Question
I just bought a new home, and need to put in a new lawn. i live in northeast Ohio and heard that this is not a great time to plant. Would sod be able to take. I have a dog that is bringing in mud into house.  Thank You

Answer
You should be ok laying sod this time of the year in Ohio. I grew up in New Jersey and layed sod several times in the months of Oct-Dec. Although grass appears to stop growing in the fall, the roots are actually growing deeper to prepare for winter. Now is the best time to fertilize and reseed your lawn. Feeding the lawn early in autumn will give the roots a boost before winter arrives. A second feeding in late October will keep it winterized and strong through the freezing weather. These feedings you won't have to worry about this year but be sure to stay on top of them in the up coming years.
If you have an exsisting lawn with some bare patches, early autumn is a perfect time to sod or reseed. Adding sod gives you an instantly perfect lawn that will be a pleasure when the warm weather returns. To firmly establish new sod, keep it moist for the first week after it is laid. After the first week, it can be watered as needed. Avoid having sod laid in hot, dry weather, as it will be hard for the roots to establish. Good luck and have fun! If you have any other questions feel free to email me at anytime.   Bill
P.S.
Be sure that the sod contains varieties of grass that are indigenous to your region. The sod should not look dry and should be sitting on a pallet no longer than two days. It should not be warm to the touch. You can eliminate a lot of uncertainty by buying sod from a reputable grower.