Am I watering new sod too much? Is that possible?

Question

I recently laid new sod in my yard (over clay soil) and my wife's uncle who helped us set the sprinklers to water for 20minutes a time, 8 times a day. This seems excessive to me, can this hurt the sod?

Answer 1

The way that I have found has worked well is keeping the sod damp on the underside. This can typically get your roots into the main soil in about 1.5-2 weeks.

Answer 2

Yes. If the soil remains damp you can develop rot and fungus.

It is recommended:

It is recommended that ½ inch of water be applied to the lawn during each interval. With average water pressure and fixed pop-up heads, this would take approximately 21 minutes. It is best that the water be applied in cycles in order to maximize penetration of water into the soil and to the root zone. For example, set the automatic timer to run for seven minutes, repeated three times, with one hour between each cycle to achieve 21 minutes or ½ inch of water per interval. But keep in mind this schedule is based on averages, and your lawn may require a different cycle time, and you may need to water less frequently.