For many landscapers, the instant gratification
felt in having an instant lawn is not to be competed with.
After all, when one seeds a lawn, it can take quite a while
to grow. But laying sod is an excellent way to get
an instantly grassy and lush yard. It is more than possible to lay sod yourself.
It is not very difficult to do, although it does require planning
and some hard work. But, if you plan wisely and work well,
you should be able to save a great deal of money over having
someone else lay the sod for you.
The
very first thing to do is to prepare the dirt area for
the sod. You should, of course, already have the sod on order
to be delivered or picked up, so that you can lay it as soon
as the ground is prepared (but do not have it delivered or
go pick it up before preparations are complete; it will rot
if it sits in the sun for too long before you begin laying
it). Prepare your yard by performing any necessary soil enhancements
to bring the pH in line with what the sod needs. The soil should
already be tilled, and you should do a final rake or drag of
the area to ensure that it is level and that all larger pebbles,
rocks, and sticks are removed from the area. Moisten the soil,
but do not make it muddy and soggy. If you plan to have an
irrigation or sprinkler system, make sure that it is in place
before you lay your sod.
Sod
comes either in rolls or in rectangles or squares. In
any case, it is a good idea to begin by laying the sod against
a straight line. A sidewalk, driveway, or flowerbed against
the side of the house makes an excellent guide. As you unroll
each new length of sod, or fit in each piece, press the edges
together. Do not overlap them, but do try to manually “knit”
them together so that there are no visible spaces between pieces
of sod. You should stagger the locations of joints so that
there is not a line of sod pieces showing the length of the
yard. Staggering will give the sodded lawn an appearance of
being more naturally grown.
Having
an inexpensive carpet knife available will help you as
you lay your sod around more oddly shaped or rounded areas. Even though you start along a straight edge, few yards are
completely uniform in their shape. You can cut pieces of sod
to fit around fixtures, trees, and sprinkler heads. You should
work from one end of the yard to another, but in such a manner
as to avoid walking on laid sod until after it can be rolled.
After
the sod is down, you should use a lawn roller to go over
your sod. These can be rented at reasonable rates. The
roller is specially designed to help sodded lawns take better
root. It forces the roots in the sod to make positive contact
with the soil below, encouraging better knitting. You should
water your new lawn every day for the first week (except, of
course, on rainy days) and more than every day if the weather
is especially hot. After the first week, gradually begin stretching
out times between watering, as this encourages the roots to
grow downward, seeking moisture deeper in the soil. Be sure
to water deeply, however. Fertilizer can be applies at intervals
throughout the season, and you should begin a regular mowing
schedule three to four weeks after first laying the sod.
If
you take good care of your new lawn, it should flourish, and you will achieve faster results than seeding the lawn and
waiting for it to grow. Additionally, if you take care to conscientiously
prepare your soil and carefully lay your sod, then there is
no reason that you cannot enjoy some of the best lawn in your
neighborhood. But be sure to properly care for the sod after
it is laid to ensure that the roots firmly house themselves
in your soil, and to prevent the sun from drying out and killing
your brand new lawn.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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