# Got bermuda sod installed, help please?!



## OND_longhorn (Oct 9, 2020)

Hi everyone,

We just bought a house a couple months ago and I've had no luck with the front yard:

- grass wouldnt grow well
- lots of weeds
- low areas/standing water
- some areas were st augustine (I think), which was spreading into bermuda, giving it a bad mixed look

A little snapshot of before:



So I decided to get new sod installed instead of waiting for next spring (I'm a millenial with a thing for instant gratification, it was a pain to wait for some areas I seeded in the backyard to grow) . However, on the day of the install, the crew was severely understaffed (apparently some contractors didnt show up etc) and I feel like they just rushed through the whole thing without much attention to detail. Could you take a look at the pics below and let me know what you think? I want to get as much of the issues fixed as possible before taking things into my own hands.

- Should there be large cuts around sprinkler heads, or are cuts thru the sod with box knives enough? (which was what they did in some spots) Also, would you expect nice rounded cuts around the garden bed and trees or is that something I should take care of once the sod is settled?



- One sprinkler I had to help myself pop up:



- One destroyed sprinkler head to be changed:



- These sod pieces are just sitting 50% on soil and 50% on concrete, this shouldnt be the case, right?



- Pics of the overall state of the yard:





Also, about new sod care:

- I have watered 3x since the sod was installed yesterday. However, the way the sprinklers are zoned, I am also dumping a lot of water in the backyard to get the new sod watered. I was thinking of temporarily adjusting backyard nozzles to decrease the flow. Would that make sense? Or not needed? Should I maybe manually water front yard with a hose for better coverage (you know, builder spec sprinkler system)?

- I'm not sure when to fertilize. I want to leave the yard alone and not step on it so the roots to grow well. Also not sure if fertilizer is needed with cooling weather and less growth. If needed, what would be a good starter fertilizer?

- I contacted multiple landscapers and told them I wanted top 2-3" of the soil replaced with topsoil/compost mix and everybody treated me like I was crazy. In this install, they just used 4 yards topsoil and 3 yards compost for ~1500sqft, which just gives maybe an inch of coverage over existing clay soil. Is this OK, or should I expect headaches in the future?

Thanks a lot, and yes, I'll ask these questions before making a huge decision next time.


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## Kicker (Apr 5, 2018)

looks like they actually laid it correctly with the seems offset (brick pattern). They could've taken a little more care around the sprinkler heads maybe but overall it looks fine.

You've got some work cut out for you in the upcoming years to get it smoothed out(ie: sand leveling). Since its sod and it later in the season i'd only water it once a day (if its hot) and maybe once every 2 or 3 days if the nightly lows are 60 or below.

I'm no expert though, just some guy on the internet with a mediocre lawn. Take my advice with a grain of salt..

At the end of the day it's just grass on top of dirt.


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## revitup (Sep 19, 2020)

That looks pretty bad actually. I would roll it to at least flatten it a little and make sure there is good contact with the underlying soil. Here's what our centipede sodded lawn looked like the day after install:


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## Jwsjr (May 16, 2018)

revitup said:


> That looks pretty bad actually. I would roll it to at least flatten it a little and make sure there is good contact with the underlying soil. Here's what our centipede sodded lawn looked like the day after install:


I agree. Doesn't look like they spent enough time doing it right. I would not have been happy with that. It'll take a little work but it'll be fine.


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## CarolinaCuttin (Sep 6, 2019)

I work with acres and acres of bermuda sod throughout the year, ideally there would have been some pre-plant applied once the surface was fully prepared. We use an organic 5-4-5, it will be slow release and won't burn the new roots as they start to tack down. Since the sod is already down, I would get some 10-10-10 because it's cheap and easy to get (for me anyway) and spread it at 5 pounds of product per 1000 on top of the sod.

You will probably need to water once daily for the first week, then go to every other day for a week and then as needed. Watering should be deep enough to soak the soil beneath the sod, lift up a corner of sod in 2 or 3 spots and check that the soil underneath is very wet. Maintain the sod at 1-1.5 inches, no going low until next year, you just want to get everything rooted and survive the winter. I imagine in Houston that won't be much of an issue. I visit family there for Christmas every year and I don't think I've ever seen a frost during that time.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

I don't think it looks that bad. You would have to reshape your beds anyway once it settles in. +1 on everything @CarolinaCuttin stated above... especially the 10-10-10. In many places you don't want to be fertilizing this late in the season but in Houston it's what your new sod will need. I get my 10-10-10 from Lowes for a great price. I think Home Depot has a similar 13-13-13. Get whatever 1-1-1 ratio is available in your area and put it down at the .5lb N/1000sf rate like mentioned above.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Welcome to TLF!!!

