When is the best time to lay sod in North Texas?

Warm-season grasses root when the soil is warm. Around here that means the best months for sod are April through September.

Late spring (April to early June)

The best time. The soil is warm enough for fast rooting, and the heat hasn't peaked yet. New sod laid in May is usually rooted in two to three weeks.

Summer (late June to August)

Sod roots fastest now, but it can also dry out in a single afternoon. Summer installs work if you can water them heavily for the first two weeks. Check your city's rules; many give new landscapes a short exemption from the twice-a-week limit.

Early fall (September)

Still a good window. It gets six weeks or more of rooting before Bermuda goes dormant.

Winter (November to March)

Dormant sod can be laid, and it will survive if watered occasionally, but it won't root until spring. Fine for a builder deadline or erosion control. Not ideal otherwise.

Watering new sod

• Days 1 to 7: keep it wet, usually twice a day in summer. The soil under the sod should stay damp.
• Days 8 to 14: once a day, a little deeper.
• Days 15 to 30: every two to three days, deeper still, to push roots down.
• After that: your normal schedule.

Every sod job we do leaves with a printed version of this schedule. More on our sod installs.

More guides

• A month-by-month lawn calendar for North Texas
• Bermuda, St. Augustine or zoysia: which grass for your North Texas yard
• Why your backyard holds water after every storm (and how to fix it)
• How much does sod installation cost in North Texas?
• What does a French drain cost? (And when you don't need one)
• Lawn mowing prices around Rhome and north Fort Worth
• Why is my St. Augustine turning yellow or brown?
• 20 tough plants for North Texas yards (that survive August)
• How long should you run your sprinklers in North Texas?
• When to trim trees and shrubs in North Texas (and when not to)