Your lawn is more than just grass -
your lawn is the background for your home's overall landscape design
and curb appeal. If you have a bare front yard at the moment,
however, a healthy and attractive lawn may seem like an impossible
goal to achieve. Thankfully, sod can help you achieve this goal,
going from dirt to a complete lawn in about a day's time.
Of course, proper installation and
maintenance is key if you want your new lawn to grow and thrive. This
guide and your contractor
will ensure you avoid a few common mistakes made with sod grass.
1. Wrong Grass
You may be surprised to learn that not
all sod is created equal. Sod is grass, and there are different types
of grass available. Since it has already started to grow, you may
think any type of sod grass is acceptable, but that is not entirely
true.
If you choose the wrong type of grass,
the sod may not root itself into the ground, which will prevent you
from having the lawn you want and are investing in. Therefore, you
must select the right type of sod grass for your specific climate.
For example, warm season grasses, such
as Bermuda, are ideal for hot and sunny climates that experience
drought-like conditions. If you live in cooler climate or have a lot
of shade in your yard, opt for a cool season grass, such as fescue,
when selecting your sod
2. Insufficient Water
Sod may be a form of instant grass, but
it does need to establish itself in the underlying dirt and soil if
you want to enjoy a healthy and appealing lawn for many years to
come.
Watering your new lawn thoroughly is
most important during the early days after installation. Most
experts recommend watering the sod two to four times each day during
the first seven
to 10 days
after installation.
If you are unsure whether your sod
needs to be watered, inspect it carefully. If you walk on the sod and
it leaves deep footprints, the lawn has adequate water. If the sod
grass is firm, pull back a section to inspect the underlying soil.
The lawn needs to be watered more frequently if the soil is dry.
After about two weeks of time, you can
begin to decrease how much water you give your lawn.
3. Wrong Time
Again, while sod does create an instant
lawn, the grass does need to grow into the ground if you want to
enjoy your new lawn indefinitely. Not only do you need to plant the
right sod grass and water it properly, but you also need to lay the
sod at the right time.
Some people believe that sod can be
laid at any time during the year, but seasons where temperatures are
too high or too low will decrease how well the sod establishes
itself. For the best results, lay the sod in the spring or fall, when
temperatures are cooler and there is more chance of rain to help the
grass root.
4. Improper Prep
Creating an instant lawn with sod is
possible, but a bit of prep is necessary first. For the sod to
thoroughly implement into the ground, you need a healthy and durable
foundation.
Any dead grass, clumps of mud or clay,
twigs, roots, rocks, and other debris must be removed from the ground
before you install the sod. The soil should be tilled, as well, and
topsoil should be added to fill in low areas of soil to create a
level foundation for the sod.
Help is available if you are ready to
create an appealing and healthy lawn. For more information on
installing sod or for help maintaining your lawn, contact Wright Turf
Farm Inc. today.
