If you've always wanted a lush emerald green lawn, but yours is full of weeds, sometimes bare and with patches of yellowed grass, your best bet is to plant a lawn made of ready-made sod. By purchasing ready-made sod, in practice, it is as if you are saving yourself the preparatory work, which consists of sowing and growing a dense and healthy grass. All you need to do is make sure the soil below provides the optimal conditions for the sod to take root, so you have that perfect lawn you've always dreamed of. Read on to learn how to prepare the soil, select, lay sod, and finally, how to care for your turf to last.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Preparing the Ground
Step 1. Find out the composition of the soil
If you have had problems growing a healthy lawn in the past, the problem is probably related to the composition of the soil. If the soil is composed of very compact clay, the roots of the grass are unable to obtain the oxygen they need to grow; if it has too much sand, it cannot hold water and nutrients near the roots. Grass grows best in fertile, clayey soil that drains well - if your soil doesn't fit this description, you need to correct it the right way. Take a soil sample to a local nursery and ask an expert to help you determine its composition, or if you want to do it yourself, dig a hole in the soil and fill it with water. Watch what happens:
- In sandy soil drainage takes place in a fraction of a second. This means that you need to introduce 5cm of extra compost or potting soil to hold the nutrients around the grass roots.
- The compact clayey soil it holds water, making drainage very slow. Add 2 inches of extra organic matter such as peat, animal manure, leaves or garden waste to keep the grass roots from suffocating.
Step 2. Check the pH of the soil
Soil alkalinity greatly affects grass growth. The ideal pH level is between 6 and 6.5. To find out if the soil pH is within this range, use a soil analysis kit from a garden store and send a soil sample to a laboratory to have it analyzed. You usually have to wait a couple of weeks to get results.
- If the soil has a pH of 6 or less, it is too acidic, but can be corrected by adding lime. Talk to a professional gardener to determine how much lime to add, or consult a peat and related expert.
- If the soil has a pH of 6.5 or higher, it is too alkaline for grass, but can be corrected by adding sulfur or gypsum. To find out the exact dosage of the substances to add, contact an expert.
Step 3. Clear the garden of obstructions
Remove lawn decorations, larger stones, branches, and anything else that might obstruct the path. Also remove any bricks and other building materials. Eliminate anything larger than 7.5 cm in diameter, to prevent the tiller from getting caught in the objects it finds while working the garden.
Step 4. Remove the weeds
For best results, use a herbicide at least two weeks (even more) before starting your project. This will kill any unwanted weeds and help prevent them from re-growing.
Step 5. Smooth out any areas of the garden that are not well leveled
If there are ditches, uneven mounds or large holes, it will be more difficult to lay the sod neatly. Roughing and leveling the soil also creates a smooth surface that helps eliminate drainage problems. It is not a mandatory operation, but it is highly recommended if you want to get a perfect lawn.
- To level a particularly large area, use a tractor-mounted milling machine. They are quite expensive to buy, but can be rented from gardening or DIY stores.
- Smaller areas can be leveled by hand. Use hand tools, such as garden hoes or rakes, to break up the soil and soften both the slopes and the edges around holes and ditches.
Step 6. Plow the garden by moving the earth up to a depth of at least 15 cm
Borrow, rent or buy a rotary tiller with which to loosen the upper part of the soil (about 15 cm) of your garden. The plowing of the soil serves to make it less compact, to ensure that the roots of the grass can breathe better and take root. Loosen the soil the same way you mow the lawn by dividing it into sections and working it row by row.
- Plowing serves not only to prepare the ground for laying turf, but also to control weeds by turning over the weeds that are about to sprout.
- If the soil is particularly compact and loaded with clay, move it to a depth of 20cm instead of 6cm to make sure the grass roots have enough room to grow without being compacted.
Step 7. Spread 5cm of potting soil or compost and other remedial substances on the soil
Use good quality potting soil or compost to create a humus-rich bed on which to place the sod. If you have determined that the soil needs more compost, organic matter, lime or sulfur to achieve optimal conditions, spread these at the same time. Tiller over your garden once more to mix the compost, potting soil and other remedial products.
You can use your hands or rent a suitable machine to spread the soil, compost and other substances
Step 8. Use a spreader to spread the fertilizer
This step ensures that the sod has all the nutrients they need to grow healthily. It is usually recommended to use a fertilizer with a high concentration of phosphate to start with. Spread it evenly and place it in the soil following the instructions on the package.
