The short version
- Day one: soak it until the soil under the sod is wet, not just the grass.
- Weeks one and two: keep the soil under the sod damp every day, with extra water in a heat wave. Stay off it.
- Leamington, Kingsville, Essex or Lakeshore, between May and September? Get a watering exemption first.
- Weeks three and four: once the sod resists a gentle tug, water every two or three days, but longer each time.
- First mow: when it's rooted and about 3 to 4 inches tall, on the mower's highest setting.
- Week six on: treat it like a normal lawn, with about an inch (2.5 cm) of water a week, rain included.
Day one: soak it
Start watering as soon as the sod is down, and keep going until the water has soaked through the sod into the soil underneath. Lift a corner in a few places to check: the soil below should be wet, not just the grass. On a big lawn, water the sections that went down first, first.
It takes more water than most people expect. A quick pass with the sprinkler wets the grass and leaves the roots dry.
Weeks one and two: keep it damp every day
This is when roots grow out of the sod and down into your soil, and it's when most new lawns are lost. The soil under the sod should stay damp every day, like a wrung-out sponge: never dry, and never a puddle.
How much, and when
Water in the morning, long enough that the soil is damp when you lift a corner. Most new lawns need one good soaking a day. In a Windsor heat wave, or on a hot, windy day, add a second, shorter watering in the early afternoon.
Try not to water late in the evening. Sod that sits wet all night in humid weather is more likely to get fungus.
Edges, corners and slopes dry out first
Sod along driveways, sidewalks and curbs heats up and dries out faster than the middle of the lawn, and water runs off slopes before it soaks in. Give those spots a little extra by hand, especially if the sprinkler doesn't quite reach them.
Stay off it
Keep foot traffic, kids and pets off the new lawn as much as you can. Footprints in soft, wet sod leave dents that are hard to fix later, and every step can tear roots that are just starting to grab.
Watering rules in Leamington, Kingsville, Essex and Lakeshore
If your water comes from the Union Water Supply System, lawn watering is limited from May 1 to September 30. That covers homes on the system in Leamington, Kingsville, Essex and Lakeshore. The Town of Essex, which includes Harrow, has its own by-law for homes on municipal water.
- Addresses ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 water on even calendar days, and those ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 on odd days.
- Watering is only allowed from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to midnight on those days.
- Breaking the rules can mean a fine of up to $5,000, and a total ban can be declared if demand threatens the supply.
New sod can't get by on every second day, and this guide asks for more than the limits allow. So there's an exemption: with a newly seeded or sodded lawn, you can apply to your municipality for a permit that temporarily exempts you. Apply before the sod goes down, and keep the permit handy.
Call Leamington at 519-326-5761, Kingsville at 519-733-2305, Essex at 519-776-7336 or Lakeshore at 519-728-2700. We didn't find a by-law like this for Windsor, LaSalle, Tecumseh or Amherstburg, but ask your municipality if you're not sure, especially in a dry summer.
Union Water's lawn watering rules and exemption form →
Weeks three and four: water deeper, less often
Gently tug on a corner. If it resists, the roots have started to grab, and it's time to change how you water. Cut back to every two or three days, but water longer each time, so the water soaks deeper and the roots follow it down. Short daily sprinkles at this stage keep the roots shallow.
Keep checking a few corners. If the soil underneath is dry before the next watering, water a day sooner.
The first mow
Wait until the sod has rooted and the grass is about 3 to 4 inches tall, usually two to three weeks after it's laid. Skip watering the day before so the ground is firm, set the mower to its highest setting, and never cut off more than a third of the blade at once.
Use a sharp blade, and make wide, gentle turns instead of spinning the mower in place, so you don't scuff up pieces that are still rooting.
Weeks five and six: almost a normal lawn
By now the roots should hold the sod firmly in place. Move to a normal schedule: about an inch (2.5 cm) of water a week, rain included, in one or two deep waterings rather than a little every day. Normal foot traffic is fine. Save heavy use, like sports or a trampoline, until it's fully rooted, around six weeks.
Fertilizer and weed control
Hold off on fertilizer and weed control products for the first few weeks, while the roots are young and easily burned. Once the lawn is fully rooted, around six weeks, start a normal lawn care routine.
Watering through the seasons
Spring
Cool weather and rain do a lot of the work. Count rain toward your watering, but still check under the sod: a light shower often doesn't reach the soil.
Summer
The hardest season for new sod. Water every morning, add an afternoon watering in a heat wave, and don't skip a day in the first two weeks.
Fall
Cooler air means less water is lost, so the lawn may need less. Keep watering until it's rooted, even once the leaves start falling, and rake leaves off the new lawn so they don't smother it.
Common problems and what they mean
Brown edges or seams, or gaps opening up
The most common problem, and almost always too little water. Seams and edges dry out first, and pieces shrink as they dry. Water more, and give those spots extra by hand.
Spongy ground, puddles or mushrooms
Too much water, or water that isn't draining. Mushrooms are harmless and fade once the lawn dries out a bit, so cut back on watering. On clay, puddles that sit for hours after watering point to a drainage or grading problem.
Fixing water pooling near your house →
Yellow or pale patches
Often a spot that stayed soggy, or one that was covered for a day or two by a hose, a toy or leftover rolls. Uncover it, let it dry a little, and it usually greens up again.
Corners lifting or curling
That piece isn't rooting, usually because it's drying out. Press it back down, water it well, and keep it damp until it grabs.
Pieces that peel back like carpet weeks later
If a lawn that was rooting starts peeling back with almost no roots underneath, especially in late summer or fall, check for grubs.
Windsor clay and new sod
A lot of Windsor yards sit on heavy clay that drains slowly. Clay holds water longer than sandy soil, so watch for soggy spots and don't keep watering ground that's already wet. It's also why we level the ground, slope it away from the house and bring in fresh soil where the existing soil is poor before any sod goes down.
Make watering automatic
A sprinkler system takes the guesswork out of watering a new lawn, and it's easiest to put in before the sod goes down. We do both.
Your new sod checklist
- Day one: soaked through to the soil under the sod.
- Weeks one and two: damp every day, morning watering, extra in a heat wave, nobody walking on it.
- Weeks three and four: deeper watering every two or three days, once corners resist a tug.
- First mow: about 3 to 4 inches tall, highest setting, a third of the blade at most.
- Week six: about an inch of water a week, normal use, and a normal lawn care routine.
- Something looks off? Call or text us at 519-567-4724.
Planning a new lawn?
Free on-site estimate anywhere in Windsor-Essex, with a written quote the same day. One-year warranty, fully insured and WSIB covered. Call or text 519-567-4724.
