You should put down a fungicide since it’s cooler weather and there is lots of water.

If roots are getting to the soil you can back off the watering some, but don’t let the soil underneath get dry. Try once a day for a day or two and see how the soil looks. Add more water as needed

 

Hi thanks for your feedback. I will go ahead and put down some fungacide. Do you think these brown spots will come back/get green again? Is it just part of the process?

 

That looks great for 6-day-old sod. Those brown or thin areas will fill in quickly once the weather warms up. For Saint Augustine, start mowing as soon as it's rooting. Mow high and mow often (at least twice a week).

 

Hi Redtwin,

thanks for the feedback - when should I plan to put down something fertilizer? Thank you

 

If you didn't put any down before the sod was installed you could do it now. I honestly would just do Nitrogen from either Urea or Ammonium Sulfate. Get it down before your fertilizer black out days start. Go lightly, like maybe .25lb N/1000sf. Most times you can just mix it with any fungicides you are putting down.

 

Thank you! Looking back here it looks like they applied some general grass fertilizer. Do you think I should try to add some nitrogen from urea or ammonium sulfate still?

 

@Tylerjgee, I'm not the most experience SA guy but if they put down some starter when laying the sod I would give it a couple of weeks and then start with the nitrogen. @GCoco, what do you think about starting with some nitrogen?

 

I don’t put any fertilizer until it’s rooted. Before then it is “delicate” so hitting it with fertilizer or having fungus or insects is more damaging

 

Hi @GCoco @Redtwin here it is at day 16, what do you think? Roots have definitely taken. When is it safe to mow?

 

I usually wait until the watering need is minimal since the sod and ground will be very wet otherwise. My ZTR weighs just under 1300# without me on so it would tear up the sod.

I assumed you have backed off to only once a day or more likely every other day with the water.

Walk on it and see how mushy it is before attempting to mow

 

Thanks for the input it’s somewhat mushy however the roots are definitely making their way into the ground I’m still watering twice a day. I tried to back off slightly but even with both watering it becomes dry during the day. The front yard gets sun all day and we have not had rain in a month plus. Today was the first drizzle we had. Water is very expensive in Hillsborough county so I'd like to back off too lol is it better to bag or mulch it? I sprinkled some black kow on some of the brown bald spots

 

I tried Black Kow on a bear spot in the summer. Grass never grew. My thought was the black color absorbed the heat and fried the grass wanting to spread.

I just use some top soil now

Keep watering then since you don’t want to let it dry out. Sounds like you’re doing good. Mowing can wait

Bagging is neater but you lose all the nutrients

 

Hi I am having the same issue with my new sod I put down on may 1. Did the fungicide help? I am in DFW area (Zone 8b).