When you lay your sod, you are a step closer to having a beautiful lawn around your home or project. What if the weather forecast predicts rain?
Laying sod in the rain can be tricky and you could risk losing your perfectly good Raleigh St. Augustine sod grass. Light rain could be manageable but heavier rains could create serious problems that can be difficult to overcome. Your Tifway Bermuda 419 turf grass might not take root or you could face difficulties when laying the turf in the middle of muddy terrain.
Before ordering your sod, check the weather and verify that the temperatures and weather will be favorable for such a gardening activity. Prepare the soil well so that the sod lays impeccably on the soil and roots start growing and attaching to the ground.
Soil Surface Is Muddy
You have cleared, prepared, and tilled the soil to lay your new sod. That means the soil is nice, soft, and crumbly.
If it rains, this area will turn into a muddy pit. You may find it difficult to step in and around this mud and the soil surface will be water-clogged.
You Could Leave Foot Depressions on the Surface
Once you start walking in the mud, your footsteps will create small depressions on the soil that will compact under your weight. Suddenly, your level field will not be quite so level anymore.
If you start laying your sod under these circumstances, air pockets will form where the depressions are. As a result, your sod’s roots will be hanging in the air instead of being in direct contact with the soil. They will slowly dry out and die and your sod will turn yellow under these air pockets.
Sod Could Slide and Slip
Mud is slippery. Once you start laying your sod in the mud, the turf will not be sitting on firm ground but on slippery mud. You will find it complicated to position the sod pallets or rolls, as they will inevitably start sliding and slipping around.
Some parts of the sod may overlap, which means that they may fail to grow roots and die as a result. Other parts may have gaps between them and leave voids between sod rolls, which can be unsightly.
It Is Difficult to Carry Equipment in Mud
Have you ever hauled equipment, wheelbarrows, shovels, and other gardening tools in the mud?
Because your area will be soft, the soil will be equally soft and you will be sinking into mud when you try to carry all your sod installation tools.
Moving from one part of your yard to another could prove frustrating and very complicated.
When Can I Cancel My Sod Delivery?
Sod farms harvest the sod at the very last moment, just before they are ready to haul it on the truck, ready for delivery.
If the weather forecast predicts rain and you have a couple of days ahead of you, consider calling your sod farmers to postpone the delivery ahead of harvesting. If they have already harvested the sod, they will have to deliver it to you, which means you either have to install it right away no matter the weather, or keep your sod on a pallet until you can install it—ideally, for under 24 hours and in the shade.
Remember that your rolled or packed sod should not be watered: too much water and heat will cause your sod to rot on the spot. If possible, unload your pallets or rolls, keep them moist but not packed together, and install your sod as soon as possible.
Twinwood Farms for Your Sod
As sod professionals, we suggest you don’t install your sod if it’s raining hard. A light drizzle is workable but heavy rain could ruin all your previous work and your newly-purchased sod.
Since we are sod farmers, we know the perfect time to lay your sod. Contact Twinwood Farms online or call us now at 346-707-6023 and let us answer all your questions regarding sod and how to install it!
