Sod is an important tool for making sure that your grass or other plants are appropriately protected and are able to receive the nutrients that they need to grow strong. However, you cannot simply buy a load of sod and throw it on the ground. Here are some tips for installing sod so that it is as efficient as possible.

1. Order Sod By Square Units

Do not just order free-form sod. This will make it difficult to cover everything evenly. Instead, order from a company that sells sod by the square foot or square meter. To figure out the square units of your sod, you are going to need to measure the length and width of the area that you want to cover with sod. Multiply those numbers together and you get the square units of sod that you need. If you don't have a garden that is a neat rectangle and is instead an irregular shape, get the approximate length and width. Multiply those numbers together. Then, multiply the square units you get by anywhere between 5% and 7%. Add that number to the square units of sod that you need. This will allow you to get some extra sod and account for any irregularities.

2. Start Laying in a Straight Line

Find a straight line that you can follow to start laying the sod. This can either be the side of a building or the side of the driveway or sidewalk. You want to start on a straight line in order to line your sod up correctly. If you do not have a straight line, simply lay a meter stick down so that it is perpendicular with the building nearest to the sod, and lay the sod in line with the meter stick. Make sure that you lay your sod so that there are no gaps.

3. Use a Knife to Cut the Sod

If you need to cut the sod in order to get it to fit around a tree or to end at the correct location, take a sharp knife and slowly cut through the sod. Use small cutting motions in order to make sure that you get a straight line.

4. Soak the Sod

Finally, make sure that you start watering your laid sod as soon as possible. Try to soak the sod so that you make sure that it has enough water to set correctly. If you are laying a large area of sod, have someone else start watering the sod that you have already laid and simply follow you with the hose.

For more information, talk to a company that specializes in sod installation, or read more online.