INSTALLATION TIPSTo calculate the amount of sod you need for a project you should first divide the project area into squares and rectangles. Measure length times width of those areas then add them together for the total amount of sod needed for your project.
Site Preparation
1. To kill heavy weed infestations or thick grass patches, treat with glyphosate (Roundup), wait 7 to 10 days, rototill or spade the area, then remove the debris. 2. To kill sparse vegetation, rototill or spade to a depth of 10-15 centimeters(4-6"), then rake off all the debris.
3. Remove all rocks, roots, pieces of concrete, clods, etc. larger than 1.0 centimeters (1/2") in diameter. 4. Do not use pre-emergent herbicides (those which kill seeds as they germinate). These chemicals can seriously injure tender new sod roots. 5. At least 10 centimeters (4") of topsoil is ideal. Lack of topsoil is often a contributing factor to disease problems 2 or 3 years after sod installation. 6. Lawns must be sloped away from all buildings. A vertical drop of 1.0 to 2.0 centimeters (1/2-1") per horizontal meter is ideal. The slope must never be less than 0.5 centimeter (1/4") per meter 7. As a general rule, a starter fertilizer should be used before installing sod. Any fertilizer high in phosphate (the middle number on the bag) may be used. Our starter fertilizer (5.5-26-30) can be applied at a rate of 2.6 kg per 1,000 sq ft. It is best worked into the soil before laying sod or seeding but could be broadcast over sod after installation if not worked into soil first. 8.Once the sod has rooted (7 – 10 days after installation) mowing height and frequency should be the same as for an established lawn. (Refer to Mowing Your Lawn section under Maintenance Tips) 9. The area is now ready for sod.
Sod Installation
1. Have the site completely prepared before taking delivery of sod. Install the sod immediately upon delivery. 2. Locate a straight line, such as a curb or driveway, or run a taut string up the middle of the area to be sodded. Work along this line to establish the first row.
3. Butt the ends of the sod tightly together. Do not overlap and do not leave gaps. Stagger the rolls so they appear to be in a brick pattern.
4. At row ends, in small areas, and to fit non-rectangular areas, cut the sod with a heavy duty knife or sharp straight edge shovel. 5. As soon as an area equal in size to your sprinkler pattern has been installed, roll the newly laid sod with a one third filled lawn roller to gain good root-to-soil contact.
6. Water the newly installed sod immediately! The sod must be saturated through its entire thickness and the soil underneath must be moist to a depth of 2.5 centimeters. (1") Lift a corner of the sod to check. Water must be applied evenly throughout the entire area including corners and along all edges. The benefit of one gallon of water applied within one hour of installation equals the benefit of six gallons of water applied three hours later. 7. The new lawn must be kept moist, but not saturated, for a period of two weeks. For the first few days apply 2.5 centimeters (1") of water each day. Place shallow, straight-sided containers on the lawn under the sprinkler to measure the quantity of water applied. As the sod roots become established, gradually reduce the frequency of watering. By the end of two weeks, normal watering procedures may be followed (refer to WATERING YOUR LAWN section). 8. Avoid excessive use of the new lawn for several weeks to allow the sod to establish a good root system. 9. Once the sod has rooted (7 - 10 days after installation) mowing height and frequency should be the same as for an established lawn (refer to MOWING YOUR LAWN section). Don¹t hesitate to mow earlier if the grass is growing rapidly.
Watering New Turfgrass Sod
Water is essential to all life...to little water and we die, too much and we drown. The same is true of the grass in our lawns. Water makes up to 70% to 80% of the weight of our lawn grasses and the clippings alone are nearly 90% water. While most people are concerned about not watering their lawns enough, the fact is that more lawns are damaged or destroyed by over-watering.
The first watering of newly installed turfgrass is the most important. Begin watering immediately after installation of the new turfgrass. The first watering establishes how well the grass will perform for years to come. When to water new turfgrass sod It is essential to begin watering new turfgrass sod within a half hour after it is laid on the soil. Apply at least 1 in. (2.5 cm) of water so that the soil beneath the turf is very wet. Ideally, the soil 3 to 4 in. (7 to 10 cm), below the surface will be moist. Watering Tip #1: pull back a corner of the turf and push a screwdriver or other sharp tool into the soil. It should push in easily and have moisture along the first 3 to 4 in. (7 to 10cm), or you need to apply more water. Watering Tip #2 : make absolutely certain that water is getting to all areas of your new lawn, regardless of the type of sprinkling system you use. Corners and edges are easily missed by many sprinklers and are particularly vulnerable to drying out faster than the center portion of your new lawn. Also, areas near buildings dryout faster because of reflected heat and may require more water. Watering Tip #3: runoff may occur on some soils and sloped areas before the soil is adequately moist. To conserve water and insure adequate soak-in, turn-off the water when runoff begins, wait 30 minutes to an hour and restart the watering of the same area, repeating as needed. For the next two weeks (or until the turf is well rooted), keep below-turf soil surface moist with daily (or more frequent) waterings of approximately one-quarter inch (0.6 cm) each. Especially hot, dry or windy periods will necessitate increased watering amounts and frequency. Watering Tip #4: as the turf starts to knit its new roots into the soil, it will be difficult, impossible and/or harmful to pull back a corner to check beneath the turf (Watering Tip #1), but you can still use a sharp tool to check moisture depth by pushing it through the turf and into the soil. Watering Tip #5: water as early in the morning as possible and take advantage of the daily chart of the grass's normal growing cycle, usually lower wind speeds and considerably less loss of water because of high temperature evaporation. Watering Tip #6: if the temperature approached 100°F(37°C), or if high winds are constant for more than half of the day, reduce