How To Prep Soil For New Sod

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Tools and Materials Needed:

Removal tools for debris (e.g., shovel, rake)
Rough grading equipment (tractor-mounted blade/box or hand tools for small areas)
Tiller
Topsoil
Humus or fully decomposed organic matter
Heavy-duty rake or tractor-mounted box blade for finish grading
Lawn roller (one-third full of water)

Steps

Fairgreen Sod Farms is a testament to the vision of Cam Fairty and his family. What started as a small operation on a 350-acre farm has grown into one of Ontario’s premier sod suppliers, now cultivating sod on over 2,000 acres of land. Our story is deeply connected to the landscapes we help shape.

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Clear the site of all building materials (wood, cement, bricks, etc.) and any buried stumps, rocks, stones, or other debris larger than 4-5 cm (2-3 inches) in diameter.

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Rough grade the entire area to eliminate any drainage problems on the property. This includes sloping the grade away from building foundations, reducing or eliminating severe slopes, and filling low-lying areas. A tractor-mounted blade and/or box are typically used for rough grading, but for smaller areas, it can be done with hand tools. The rough grading process will likely uncover additional debris, which should be removed rather than buried.

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Initial tilling to a depth of at least 5 cm (2 inches) should be completed before adding any topsoil or soil amendments. This will help control most annual weeds, alleviate subsoil compaction, allow the topsoil to bond with the subsoil, and improve root penetration and water movement.

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Add topsoil to achieve a total depth of 10-15 cm (4-6 inches) after firming. The topsoil should be loamy sand, sandy loam, clay loam, loam, silt loam, sandy clay loam, or another soil type suitable for the area. To the extent possible, practical, affordable and available, incorporate humus (fully decomposed organic matter) into the topsoil.

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Finish grading the entire site, maintaining the rough grading contours and slopes, using a tractor-mounted box blade for large areas or a heavy-duty rake for smaller sites.

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This site is now ready for turfgrass sod. With this level of careful and thoughtful soil preparation, the resulting lawn will be beautiful, require less maintenance, and need smaller quantities of water and fertilizer. It will maintain a high degree of density and uniformity, and recover more rapidly from wear. Your investment in soil preparation will yield a high return for years.

Benefits of Proper and Complete Soil Preparation

Improved Uniformity
Increased Density
Faster Recovery From Wear
Reduced Use of Water & Fertilizer
Reduced Maintenance

Soil Preparation for Sod Installation FAQs

For optimum growth, turfgrass needs four key elements in the proper balance:

Sunlight
Air
Water
Nutrients

If any of these are reduced or provided in excess, the grass may die or suffer. In the right proportions, however, the grass will thrive, enhancing the landscape, providing a clean and safe place to play, and offering numerous environmental benefits.

Grass obtains three essential factors (air, water, and nutrients) from the soil, but many soils are not ideal for growing grass. Some soils contain too much clay and may be highly compacted—great for roads, but bad for grass because air and water can’t reach the roots, which then struggle to grow.

Other soils may have too much sand. While beautiful on a beach, sandy soils make it difficult for grass to thrive because water and nutrients won’t stay in the root zone long enough for the plant to absorb.

Another common issue with many soils is that their pH (the level of acidity or alkalinity) may be too high or too low for optimal grass growth.

Practically without exception, most soils can and should be improved to achieve maximum results. The knowledge of what’s necessary, the availability and cost of materials, and the immediate investment of time and money are the factors that typically deter people from improving their soil. While some may not fully understand the importance of good soil for grass, many also believe they can save time and money by ignoring the need to improve their lawn’s soil.

The fact is, failing to improve the soil before planting only leads to much greater and ongoing investments of time and money, which will never yield as much value as properly preparing the soil before planting grass.

The beauty is in the blades, but the ‘action’ is in the roots” is a valuable adage to remember when growing grass. The importance of proper site preparation and soil improvement before planting lies in making it easier for grass roots to penetrate deeply and evenly. Deep roots make the lawn more drought-resistant, efficient in water and nutrient usage, and denser as new grass shoots emerge. A dense lawn crowds out weeds and is better able to resist insects and disease.