You’ve installed the Sod properly, congratulations! But now, you’re worried that weeds may come at you with their invasive nature and ruin what you’ve paid a lot and invested a lot into.
Worry not, despite the fact that weeds represent a real danger on new Sod, this Lawn Advisors guide will help you know how to prevent weeds from growing in new Sod.
Additionally, you should always prioritize maintaining your Sod and making sure weeds don’t get close to it, and that’s what our experts will help you with this guide.
Generally speaking, high quality Sod should be weed-free once you receive it.
Therefore, weeds residing in your soil before you install the Sod may be the main cause of finding weed growing in the new Sod.
Our first piece of advice would be to exercise caution before using any type of herbicides, then let’s move through with other helpful advice you require.
Will Weeds Come Through Sod?
Unfortunately, weeds can come through Sod, but due to external reasons mostly, not due to coming from Sod itself, as we already expressed that it’s weed-free.
Weeds that have already established their roots in the soil, look for other opportunities to thrive on other grass and plants, most favorably Sod.
And since newly installed Sod is vulnerable to external effects before they establish their roots in the soil, then weeds have the upper hand timewise.
Therefore, whenever the soil is already infected with weeds and you’ve installed the new Sod, then the weeds will grow through Sod too, which is what we’re trying to counter in this guide.
How to Prevent Weeds From Growing in New Sod
To prevent weeds from growing in new sod, you need to give it 3 weeks at least to establish roots in the lawn, and whenever you encounter any type of weed within this period of time, manually get rid of the weeds rather than using herbicides during this critical period of growth.
Additionally, you should stick to this weed removal method until you’ve mowed your lawn at least 3-4 times.
After 3 months have passed, the new Sod would’ve had enough time to be established in your lawn properly, and your hand pulling has got rid of the potential growth of other weeds you’ve spotted, now you can consider a selective pre-emergent herbicide, as now you’ll have a full growing season done and the grass has fully grown.
How to Prevent Weeds Before Laying Sod
We’ve already established that newly installed Sod will be vulnerable to stressors similar to disease outbreaks, insect infestations, bad weather, and weeds.
Therefore, you need to get rid of any of these external stressors like diseases and insects, and protect your lawn against weeds naturally, by making sure your soil is healthy and can’t be hospitable for weeds.
Additionally, use a broad-range herbicide to kill weeds that have infested the area where the new sod is set to be installed. Products containing glyphosate are also more than welcome as they’re effective on those weeds as well.
Tips for New Sod Care
Maintaining your newly installed Sod is important, and here are top tips to achieve that:
1. Water it properly: too little and too much water can be a real problem for newly installed Sod, therefore water the new sod as requested by the manufacturer.
2. Mowing when required: this step will help the newly growing weeds from finding a hospitable environment near your Sod, therefore, you should maintain your regular mowing schedule.
3. Fertilize your Sod as requested by the manufacturer as well, as the Sod needs to stay healthy by receiving the proper nutrients in the perfect timing.
How Often Should You Sprinkle New Sod?
During the first two weeks, you’ll need to water the new Sod at least 2-3 times a day.
If your lawn is larger sized, you’ll need to keep on watering it for 15-20 minutes each time during the first two weeks.
Make sure your sprinkle works properly and doesn’t just create puddles around the lawn instead of distributing the water evenly.
When Should I Start Fertilizing My New Sod?
It depends on the Sod you’ve installed, but generally speaking, you should start fertilizing the new Sod by the time of installation.
Then, you should start feeding your lawn with fertilizers at 4-6 week intervals until you reach the summer.
Summary
Preventing weeds from growing in any lawn is a huge mission, but mastering How to Prevent Weeds From Growing in New Sod is more important since there’s a huge investment of money and time in installing new sod.
With this guide, you’ve mastered the skill on How to Prevent Weeds From Growing in New Sod, and had additional tips and helpful information on how to maintain it properly throughout different challenges.
Here’s real time problem-solving done in this video after encountering weed in newly growing Sod:
