New Sod Care

1. One inch of water immediately after sod is laid.
2. Apply enough water daily to prevent the top one inch of soil from drying until sod is rooted to the soil
3. After that, apply one-fourth inch of water every third day for nine days.
4. Next apply one-half inch of water every fifth day for ten days.
5. After this establishment period, apply one inch of water per week for the rest of the growing season.

*There is no need to water if rainfall supplies the correct amount.

Hydration and Fertilization

Watering
Your goal is for the lawn to receive enough water to keep the soil slightly moist in the upper six inches of soil.

Lawns do best when they are soaked once per week and then allowed to dry between waterings. This allows grass roots to breathe. In the heat of summer, applying one inch of water per week, in one application, is good. Watering more often is a waste of water and may harm your lawn grass.

In spring and early summer, irrigation is rarely needed. Remember: if the soil is moist, there is no need to irrigate.

The best time of day to water is during the early morning hours - around 3:00 - when the water pressure is highest. In addition, water will have a chance to soak down into the ground before evaporating, thus providing the most benefit for the lawn. And any water left on the lawn will be evaporated away in a timely manner when daylight arrives.

Mid-afternoon watering is probably the worst time to water, as far as efficient water use is concerned. Too much will evaporate away before it has a chance to soak down. You'll be using a lot of water, but won't be doing your lawn all that much good. Even though it may be very tempting to turn on the sprinkler during one of those scorching days, hold off on it.

Evening watering will permit the water to soak down just fine, but water will remain on the lawn way too long, which can invite fungus and diseases.

Fertilizing
The first application of fertilizer to St. Augustine grass should be made in spring when the grass is 50% green OR when soil temperatures are above 65 degrees F.  Fertilize St. Augustine grass every six weeks thereafter until mid-September.  Do not fertilize after mid-September.