Question
Hello,

I am trying to lay sod in my backyard this week. But the cold snuck up on me! The high temperature in my area will be in the 50s and low 60s for the next couple weeks and the lows in the high 30s and 40s. Will the sod still take when it is this cold? Do you have any suggestions for things I can do to help it take with the colder temperatures?

Thanks,

Tim
Atlanta, GA

Answer
If you are trying to establish warm season sod, such as bermuda, st. augustine, bahia or centipede sod then i would wait until next spring as the soil temperatures are not favorable. If you are trying to establish cool season sod, like kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue, then you still have time.

Ensure good soil/seed contact by walking on the sod at time of planting, or rolling it. Water regularily to ensure that the soil under the sod is damp at all times, but not staturated/soaked and never dry. It takes a bit of adjustment (lift a corner of the sod - a different one everytime - to check the soil moisture from time to time. If it is dry, water. If it is damp, do not water).

Cool season sod will take a few more weeks to root properly in cold soil. Warm season sod is too late to establish now in Atlanta.