I laid some sod and it took well, but when I mow it, the mower sinks in and scalps it, even on the highest setting. Any ideas for fixes? Edit: The green strips are where the lawn mower wheels are. I did take the old sod out, and rough up the ground. I did not add dirt. It has been in for several months. It is not wet. Thanks!
Edit: It does not lift up. I live in Florida. This is the second time I have mowed and it happened both times.
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Go out and just tug firmly on the blades of grass, upwards, to see if the turf lifts up easily; check as many areas as possible. It shouldn't lift at all, but try it and see, then edit your question again... also, what part of the world are you in, and is this the first time you have cut the grass since it was laid? – Bamboo Mar 19 '21 at 12:32
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I am going to suggest that the rolls of sod have gaps between them due to the the rolls being laid wet and then drying and shrinking. If you orient the mower to move from the front to the back the wheels will settle in the gaps between the sod and scalp the lawn.
Solutions:
- top dress the gaps with soil in one half inch increments every two to three weeks until it is level
- mow the lawn from side to side, across the lawn, keeping the blades high
- use a hand mower which might allow a higher cut and it's harder to scalp the lawn with it
kevinskio
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Thanks for those suggestions. I notice my foot does sink on it when I walk. Do you think my son could cut it with a weed eater if he is careful? It is only a small area on one side of the lawn? – CeeDee Mar 19 '21 at 13:02
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@CeeDee It's tough to get a consistent height with a weed eater. Even for a small area I recommend eye protectors in case debris gets thrown up – kevinskio Mar 19 '21 at 15:04