Lawn Care - How to Make the Grass Grow - Sodding!

lawn care

SODDING THE LAWN

One alternative to seeding your lawn is to use sod. Sod is grass that has already been cultivated. Sections of sod are cut and then placed on the lawn. This will cut down on growing time and is a good idea if you live in windy areas or areas that receive a lot of rain.

While this can be more expensive than seeding your lawn, you should look into it, especially if your soil quality is poor.

The tools and materials you will need when laying sod include:

Rake
Knife
Rototiller
Shovel
Lawn roller
Sod
Fertilizer
Compost

The following are the steps you should take when placing sod on your lawn:

Clear your lawn of existing grass and weeds completely before beginning this project. You should test your soil at this point to make sure it is as close to neutral as possible.

After clearing the soil, you should repair dry soil by watering it, and breaking up any compaction with a rototiller. This will help you maintain healthy soil later on.

Apply fertilizer that contains phosphorous. If you have compost, add it to the soil. This will enrich the nutrients that are in the soil.

Use the tiller and combine the fertilizer, compost, and soil together. Then rake over the soil in order to smooth it out and expose rocks and other debris. Remove this from the soil. Use the lawn roller to make the ground smooth. Since you will be laying sod, you will want to make the ground as smooth as possible.

Begin laying your sod. You should begin at one end of your lawn and work your way to the middle. Unroll the sod one roll at a time. If the rolls of sod are not long enough for your lawn, you will have to start another roll. Make sure the two rolls do not overlap.

You will have to stagger the rolls of sod when laying them side by side. If you do not do this then you will have lines on your lawn. As the grass grows, this will become more noticeable.

Use the roller when you are done to smooth the sod and push it against the soil underneath. If you notice that some pieces of sod are lower than others, you can use soil to raise them a little. Pack soil underneath and then roll it out.

Water your new lawn everyday until the grass grows. This will ensure a healthy lawn.

Sodding and seeding are not that much different. The only major difference is the amount of time it will take for the lawn to grow. You will have to weigh your options and decide which way is the best for you.

Terry Blackburn. Internet Marketing Consultant, living in South Shields in the North-East of England. Author and Producer of blog http://www.lawnsurgeon.blogspot.com Author of "Your Perfect Lawn," a 90 Page eBook devoted to Lawn Preparation, Lawn Care and Maintenance. Find it at http://www.lawnsurgeon.com

I would be very interested to have your comments on this Article.

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