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Sod is just Gunter Wilhelm Grass and soil hold together by a root organisation . It ’s used for golf game line and bowl , but if you ’re here , you probably want to learn how to lay sodomist in your thousand for an instant , beautiful lawn . You also need to get it right-hand the first time . Here you will learn about sodomite , where to get it , what it should be , how to put in it , and some pro tips for take sure your newfangled grass flourish for a long time .
Ideally , you ’ll lay sod in the early springiness or early fall when you have gay days and cool , moist nights . you may implant in the summer , but you ’ll have to water much more frequently .
The Benefits of Sod vs. Seed
You ’ve probably already made the decision ( believe me , it ’s the correct one ) , but in case you ’re still on the fence , greensward is faster and sluttish – but much more expensive – than ejaculate . You ’re give for the love and care someone else provided to that grass as it arise through infancy into lush greenness . Instead of wait weeks or months for seeds to germinate and constitute beginning while you obsessionally irrigate , you could enjoy a sodded yard almost directly .
Where can you buy sod?
I buy mine from Home Depot , whichincluded free deliverance , but you may get it from most local nurseries . It runs about $ 450 for 500 square feet and is deliver on a palette with the sod revolve in three or four - foot lengths . You should schedule your delivery on the same daylight you ’re quick to install or at most a couple of days before . If you do order early , do n’t get the sod dry out . If you have to irrigate it on the pallet , go ahead and do that– but do n’t oversaturate or you ’ll break your back carrying it around your yard .
To gauge how much greensward you call for , brush off your center school math . For a regular orthogonal yard , just use a tape measure measuring rod and multiply length x width . If your yard is irregular , seek to divide it into several rectangular section , get the arena of each , and then add them up . I added about 10 % to that figure to get my society size ( well safe than sorry ) but had a few square foot surplus when I finished . Most multitude will say get 5 % extra .
What to do before laying sod
It ’s easier to toss off skunk prior to putting down sod , so you should habituate a cosmopolitan dope Orcinus orca as many times as necessary in the weeks prior to your big install day . I used a crowing RoundUp spray , but as long as it ’s anonselective weed killer , any one should do just fine .
You should also have level and properly range your soil , with a thin grade away from any structures for drainage aim . For little and medium - sized yards , you should be capable to do this with your trustworthy lawn shovelful and rake .
Finally , you should get disembarrass of branches , debris , and rocks . This part took me the longest as I have piles of rocks in my territory . It was slow and time - consuming , but I ca n’t stress enoughhow important it isto assure that the sodomist takes root and put down evenly .
Do I Need aSoil Test?
We wrote agiant guide to soil test kits , and they do provide worthful selective information , including your soil pH , which shouldideally be around 6.5 - 7depending on where you live . But the literal question is what to do with your results once you have them .
The canonical answer is if you need to increase sour ( lower pH ) , add S . If you need to reduce acidity ( increase pH ) , add lime hydrate . Your local hardware store will sell soil amendments , and the bags will show you approximately how much you necessitate , but it ’s comparatively cheap and easy . A 30 lb suitcase of lime that be $ 15 , for exercise , will cover up to 5,000 straight foot .
Step by Step Guide
for properly install your new lawn , you ’ll want a few significant shaft : a rototiller , which you could charter , borrow , or bribe ; a wide metal pitch ; and a knife for cutting . Any tongue will do as long as it ’s bounteous and astute .
Step 1: Add Topsoil
You should ideally put a six - inchlayer of fresh topsoil over your existing soil . Topsoil has constituent matter ( hence why it ’s darker ) and food that help the grass rise greener and heartier , reducing your need to use fertilizers later on . New escaped topsoil will also allow air and water to permeate , helping with drainage issues .
Pro - tip : you could mix in high spirits - quality surface soil with organic compost to create the thoroughgoing nourishing - rich environment for newfangled sod .
Step 2: Add fertilizer
If you did a soil run kit , you should have sex incisively what fertilizer you call for to balance the pH of your lawn . Use a broadcast spreader to get even coverage . If you do n’t have abroadcast spreader , you’re able to do it by hand– but you need timbre glove .
Step 3: Till & Rake
you could get agood but pocket-sized rototiller for under $ 150 . you could also take up one from your neighbor orrent from your local computer hardware store . Whatever you decide , make trusted to till about four in of surface soil , which amalgamate the fertilizer and compost and further loosen the dirt , again helping with urine drainage and establishment of ascendant . No need for overkill ( or over - boulder clay ) here . Just do one or two passes over the entire yard .
Use a wide alloy rip to polish the area , breaking up any ball of grease , then water the full area . Watering before you sod facilitate the grass attach properly . Do n’t surcharge the ground or make it boggy .
Step 4: Lay Down the Sod
Start at one side of the one thousand , unremarkably along one long edge , and unroll the sod piece by piece . Do n’t overlap the close , but keep them pressed up against adjacent strips to avoid grass bulge out up . For your next row , stagger the sod in a brick - like pattern , like so :
habituate your knife to abbreviate where necessary around obstacles or at the ends of your M .
When you ’re all done , ideally you ’d go get a sod roller , which is a bounteous heavy barrel - same thing that roll along the sod to help oneself it make link with the soil and form radical . Do n’t tell anyone but I did n’t have one , so I just slowly and cautiously walk my lawn , focusing especially on ensuring the seams in the sod were press together and gently pressed into the ground .
Step 5: Water, Water, Water
Just as with grass seed , I ca n’t possibly overemphasise how important it is to water newfangled sod . You should water every day for at least a week and then less and less over sentence until you ’re on a normal watering schedule for your area .
Conclusion
St. Augustine Sod Plugs
