The right way to water new sod; too little sun can make ligustrums lose color: Dan Gill explains

We had a portion of our lawn completely re-sodded Sept. 10. We have been watering it every morning for an hour. What should the process be for the next month or so to help it establish itself regarding watering and cutting? It is obviously growing. — Steve

First, you need to cut back on watering. When sod is harvested, most of the root system is lost and the sod is very susceptible to drying out. Daily watering is needed as the sod settles in and grows roots. Continuing frequent watering for too long, however, can eventually encourage fungal diseases to attack and damage the lawn.

The recommendation is to water daily for 10 to 14 days after laying the sod and then water every other day for another 10 to 14 days. After that, water the grass more normally — once or twice a week as needed,