Congratulations on your new St. Augustine lawn! Your new sod will look awesome once it takes hold and starts to grow. You must nurture it through the first six weeks to avoid ending up with a brown dead mess. Knowing how to water your new St. Augustine sod properly is vital. I’ve put together a sample watering schedule you can follow and some advice to keep your new St. Augustine sod in the best health possible in its early days.
How Often and How Much to Water New St. Augustine Sod (The Short Answer)
After installing your new sod, water the lawn, so it penetrates 3-4 inches into the soil. For the next 9 days, water the sod once in the morning and then again in the afternoon. Between days 11-15, watering can be reduced to once a day, preferably in the morning, still making sure the water penetrates 3-4 inches. During days 16-30, the sod will require one inch of water once per week. Additional water may be needed for dry spots and lawn edges throughout this period. Rainwater needs to be compensated for so that you don’t overwater.
Watering Schedule for New St. Augustine Sod (General Guideline)
Hopefully, your contractor gave you some instructions on how often to water new St. Augustine sod. If he didn’t, don’t worry, I have all the information you’ll need. Here’s the watering schedule for your newly laid St. Augustine sod and one very special job you need to do.
Get Yourself a Watering Permit for New Sod
These days water is in short supply across many states. This means that cities have a watchful eye on your water consumption, especially when it comes to watering your yard.
Restrictions have always been in place across the country for irrigation, dictating which days and hours we are allowed to water. In many locations, these restrictions are in place when using city water, your well water, hand watering, or using an automated irrigation system.
So, what do you do? Well, if your contractor didn’t apply for a water permit when he got your sod permit, you’ll need to apply for one. Usually, these permits cost just a few bucks and are granted the same day. They allow you to water every day for the first 30 days and then every other day for the next 30 days.
So, get in contact with the city and see what they offer. You’ll get a citation for each violation if you don’t get a permit.
Day 1 of Watering New St. Augustine Sod
On to the watering. As soon as your new St. Augustine sod has been laid, it will need to be watered thoroughly. This means you’ll have to make sure that the water gets at least 3-4 inches down into the existing soil. When watering your sod for the first time, make sure that you get all of it because it’s going to need it.
Days 2 – 10 of Watering New St. Augustine Sod “Mornings”
On day two, you need to be up nice and early to give your new sod a good watering before the sun gets too high. You don’t want to water when the sun is high in the sky and beating heat down on the grass. Again, you need to make sure that the water passes through the sod and penetrates 3-4 inches into the soil.
When watering, pay special attention to the edge of the lawn and any gaps in the sod. These are the areas that dry out the quickest. It’s very common for these parts of the lawn to turn brown because they didn’t get enough water.
Day 2 – 10 of Watering New St. Augustine Sod “Afternoons”
So, until the tenth day, you want to water your new st. Augustine sod in the morning and afternoon. For your afternoon watering, make sure you follow the same procedure as the morning and keep checking those areas that could dry out.
Day 11 – 15 Watering New St. Augustine Sod
Finally, you can stop watering twice a day. Now you can move on to watering the lawn just in the morning before the sun gets too high. You want to make sure that the new lawn gets at least one inch of water.
Day 16 – 30 Watering New St. Augustine Sod
By now, your new sod should have rooted into the soil and is able to get its water from the ground. As a result, you should be fine watering one inch once a week. For a lot of people, this should be as easy as programming your watering timer or irrigation.
| Schedule for Watering New St. Augustine Sod | Watering Action |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | 3-4 inches down into soil |
| Day 2-10 Morning | 3-4 inches down into soil |
| Day 2-10 Afternoon | 3-4 inches down into soil |
| Day 11-15 | Morning watering of 1 inch |
| Day 16-30 | Morning watering of 1 inch, once a week |
Factors that May Affect How Often/How Much You Need to Water New St. Augustine Sod
Every new lawn is going to be different. There are several factors that can change how often and how much water you will need for your new St. Augustine lawn. Let’s take a look.
Different Soil Types
Soil type plays a large part when determining how often you should water new St. Augustine sod. Drainage varies in different soils. For example, sandy soil in places such as Galveston, Texas, drains much faster than the red clay of Birmingham, Alabama. Because of this, when applying my watering schedule for new St. Augustine sod, you need to be careful that you don’t over or underwater.
Angle of the Yard
You need to be extra careful if your yard is on a slope or your sod is on a bank. I recommend that you start your watering at the top of the hill so that it can run down the slope. You’ll find that if you start at the bottom of the hill and work your way to the top, you will more than likely end up overwatering the bottom of the hill.
The Weather
The weather can adjust your watering in two ways. The first factor is the rain. If you are watering during the rainy season, you need to compensate for the rainfall. You want to avoid overwatering during the rainy season, so keeping up with the weather forecast is key.
The second factor is the heat. If you are watering during the hot summer, there will be a lot of evaporation. This means that you need to keep an eye on the soil. Check how much water goes into the soil and how quickly it dries out.
Signs that You are Overwatering or Underwatering New St. Augustine Sod
Keep an eye out for any problems with the new sod when you are out watering or even just looking at it from the window. Here are some of the signs for overwatering and underwatering.
Signs of Overwatering New St. Augustine Sod
- Failure to Knit into the Soil
- Rotting Roots
- Soggy Soil or Sod
- Moisture Depth
- Standing Water
Signs of Underwatering New St Augustine Sod
- Failure to Knit into the Soil
- Roots Not Growing
- Soil is Dry
- Grass Drying Out
- Grass Turning Brown
Checking on Your New St. Augustine Sod
Like a lot of jobs in the yard, things can get complicated. Sod is no different. At first, I know you’ll probably check your new St. Augustine sod every five minutes, which is a good thing. So, instead of waiting for the signs of over or underwatering, here are a few things to check.
Roots Knitting
It will take a few days, but the sod should quickly start putting its roots down into the soil. Give the edge of the sod a gentle lift and see if it’s knitting into the soil below. If it is, then this is a sign that things are going in the right direction.
Edges Drying Out
As I said before, look out for the edges of the sod drying out. You don’t need to wait until they have dried out and started to cause a problem. You can catch it early by checking to see if they are getting dry or starting to brown. Having a constant eye on the matter might prevent future problems.
Check the Soil Moisture
You can check the soil’s moisture in several ways. You could pull back some dirt using a shovel, a small garden potting trowel, or even your hands. If you want to get a little more scientific, you can pick up a garden moisture meter at the Home Depot or Lowes for under $20.
Make Adjustments to Your Watering Schedule
My final advice is to make adjustments to your watering schedule as you see fit. If you think things are getting a bit dry, then give the lawn some extra water. If it’s looking soggy, then ease up a little.
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