Prior to mowing your new sod for the first time after its installation, you'll want to become familiar with crucial guidelines. Following the installation of your sod in Arizona, you should wait about two weeks to mow so it has enough time to firmly root into the soil. Only proceed with mowing once the roots have sufficiently established themselves. However, remember to adjust your mower deck to a higher setting than usual to prevent undue stress on the sod, as it's still weak at this time. Additionally, refrain from watering the sod the day before mowing to allow it to firm up, enhancing its ability to withstand the mower's weight and minimizing potential damage.

You want to wait to mow until about two weeks after installing new sod.

Recently installed sod in a backyard in Phoenix, AZ, near a retaining wall.

To prevent damage, it's essential to wait until your new sod has established its roots before you mow for the first time. After new sod is installed, it will work on establishing roots in the soil for about two weeks and is still weak throughout this process. Any additional stress at this time will hinder its progress. After the two weeks have passed, you can check whether it's ready for mowing. To do this, gently tug up on it. If the sod doesn't lift, then that is a good indicator that its roots are established enough for it to handle mowing.

Once your sod is established, you should mow your lawn on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to keep it well-maintained and at an ideal height.

Set your mower deck higher than usual when mowing new sod for the first time.

Newly established sod in a backyard in Phoenix, AZ.

Although new sod will have established its roots after two weeks, it's still fragile for quite some time. So, you want to avoid placing it under any additional stress. For the first mow, you want to cut higher than usual, which helps avoid stressing out the sod. Longer, thicker turf is durable and can withstand various stressors better, which is crucial in the early stages. As time goes by, you can gradually adjust the mower deck height to cut the turf shorter.

After the initial mowing of new sod, the ideal cutting height for grasses in Arizona is 3 inches.

Don't water your new sod the day before you plan to mow for the first time.

While watering your new sod is crucial for helping it establish roots, you want to refrain from doing so the day before you plan to mow it for the first time. This allows the soil to firm up so the sod can hold the weight of the mower. If the sod is too soft and moist, the mower can sink into and damage it by pulling up the roots and creating ruts. It also ensures the grass blades are standing upright for a clean cut.

Contact us to schedule our sod installation or lawn mowing service.

Whether you want to install new sod or leave mowing it to professionals, don't hesitate to give us a call at Divine Design Landscaping. We're skilled at providing a meticulous sod installation so that you can boast a new lawn with beautiful, green grass in no time! Meanwhile, when you sign up for our lawn mowing service, we will visit your property either weekly or bi-weekly, based on your lawn's specific needs, to keep it at an ideal height during the growing season. We offer our sod installation and lawn mowing services to commercial and residential properties in Phoenix, AZ, and other surrounding areas, including Laveen, Scottsdale, and Windsong. Reach out to us today at (602) 769-4564 to sign up for them!