Abstract: A mobile sod cutting machine has mounting arms that have a central axis of elongation with a cable installer mechanism mounted to the lower end of one of the arms for being reciprocated with the arm. The cable installer mechanism includes a vertical ground slitting blade having a front slitting edge, a bottom edge intersecting the slitting edge and a shank mounting portion mounted to the mounting arm. An upper cable guide is attached to the shank mounting portion to extend rearwardly of the central axis of elongation of the mounting arm while a bottom cable guide is mounted to the blade adjacent to the intersection of the blade bottom edge and slitting edge to have its reversely bent edge forwardly of the central axis of elongation but spaced rearwardly of the blade bottom edge along the guide length by a distance about as least as great as the reciprocal fore and aft movement of the blade.