I think @CarolinaCuttin gave pretty good advice for the new sod as there isn't much you can do at this point until next Spring when it starts to green back up again. Just get a plan together for next year and what your expectations are for the lawn.

Did they roll the lawn at all after they installed it with a drum roller or anything?


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## mwemaxxowner (May 30, 2020)

Fixing the shoddy cuts is easy. I used to lay sod and would usually do it with a utility knife, sometimes I used a machete. The small details make a big difference in the overall quality of the job.

Where it laps onto the concrete, if I had to guess somebody forgot to come back and trim it. I used to lap it up like that then feel where the concrete is under and make my cut.

As the homeowner you shouldn't have to, but if it was me I'd consider it easier to just fix it myself vs calling someone in.

We always cut the holes for the sprinkler heads in just barely larger than the head. We would always turn the system on and make sure they all popped up properly and make sure we didn't cover any up before we left.


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## StormTrooper86 (Feb 3, 2019)

Just water heavy to get the roots established and rent a lawn roller to help level and "smush" the pieces together at the seams. Next year you can level with sand.


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## OND_longhorn (Oct 9, 2020)

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

The sod was rolled in 2 directions perpendicular to eachother, so I think that part is OK. The bumpy look is probably because of imperfect leveling and different thickness sod pieces.

So you guys dont think I need a specialty starter fertilizer or something like that? That makes things much simpler, I'll get some 10-10-10 and apply in a couple of weeks.

About the sprinkler heads that weren't raised before sod install, would you ask them to correct that (as it was an item stated in their estimate) or should I first let the sod settle and handle that issue later on? I'm afraid them coming in and doing a bunch of work for sprinkler heads will just end up hurting the new sod.

On the good side, I already see little roots growing into the soil when I lift some corners, so that's something


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## Kicker (Apr 5, 2018)

OND_longhorn said:


> Thanks for the feedback everyone.
> 
> The sod was rolled in 2 directions perpendicular to eachother, so I think that part is OK. The bumpy look is probably because of imperfect leveling and different thickness sod pieces.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't wait a few weeks to put down the 10-10-10. You need to get those nutrients into the soil/roots now so the grass has time to uptake those nutrients before it goes dormant.


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## mwemaxxowner (May 30, 2020)

I misunderstood about the sprinkler heads. If they need to be raised up flush with the surface I would definitely call them back for that.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

I'd get a roller and roll it out some more after watering it.

I would also be very weary now of those trees in that small yard. Your bermuda will be gone in a few years and will be fighting the roots of those two trees so close together.


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## OND_longhorn (Oct 9, 2020)

Hi all,

I received a visit from the company owner today To go over the work performed.

He raised 3 sprinkler heads, replaced one that was leaking (this might not even be their fault not sure), moved one sprinkler head for better coverage and fixed one sprinkler head that was tilted.

Also mentioned he doesnt like how the grass is rolled so he'll be back tomorrow morning to roll it again.

So some faith in humanity restored for sure.

And ill keep the tree comment in mind. They already look a little weak and unhealthy but i know nothing about trees so will leave them alone for now.


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## OND_longhorn (Oct 9, 2020)

Thanks again everyone for your help! After today's rolling work, I think it looks OK now:







So one more question for y'all, what do you think is happening on these sod pieces? These are right after heavy watering and rolling, they dont look dark when dry, but somehow this reminds me of some fungus problems I was having before.


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## MrMeaner (Feb 21, 2017)

Need to water less but more often for the first weeks on new sod.....ex...3-4 times for 5-15 minutes per station per day. Second week cut it down to 2-3 times per day 5-15mins. Third week 1-2 times per day.. should be established and can cut down to once per day and be able to mow the taller grass at this point. 5 weeks in it should be well rooted and can cut back to 1-2x per week but for longer irrigation times and continue to mow as needed.

It would be a good idea to do a irrigation audit using the tuna can method and see how much water the irrigation system puts out over a specified time. Typically in the spring and fall you can get by with 3/4" of water per week...in the summer you will need to bump it up to 1"-1.5" water per week depending on how hot and windy it is.


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