Sod is a great option for establishing a new lawn from scratch in Texas because it provides you with a beautiful-looking lawn on the same day that is installed. However, while it will look great, it will need some time to establish itself before you can treat it like a normal lawn. When it comes to mowing your sod for the first time, you'll need to wait at least two weeks and make sure the roots are established in the soil. You'll also need to make sure you don't water your sod the day before you mow so that it has a chance to firm up, and you'll want to set your mower to its highest setting so you don't stress out your new grass.

1. Check if Your Sod is Ready for Mowing

Sod installed for client's lawn in Austin, TX.

Sod is a quick solution to establishing a new lawn from scratch. While your sod will look great on day one after it was installed, it's still going to be very fragile and can't be treated like a normal lawn just yet. When it comes to mowing your lawn for the first time, you'll want to make sure that you wait at least 2 weeks after it was installed. This gives the sod time to grow roots into the ground and establish itself. To test if the roots have been established, you can gently tug up on the sod. If it lifts right up, you will have to wait longer for its roots to establish. However, if the sod doesn't lift, then the roots have been established and you can mow it for the first time.

Make sure your lawn mower blades are sharp because dull blades can rip and tear the grass, which can stress out and damage your new sod!

2. Don't water your sod the day before you mow it.

Water down sod in client's lawn in Bee Cave, TX.

Once you have concluded that your sod is rooted and you want to mow, be sure not to water it the day before. That's because you'll want to give the soil a chance to firm up, as it will be soft from the excessive amount of water that it will have received during the first two weeks after it was installed. Firming it up before the first mow will prepare it for the pressure of the mower. If you were to mow on wet sod, you would risk pulling out the roots and causing serious damage to it!

3. Set Your Mower to the Highest Setting

Mower height set for new sod's first mow in Lakeway, TX.

It's important to not stress out the grass, especially when the sod is still weak. When mowing your sod for the first time, set your lawn mower to the highest setting so that you don't cut off too much at one time and cause too much stress to your sod while it's still in a fragile state. To ensure you don't stress out your sod, you should follow the 1/3 rule, which states that you should never cut more than 1/3 off the top of your grass blades during a single mow. If you follow this rule, you'll be able to mow your lawn without stressing it out.

Give us a call today to schedule our sod installation or lawn mowing service.

If you're looking for a quick way to get a beautiful new lawn from scratch, it's time to sign up for our sod installation service! Not only can we install sod on your lawn, but we'll teach you how to care for it too, including when to mow it for the first time. We offer our sod installation service and lawn mowing service to residential property owners in Austin, TX and surrounding areas including Bee Cave and Dripping Springs. Give us a call at (512) 786-1694 to schedule this service today!