accessibility Policy
Roy Water Conservancy District is fully committed to providing accessible facilities, elements and
channels of communication to all members of the public. As part of this commitment, Roy Water Conservancy District
has a policy of providing an accessible website compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and
commercial screen reading software. All features of the website are coded to allow individuals with vision and
other impairments to understand and use the website to the same degree as someone without disabilities. We welcome
feedback and can often resolve issues in a timely manner if they arise.
If you need any special assistance or accommodations:
Roy Water Conservancy District has designated a compliance officer for website disability-related accommodations.
The compliance officer has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best
practices. Contact our accessibility officer to report an issue.
Compliance Procedures and Reports
In addition to testing with users with a wide range of disabilities and coding our website to WCAG standards,
Roy Water Conservancy District regularly scans its website to ensure ongoing compliance, and makes timely
changes to any inaccessible changes, if any are found.
Linked Documents and Third Parties
Please note that this site may link out to third-party websites, such as state or federal agencies, that do
not have accessible content. This site may also include documents provided by third parties included in our
agenda packets, for example. While we cannot control the accessibility of content provided by third parties,
we are happy to assist any member of the public with reading and accessing content on our site.