After your sod has been layed you should not walk on if for about two weeks. If you must, walk on it after it has dried and try to take a different path each time. New sod needs to be soaked often and walking on it while it is wet will create a lot of depressions in the sod as well as leave gaps in the seams.
Water frequently:
New sod should not be allowed to dry out, so please make sure you water your sod at least once a day, preferably in the early morning. The duration of watering time varies with the day time temperature but we recommend you soak the sod thoroughly and make sure the edges are not missed. If your sod is soaked then it is wet enough. After a few weeks you can start to reduce the watering times.
Fertilizing your new lawn:
Fertilizer formulas look like this 16-10-10 the first number refers to nitrogen. Nitrogen makes the grass blades green and grow tall. The second number is phosphate, phosphate make the roots grow deep and stong. The thrid number is potash, potash makes the grass spread out. If you remember the saying Up, down and all around it will help you remember the different effect of each nutrient. We recommend a hihg nitrogen of 16 or more a low phosphorous of 6 or less and a failry high potash of 10 or so. We also encourage our customers to use a slow release fertilizer so the nitrogen will not burn the lawn. Fertilize in spring and again in Fall. Do not fertilize during summer or within 2 months of having new sod layed. Okotoks Landscaping only installs sod that has been fertilized well on the field so you do not need to worry about fertilzing until at least two months after installation.
Mowing and trimming:
Most home owners cut their lawns too frequently. It is best to allow your lawn to grow long and cut it less often. This allows your lawn to take in more sunlight at a time and that helps build stronger roots wcih will help your sod winter better. Raise up your mower so you are not scalping your lawn in any areas, this can cause long term damage and makes it hard for your lawn to recover.
