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After installing new sod for your lawn, should you mow it immediately? No. A newly installed sod needs a particular amount of fertilizer and water over some time before becoming good enough for mowing. Quickly mowing new sod can lead to serious problems.
In order to have a good start for your lawn, you need to know when to mow sod. With our guide, you’ll know what factors to consider in no time.
Newly installed has a narrow root system. Thus, it will take some time before it gets firmly established in the soil. But how can you determine if the roots have been established enough? Well, just lightly pull a section of the sod. If you can feel resistance, then it’s probably reading for mowing.
To be sure, you have to check all sections of the newly installed sod, which is usually placed in a brickwork pattern. Make sure that each area has a good hold to the soil. If there are areas that don’t have resistance to pulling, you should continue watering until the roots have been firmly established in the topsoil.
While you’re waiting for adequate root establishment, we recommend you to sharpen the blades of your lawn mower. Sharp blades result in clean cuts that give the least amount of shock to the plants. Dull blades can lead to undesirably white grass blade tops.
Not all types of sod require the same height to grow. For example, the Kentucky bluegrass will develop well if its height is between two to three inches. On the other hand, the Zoysia grass only needs at least an inch and up to just two inches to grow.
Furthermore, to adjust the height you shouldn’t cut new sod only once. Instead, it’s better to mow the lawn several times in the span of a week. Just always remember to cut only a third at most with each operation.
On a related note, you should mow the sod when the temperature is relatively cool. This will enable the sod to experience accelerated growth compared to being mowed during the hot weather. If it’s hot, you can just let it grow so that the new crowns will have some shade.
On average, a properly installed sod is healthy enough for mowing after 12 to 14 days. Now, a day or two before mowing the new sod, you have to stop watering the area. This allows the soil to become firm enough for both walking and for mowing operations.
After you’ve mowed the new sod for the first time, you can resume the irrigation. For a week, water the sod at 8 AM. You should only water the sod once a day, unlike multiple watering each day before mowing.
Once you mow the sod for the second time, you have to change your watering schedule again. This time, you only have to water the sod once every two days at 3 in the morning. You have to wake up early to accomplish this, but it’s necessary. Likewise, it’s up to you to further modify the irrigation pattern depending on the season of the year.
Here’s a video talking more about mowing new sod:
As for the type of lawn mower, you should not use a zero turn mower or a riding lawn mower for the first four mowing operations. Both of these lawn mower are heavy and have wheels that could negatively affect the growth of the new sod.
If you still do not know which type of mowers would suit your lawn best, check out some of these best mowers:
Read more: Top 7 Best Corded Electric Lawn Mower
In conclusion, mowing new sod requires a bit of patience. Remember to sharpen the lawn mower blades and pay attention to the temperature and the ideal grass height. If you do things right, you’ll have a fantastic lawn in the long run.
