Once your lawn is established, it is easy to keep it beautiful indefinitely. The three essential steps to achieve a beautiful healthy lawn, they are water, mow and fertilize, by following these steps you can have a beautiful, healthy lawn with minimal effort. A thriving healthy lawn will keep weeds out, eliminate disease, and have a beautiful lush appearance.

Mow the sod as if it were established grass in 2 1/2 to 3 weeks; just don't cut it too short. Grass that is maintained a little to the tall side (3 inches or so in summer) grows deeper roots and will be less prone to disease problems.

Dakotah Services suggests watering newly laid sod regularly, as often as two, three some times four times daily if it's really hot or windy ( South Dakota weather that is ). As it roots down into the soil, gradually reduce the frequency of watering but begin to water more heavily. Eventually you'll be able to water thoroughly once a week, maybe twice on sandy soil.

Immediately after installation, water your lawn generously, giving a half-inch to an inch of water. Make sure the sod stays constantly moist for the next two weeks, being especially careful if the weather is hot. Measure the amount of water you are applying to your lawn.  Knowing that 600 gallons of water per 1000 sq.ft. equals one inch of water will help you calculate the timer settings your lawn will require. Although it is okay to spend time on the lawn if you have to, it is better to try and keep activity to a minimum for the first ten or fourteen days, while the sod is taking root and the strips are growing together.

A blue-gray area is a sign of water stress. Place like-size containers in that area and another in a green area. Water for 15 minutes, then measure both containers. If the dry area is not getting the same amount of water, adjust the sprinkler heads.

It is best to give the sod an opportunity to firmly establish before heavy usage. That will prevent indentations in the moist soil and allow the roots time to grow deep.

A home, business or sports field can be bare ground in the morning, and covered in mature turf within hours with sod. The finished look achieved with sod adds prestige while it helps protect the environment from erosion, children from cuts and scrapes, and carpets from mud.

Within just a few hours, sod transforms a yard from bare soil to a living carpet of grass,

with mature density and a solid root system, while lawns started with seed, sprigs or plugs

take from 2 to 3 years of constant effort and are frequently frustrating.

And, sod performs like an investment. Landscaping with sod instantly increases the market value of the property.

Þ Did you know that 2,500 square feet of lawn releases enough oxygen for a family of four to breath?

According to the U.S. Congress: “sod in urban areas and communities can aid in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, mitigating the heat island effect, reducing energy consumption and contributing to efforts to reduce global warming trends.”

Sod creates a soft, clean and safe playing surface for children and ballgames alike. It reduces heat, glare, noise and odors. But most importantly, it cleans the air and helps recharge our groundwater supplies. Sod is one of nature’s finest, least expensive filters, working to improve the environment.

Because sod is fully mature the day it’s delivered, it can immediately control erosion even on steeply sloped areas, as it sinks down roots very rapidly. It can also be successfully installed over a very long season. Sod works when and where seed, sprigs or plugs would fail.