Sod Installation Questions

Spring and early fall are the easiest times, because the weather is cooler and rain helps with watering. Sod can also go down in summer as long as it gets enough water, though a hot spell means more work with the hose. The real limit is frozen ground, so the season in southern Ontario generally runs from spring until the soil starts to freeze. If you want a spring date, try to book early, since those weeks fill first.

While the soil can still be worked, sod can usually go down, and cool weather means less watering. The roots need a few weeks in unfrozen soil to begin taking hold. Lawns laid very late may not root fully until spring, which is fine as long as they stay off-limits until then. Keep watering until the ground freezes, because fall lawns can still dry out on a windy day.

Yes. Sod rolled out on hard, untreated ground has poor contact with the soil, and its roots struggle to get down. On Peel's clay, that usually means a lawn that dries out quickly and fails in patches. The surface needs to be cleared, loosened, levelled and, in many yards, improved with better soil. This step is easy to skip because nobody sees it once the sod is down, which is why it is worth asking about when you compare quotes.

We do not recommend it. Old grass and roots form a barrier under the new rolls and break down unevenly, leaving soft spots and a surface that shifts. New roots have to fight through that layer, too. Removing the old lawn takes more work, and it gives you a far better result. It also shows us what is underneath, so problems like compaction or a bad slope can be fixed.

Usually a loosened soil surface, levelled and raked smooth. Depending on the yard, that could also include added topsoil and grading. Some yards already have decent soil and need little more than loosening, while others have only a skim over hard clay. Each one is different, so we decide after we have seen what is already there, and any added material appears on your quote.

Seed costs less to buy, and sod costs more up front. But seed brings its own expenses in time, watering, weed control and re-seeding, and on clay it can take a long time to fill in. Heavy rain can wash it into the low corner of the yard, too. Sod gives you a complete lawn right away. If you need results this season, it is usually worth the extra cost.

New sod needs to stay moist until it roots, and that usually means daily watering at the start, for around two weeks, and more often in hot spells. Water long enough that the soil under the sod is damp, not just the grass. Peel back a corner to be sure. Then, as the roots take hold, water less often but more deeply, which pushes roots further down. We will give you a plan to follow.

Stay off it as much as you can for the first couple of weeks, apart from moving sprinklers. Foot traffic can shift the rolls and press them into soft, wet soil. Once the sod resists a gentle tug, it has started to root, and it is ready for its first mow. Keep the mower set high for that first cut, and make sure the ground is firm enough not to rut. Regular use can start soon after, and pets and kids can usually go back on once the lawn feels anchored.