When Is The Best Time to Install Arizona Sod on a Lawn
April 24th, 2025If you’ve ever considered using sod in Arizona to create a beautiful lawn, you were likely faced with several questions. How difficult will it be? How much will it cost? When is the best time to install sod? Of all the ways to cultivate a green lawn, laying sod is efficient; and, with the right preparation many homeowners agree that it’s well worth the cost.

What to know before beginning
One of the selling points of sod is the fact that it can be installed year round as long as the soil is properly prepared beforehand. Understand that preparation is often the hardest step and that taking shortcuts may hinder the sod’s growth in terms of its ability to become firmly rooted. To prepare your yard in its current state, you must:
- Measure the desired lawn space
- Remove all plant matter such as weeds and patches of dead grass
- Clear your yard of all debris (rocks, sticks, etc.)
- Till the soil
- Test the soil’s PH level (this will tell you what type of sod to purchase)
- Grade the area and ensure the landscape slopes away from your home and other structures
- Fertilize or “pre-treat” the soil
- Moisten (don’t soak) the soil prior to installation
Installation tips and tricks
Once you’ve completed the laborious task of soil preparation, laying sod will seem easy in comparison—especially in lawns that are symmetrical or rectangular in shape. However, if you’re working with an irregular shape, establish a starting point by aligning the sod in the center of your lawn and working from the inside out, toward the perimeter. Use a sharp knife to cut around trees, pavers, and flower beds. Once your sod is delivered, install it immediately for best results and water it as soon as it is laid. Keep off the grass as much as possible for the first few weeks while the root system forms. Although you can enjoy the beauty of your new lawn instantly and tread upon it within a matter of weeks, sod can take up to two years to fully mature. Adhering to a consistent maintenance schedule will ensure its longevity and vibrancy.
The best time to install sod
While sod can effectively grow year round, the best time to install sod in Arizona is in the fall. The reason is because temperatures start to fall and homeowners can take advantage of natural rainfall as the monsoon season draws to a close. Secondly, this is the time in which grass still grows before falling dormant in the winter. Spring is the second best time to lay sod—especially warm-season grasses like Bermudagrass or St. Augustine.
Seeding your lawn, while inexpensive, doesn’t provide the immediate results that sod promises nor does it withstand the harshness of desert seasons as easily. The biggest benefit to turf grass is that virtually any time is the best time to install sod as long as you follow the necessary steps to preparing your lawn (which do not vary from seed to sod). Once the work is done, the lasting benefits of sod often outweigh the disadvantages. Like most worthy investments, it will become apparent why cheaper isn’t always better.
Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.
Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Browse our website for information and tips on how to create and maintain a beautiful lawn, or give us a call and talk to one of our sod specialists at 480-456-1199 if you don’t find what you are looking for. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.