If you live in the drought stricken South, you are probably wondering what do do about your grass lawn. If you know how to properly lay sod, you can renovate your turf and enjoy a new lawn to play on for the rest of the warm season. In this article, I am going to instruct you on the details of how to lay sod (install sod).
When you lay sod, you have to first decide what type of grass will grow well in your yard given the conditions. Only as a secondary consideration should you consider the type of grass sod to lay down based upon aesthetics (in my opinion). The main choices here in Columbia, S.C. are Centipede, St. Augustine Grass, and Bermuda Grass. If you have a low light situation, go with St. Augustine. If you have a heavily tread on area that you would like to maintain grass, go with centipede or bermudagrass. Centipede is the most widely used sod here in South Carolina because it holds up well to high traffic and the heat and drought that we have here. Once you have decided on what type of sod you are going to lay, you have to prepare the area.
To install sod properly, you must create a healthy environment for the grass to grow in. First, you must decide on how the grass is going to be watered. You can either get a below ground irrigation system installed or you can do a simpler spigot based sprinkler system. Which one of these you choose depends upon your budget and the size of the yard.
The next step is to remove as much non-dirt material from the top layer of the ground as possible. If there is existing grass, simply mow it to the ground as low as possible. If you have plenty of time, you can first herbicide it, then mow it down, ensuring that the roots are eradicated. Whichever way you remove debris is dependent upon the sod type you are going to install. St. Augustine, for instance, will take over centipede so completely eradicating the old centipede is not necessarily needed. Once mowed down, rake out the debris and dispose of it. If the soil is hard, till it to about 3 inches. If the soil is soft, tilling may not be necessary.
Next, I like to amend the soil with some lime. Simply spread the lime with a rotary spreader and water in. Lime will bring the pH of the soil out of acidity and into a more sweet pH range, which grass will thrive in.
After amending the soil, I like to haul in about 3/4" of good rich black topsoil. Get the screened topsoil. Spread the topsoil over the area that will have new grass installed.
As a super boost to the new sod, I also like to haul in a thin layer of mushroom compost mixed with other (special!) ingredients. This ensures that the new sod will "take" and root well for years to come. As an alternative, you can till in starter fertilizer, which is high in potassium, which helps boost root growth.
Skipping the topsoil and mushroom compost will work, but the sod will likely only last a couple of years at which time it will look bare and depleted. The deeper the roots can get in rich soil, the longer and thicker the grass blade will have the potential of being.
Once the dirt has been manually graded and smoothed with an extra wide landscape rake, it is ready for the new sod to be installed. Simply roll the sod out, butting up the ends and sides as close as possible to the next roll of sod. I like to roll the sod on the edges of the lawn first, that way I establish the curves in the beds that I like to do so much. Once all of the pallates of sod are all gone, a final step would be to roll the sod with a manual roller. Rolling the sod ensures that all of the roots are in contact with the soil.
Your newly installed sod should be watered twice a day for the first 2 weeks. After the grass is established, you should water frequently to ensure that it does not dry out. Do not cut your new grass for at least 6 weeks after it has been installed. When you do mow it, mow it high, mulch it frequently, and fertilize it properly.
Now that you know how to lay sod, you need the time to do it! If you don't have the time and if you want the greenest lawn on the block, give me a call! I serve the Greater Columbia, South Carolina Area with the best in lawn care, Busy Bee Lawn Care - my cellphone is (803)331-5323.
-Ashley Brooks, Owner/Operator, Busy Bee Lawn Care, LLC
