Sod is a carpet of grass you unroll to create an instant lawn. You can lay sod in any month when the ground isn’t frozen. To purchase it, look under “Sod” in your Yellow Pages.
Order enough sod to cover your lawn, plus about 10 percent extra to allow for fitting. Sod deteriorates quickly if it sits around, so arrange to pick it up or have it delivered on the day you intend to lay it. Also plan to have help–sod rolls are heavy.

Step by Step: Laying Sod
1. Prepare the soil. If it is sticky wet, let it dry out.
2. Lay the first strip along a straight edge, such as a sidewalk. If your lawn shape is irregular, mark a line down the middle and lay sod along it.
3. Unroll the next strip tightly against the first, staggering the ends of each strip as if you were laying bricks. Place the edges tightly together, but don’t overlap them.
4. Use a turf edger or a heavy knife to cut sod to fit around curved edges or trees.
5. After laying all the sod, roll it with a half-filled roller to firmly connect its roots with the soil.
6. Water until moisture has penetrated the top 6 to 8 inches of soil. (Dig a narrow hole to test.) Water heavily for one to two weeks, then keep the soil lightly damp for a few weeks more.
7. Keep heavy traffic off of the lawn for the first five to six weeks, while the roots become established.

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