# What's the Straight Dope on laying turf? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373 "2004-09-27T22:54:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/1 "2004-09-27T22:54:08Z")
We’re laying turf this weekend in our front and back yards. We’ve put down a couple of inches of topsoil and it’s fairly level, although we’re going to level it out more. What is the best way to go about this project for the best results? Do we roll the ground, or leave it loose (we’ve been given advice both ways)? Do we need to put anything on the top soil to help fertilize or ‘nurture’ the turf? Help?!?! Thanks, S. ---
**Author:** ![Toddly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@Toddly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toddly)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/2 "2004-09-27T23:26:43Z")
When we did ours years ago we first killed all the weeds. Then we applied a fertilizer for new grass, laid it and **rolled** it down. Kept it good a watered for the first month and it still looks good. That seems to be the normal installation method in this area. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/3 "2004-09-27T23:31:06Z")
Green side up. Trust me, it’s how the pros do it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/4 "2004-09-28T00:04:32Z")
Bring a friend if she has a sister. Trust me. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/5 "2004-09-28T00:06:28Z")
> [@gatopescado](#): > > Bring a friend if she has a sister. Trust me. Surf? ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/6 "2004-09-28T00:39:31Z")
Get the topsoil as level as possible, and make sure it’s loose and not compacted. Place the sod on the topsoil and use sod staples to anchor it into the ground. As you roll out the next strip, but it up against the last one as closely as you can, and keep it in place with the staples. If you’re doing a slope, work from the bottom up, laying the sod horizontally. Once it’s all installed and anchored, roll it. You can probably rent a sod roller from a local nursery or garden supply store - it’s just a big steel drum with a plug in it. You fill the drum with water for weight and then roll it over all the sod you’ve just put down. When you’re done, you can let the water out on your brand new lawn. Make sure you keep it well watered for the next few weeks, or you’ll be doing it again next fall. If you want to use fertilizer, make sure you get something appropriate for the type of grass you’re laying - ask the folks you bought the sod from if you’re unsure. And **TheLoadedDog** was right - green side up! Mark (former landscaper) ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/7 "2004-09-28T17:36:17Z")
Thanks\*\* Enginerd\*\* and \*\*Toddly \*\* … YOUR posts were very helpful! 🙂 Sounds like hard work … but I guess we can just keep telling ourselves it’ll be worth it … S. ---
**Author:** ![Tiggrkitty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tiggrkitty/32/17966_2.png) [@Tiggrkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiggrkitty)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/8 "2004-09-28T17:43:18Z")
Okay I have to ask this because I was thinking about resodding our yard. Isn’t it a bit late in the season to be putting grass down? My fear is that the grass would not have a long enough period to establish itself before winter hit. _I know nothing about grass_ ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/9 "2004-09-28T17:46:08Z")
As mentioned, make sure your fertilizer is formulated for **new** sod and/or seed. I’d imagine more emphasis is placed on root development than greening. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/10 "2004-09-28T17:58:07Z")
… oh. So it’s not a euphemism? Wear sunblock. Which actually works if it _is_ an euphemism, and you’ve whooshed everybody but me. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/11 "2004-09-28T17:58:21Z")
[“Whereas timing is critical in seeding a lawn, a sod lawn can be installed at almost any time of the year as long as weather permits and water is available. Ideal times to install sod are in late summer, early fall, and early spring for cool-season grasses; late spring and early summer for warm- season grasses.”](http://www.lawncare.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/basics.detail/basicsId/103658/catId/23587) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/12 "2004-09-28T20:58:31Z")
> [@Stainz](#): > > Thanks\*\* Enginerd\*\* and \*\*Toddly \*\* … YOUR posts were very helpful! 🙂 You probably would have gotten more comments if you’d asked about laying pipe. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-laying-turf/266373/13 "2004-09-28T21:26:33Z")
Hey, I’ve done that for a living too!