Steps to a Healthy Lawn

Step 1

Pre-Project Planning


Ensuring you have chosen the right grass for your lawn is the first step to a healthy lawn.


-Is your area to be grassed in the sun or shade?

  • Certain grasses grow better/worse in sun or shade.


-Do you have irrigation?

  • Some grasses like water and others are more drought resistant such as Bahia or Centipede. 


-Are you going to maintain your yard or hire someone?

  • Each grass requires some level of care besides mowing such as proper watering & fertilization.

Step 2

Removal/Preparation


Make sure soil is prepped which includes:

  • Removing all debris, old roots, sticks, rocks, etc.
  • Add topsoil or organic fertilizer for proper nutrition.
  • Level with a rake
  • Dampen the prepped soil prior to laying sod.

Step 3

Sod Installation Day


The day the sod is laid, hand water, saturating your new sod until it is soaked. When getting sand based pallets, pieces tent to shrink a little, causing gaps. This is ok! continue to water accordingly.

Step 4

Post Installation


For the first two to three weeks, water every day for 30-45 minutes in the morning around 7am, and then again in the afternoon around 2:00 p.m. for 30-45 minutes.


Continue watering daily until the initial mowing. two weeks, drop the irrigation cycle to normal watering schedule to.

Watering schedule for newly planted shrubs, trees, and sod

Week 1

  • Material should be watered 2x per day for no less than  25 minutes for shrubs and trees.
  • Sod shoud be watered no less that 2x per day for no less than 30-45 minutes.

Week 2

  • Material should be watered 1x per day for no less than 25 mintues for shrubs and trees.
  • Sod should be watered no less than 2x per day for no less than 30-45 minutes.

Week 3

  • Material should be watered 1x per day for no less than 25 mintues for shrubs and trees.
  • Sod should be watered no less than 1x per day for no less than 30-45 minutes.

Week 4

  • Material should be watered 4-5 times per week for no less than 25 mintues for shrubs and trees.
  • Sod should be watered no less than 1x per day for no less than 30-45 minutes.

Week 5

  • Material should be watered 4-5 times per week for no less than 25 mintues for shrubs and trees.
  • Sod should be watered no less than 4-5 times per week for no less than 30-45 minutes.

After Week 5

  • Continue to water as needed as material should be rooted at this time.
  • Should the material look in distress, continue week 5 watering schedule until no longer in distress. 

 *** Please note that at any time during the first 30 days that your newly installed material should look as if it is distress, please call a DCN representative immediately. A watering consultation will be set up within 48 hours. ***