the temperature of the turf surface by lightly sprinkling the area. This sprinkling does not replace the need for longer, deeper watering, which will become even more critical to continue during adverse weather conditions. During the remainder of the growing season, most lawns will do very well with a maximum total of one inch of water a week, coming from either rain or applied water. Soil conditions may dictate that the amount be applied in two settings, approximately two to three days apart. This amount of water, properly applied, is all that is required for the health of the grass, providing it is applied evenly and saturates the underlying soil to a depth of 4 to 6 in. (10 to 15 cm). Watering Tip #7: infrequent and deep watering is preferred to frequent and shallow watering because the roots will only grow as deeply as their most frequently available water supply. Deeply rooted grass has a larger "soil-water bank" to draw moisture from and this will help the grass survive drought and hot weather that rapidly dries out the upper soil layer. Proper watering techniques are a critical aspect of lawn watering, equal in importance to the issues of when to water and how much to water. Here are several key factors to proper technique: Avoid hand sprinkling because it cannot provide the necessary uniformity. Most people do not have the patience, time or "eye" to adequately measure what is being applied across any large areas of lawn. The only possible exception to this guideline would be the need to sprinkle the surface of the grass to cool it, or to provide additional water near buildings or other heat-reflecting surfaces. Understand the differences between sprinkler designs because each type has its advantages and disadvantages. Its proper use will be determined by the type of sprinkler you select. In-Ground systems require professional design and installation and they require routine adjustments and regular maintenance to be most effective and efficient. The greatest mistake made with most in-ground systems is the "set it and forget it" philosophy that fails to account for the changing seasonal weather requirements to maximize turf growth or even allowing the system to operate during or following a multi-inch rain storm. Another frequent problem is when heads get out of alignment and apply water to the sidewalk, street or house-siding, rather than to the lawn. Hose-End Sprinklers range in complexity, cost and durability, but are highly portable and can provide uniform and consistent coverage, when properly placed on the yard and adequately maintained. Sprinklers that do not throw the water high into the air are usually more efficient, as are larger drop generators because prevailing winds are less disruptive of distribution patterns, the potential for evaporation loss is reduced and trees, shrubs and other plants do not block the pattern (or are very noticeable if they do). Several times during the growing/watering season, routine maintenance is important to check for blocked outlets, leaking or missing gaskets, or mis-aligned sprinkler heads, regardless of the sprinkler design. Verifying water uniformity can be accomplished with a very simple and inexpensive method that uses only 4 to 6 flat-bottomed, straight sided cans (tuna fish, cat food, etc), a ruler and a watch. Follow these steps: Step #1: arrange the cans at random distances away from the sprinkler, but all within the area you assume is being covered. Step #2: run the sprinkler for a specific amount of time, say a half-hour OR run the water until a specific amount of water is in at least one can, say 0.5in (1.3cm) Step #3: measure the amount of water in each can, check for uniformity. Some variation is expected, but a difference of 25-30% or more between any two cans must be addressed by replacing or adjusting the sprinkler or relocating the system. This measuring method should be used across an entire lawn that has an in-ground irrigation system to assure maximum coverage and uniformity. Watering difficult areas such as slopes and under trees requires some special attention to achieve maximum benefit and a beautiful lawn. For Slopes, see (Watering Tip #3) For Areas Under and Near Trees, you need to know the water requirements for the specific trees, as well as for the grass. Despite having deep "anchor" roots, trees take up moisture and nutrients from the top of six inches of soil..the same area as the grass. Trees and turf will compete for water. Watering sufficiently for the grass may over-water some varieties of trees and under-water others. A common solution is to not plant grass under the drip-line of trees, but rather use that area for perennial ground covers, flower beds or mulch beds. How much water is needed and applied The amount of water your lawn requires and receives will determine its overall health, beauty and ability to withstand use and drought. Keep in mind that too much water can ruin a lawn just as fast as too little water. One inch (2.5 cm) a week is a watering "rule of thumb" suggested for most lawns; however, this will vary between different turf species and even among cultivars without a specie. There will also be varying water requirements for seasonal changes and still more differences brought about because of different soil types. Look at your lawn to determine its water needs. Grass in need of water will have a grey-blue cast, rather than a blue-green or a green color. Also, foot prints will still appear after a half-hour or more on a lawn in need of water, while on a well watered lawn, foot prints will completely disappear within a few minutes. Inspecting your lawn frequently will help you detect water requirements and to avoid over- or under-watering. Verify watering quantities with the same measuring can method described above, except you will want to note the time it takes for the cans to collect a specific amount of water. For example, if 0.25 in. (0.6cm) collects in 30 minutes, you can easily calculate that it will take one hour to apply 0.5in (1.3cm) of water and two hours to apply 1 in. (2.5 cm) of water. Water timers can help provide the consistency and even be programmed or set to turn on and off when no one is awake or at home. Some timers measure just the amount of time water is flowing through the device, while others measure the number of gallons of water flowing through it. Read the directions with the timer to determine how yours operates.
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