The sod cutting device described herein comprises a hollow sod-receiving four-sided receptacle open at the bottom and at least partially closed at the top. The receptacle has a square cross-section parallel to the bottom of the receptacle and the walls of the receptacle have knife-sharp lower edges. The top portion of this receptacle has an opening through which the lower end of a shaft is allowed to enter the receptacle. At the lower end of this shaft there is affixed perpendicularly a sod-pushing plate which is shaped and dimensioned to cover a substantial portion of the cross-section of the receptacle. The shaft is enclosed in a hollow cylindrical sleeve which is affixed at the bottom to the top portion of the sod-receiving receptacle and at its top to a handle which has an opening therein through which the top end of the shaft extends. A coil spring is positioned around the shaft, that is between the shaft and the inside of the sleeve. A collar is affixed to the shaft and positioned to hold the spring in a compressed condition when the chamber is filled with sod, at which time a catch or locking device holds the shaft in that position, and when the catch or lock is released, the spring pushes the collar and shaft downward to push the sod out from the receptacle.