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Everything homeowners in Toronto and the GTA ask us before booking a sod install, answered straight. If your question is not here, call 647-277-4774 and ask us directly.
Cost and Booking
How much does sod installation cost in Toronto?
Sod is priced per square foot. Across Toronto and the GTA it runs from $0.75 to $4.00 per square foot depending on the job, with typical residential lawn replacement landing between $1.70 and $3.50. See our sodding cost page for the full breakdown.
How long does a sod installation take?
Most residential front or back lawns are a single-visit job once the old grass is off. A 500 square foot lawn takes roughly two hours to lay, though prep takes longer than the sod itself. Large properties or heavy grading can run to a second day.
Do you remove the old lawn, or do I?
We do. Cutting out and disposing of the old grass, roots and thatch is part of the job. Laying new sod on top of an old lawn is the single most common reason a new lawn fails to root.
Do you charge for a quote?
No. Quotes are free and done on site, because access, slope and soil depth change the price and none of them can be judged over the phone. Book a visit and we will come out.
Timing and Season
When is the best time to lay sod in Ontario?
Anywhere from the spring thaw through to late fall, roughly April to early November. Spring and fall are easiest on new sod because the soil is warm and the air is not. Summer installs work fine, they just need more water.
When is the best time to install the sod?
Spring and fall are best, since those temperatures protect the sod from summer heat and speed up rooting. Summer installation is still fine, it simply demands more frequent watering through the first few weeks.
Can sod be laid in the middle of summer?
Yes. Heat is not the problem, drying out is. A midsummer install needs watering every day and often twice a day for the first two weeks. If you cannot commit to that, wait for early September.
After the Install
How soon can I walk on new sod?
Stay off it for the first two weeks apart from watering. Light foot traffic is fine after that. Give it three to four weeks before kids and pets are back on it properly, and check that a corner does not lift when you tug it.
How often should you water new sod?
New sod has to stay hydrated for its first month. Water as often as two to six times a day in the early weeks, keeping the soil underneath consistently damp rather than just wetting the blades.
Can I water new sod at night?
Water in the morning or afternoon instead. Watering at night leaves the blades and soil wet through the cool hours, which is the ideal environment for fungus and other unwanted growth.
When should you first mow newly installed sod?
The first mow is usually about 14 days after installation in the summer months. Wait until the sod has knitted down and does not lift when you tug a corner, then cut high and leave the blade sharp.
When should the sod be fertilized after the installation?
Fresh sod should be fertilized for the first time about one month after installation, to promote growth and proper rooting once the roots have started reaching into the soil below.
What type of fertilizer is best for newly laid sod?
A granular fertilizer with a 10-10-10 or similar balanced formula works well, applied so that no more than one pound of nitrogen goes onto every thousand square feet of lawn.
Should you fertilize your sod before or after watering?
Water the lawn thoroughly a day or two before you apply fertilizer. Feeding dry, stressed grass is how you burn it.
Should you leave grass clippings on new sod?
Yes. Leaving clippings on the lawn returns moisture and nutrients to the soil, and on a healthy lawn they will not cause excess thatch buildup.
How can you maintain new sod after installation?
Water at the right frequency and volume, keep the soil moist rather than soaked, stay off it for the first two weeks, wait about 14 days for the first mow, and fertilize at around the one month mark.
Sod Quality and DIY
How can you tell if the sod is good quality and fresh?
Look at the soil on the underside of the roll. The base should be moist and cool, and the grass a dark green. Thin, pale, dry or hot rolls have been sitting too long and will struggle to take.
Can I install sod myself? What should I do?
You can. Remove the old grass, cultivate and level the soil, keep the rolls in the shade until you lay them, unroll and match the edges, then water immediately and follow a real watering schedule. The prep is the hard part, not the laying.
How hard is it to install sod?
Unrolling and matching the strips is straightforward. Preparing the ground underneath is the difficult and physical part, and it is the part that decides whether the lawn lives.
Where can I buy sod?
Local sod farms are the usual source. Ask what blend they grow, how recently it was cut and how it has been stored. We source ours from Ontario growers and lay it the same day it is harvested.
What type of sod do you install?
Almost every GTA lawn we lay is a Kentucky bluegrass blend, which is the Ontario standard for sun and general use. For shaded or sandy yards we use a blend with fescue or perennial ryegrass instead.
Still deciding? Read what a full install includes on our sod installation services page, see what sodding costs, or browse recent jobs in the project gallery. Ready to go? Book a free on-site quote or call 647-277-4774.