Part 2 of 4: Buying the Clods
Step 1. Measure your lawn
To measure the entire area you plan to cover with sod, use a tape measure. It may be helpful to sketch the lawn and note both the length and width of the different zones it is divided into. When it comes time to buy sod, you need to know the exact measurements of the various areas of your lawn. If there is insufficient sod, the lawn will be uneven and will not grow as healthy as it should. An excessive number of sods could be a considerable expense, since they usually cost 0.30 euros per square meter.
If the garden is not rectangular, divide it into rectangles, triangles or other types of sections that will allow you to measure more easily. Calculate the area of each individual section and then add them together to get the total
Step 2. Purchase sod from a local turf installation company
Choose a company that other people in your area have previously approached with excellent results. The company should offer you a choice of the types of grass that can grow best in your area. Don't be tempted to order sod from a company located far away from you just because they showcase some great turf on their website; chances are that that type of lawn won't grow well in your climate. Choose a reputable company and consult with its sales representatives to understand which grass and which sod is the best choice for your garden.
- Choose a herb that is native to your area to ensure it grows well in your climate. The herbs of the fresh season or microtherms (grasses that grow faster in spring and autumn), such as poa, perennial ryegrass, fescue arundinacea and fescue rubra rubra grow best in regions where winters are cold and summers are warm. The herbs of the warm season or macrotherms (grasses that thrive in a very hot climate) such as paspalum, cyndon and zoysia, grow best in warm areas and subtropics.
- When deciding which grass to buy, also consider the use you want to make of your lawn. Are you going to step on it frequently? Do you want to practice sports? Do you want to organize parties? Or maybe you just want a nice lawn to contemplate from the window? Some grass varieties are more robust, others are softer, some are difficult to maintain, and still others have more vibrant colors. Tell the retailer what type of product you are looking for.
- Ask the dealer if he cuts and delivers the clods on the same day. The clods that remain in storage for several days before delivery do not remain fresh and healthy.
Step 3. Schedule the delivery date so that you can lay the sod the same day
It is important to lay the clods the same day they are delivered. Waiting too long causes the clods to dry out and can damage the roots. Give the sod a chance to grow healthy by placing it on the ground as soon as it arrives. They are delivered in long rolls and the entire laying operation should only take a day.
The clods are quite heavy and usually come in sturdy pallets of around 140 square meters or more. A single pallet can weigh more than a ton, so a van may not be enough. Before confirming the order, check if a minimum quantity is required for delivery and if they can transport the material directly to the site
Part 3 of 4: Lay the sod
Step 1. Water the soil
For the sod to take root well, the soil needs to be cool and moist. It must not be soaking wet: before starting the laying of the clods, just use a sprayer to gently moisten all the soil.
Step 2. Start laying the first clod starting from the longest side
Unroll the first piece of sod next to a driveway or road. Arrange it so that the edge of the sod is exactly aligned with the edge of the garden, with no burrs or protrusions. Gently unroll the entire piece of sod so that the longer side is entirely covered. After aligning the longer side well, it will be easier to lay the rest of the sod.
- Starting from the middle, however, it would be more difficult to lay the clods in an orderly way, without leaving gaps or shorter ends.
- Make sure you unroll each piece of sod in the same direction. If you unroll a sod in reverse it will look different from the one next to it and you will have to wait for the grass to grow before it gets a homogeneous appearance.
Step 3. Arrange the clods like bricks
Cut the second piece of sod in half, lengthwise, and arrange it directly adjacent to the first. The clods should be arranged in a staggered pattern, as is done with bricks. This type of arrangement makes the joints between sod and sod less noticeable. Make sure the edges of the clods line up without overlapping. Do not leave gaps between the joints; if the edges remain exposed they will be prone to dry out leaving brown spots on the lawn. Continue laying the sod in this way until the entire garden is completely covered and the joints are not visible.
- Using regular garden shears or scissors, cut smaller pieces out of the sod to fill in gaps or fill in corners.
- However, it is best to leave the clods in very large pieces, as far as possible. Don't cut them into smaller pieces unless absolutely necessary, as small pieces are more prone to drying out before they take root.
- As you lay the sod, avoid walking or kneeling on it, as air bubbles or indentations may form.
Step 4. Lay the clods in a transverse pattern around the slope, rather than from top to bottom
Laying sod horizontally along the slope, rather than vertically, will prevent soil erosion. Once the grass roots have taken root, they will hold the soil underneath and keep it in place. If the sod are laid vertically, particularly on steeper slopes, it could happen that the strips of sod begin to swell and slide down, instead of staying in their position along the slope.
If necessary, buy "staples" for the garden to "pin" the sod on the ground. Be sure to highlight them in some way, so that you can remove them once the sod takes root
Step 5. Arrange the sod in the curved parts of the garden
Since the key is to keep the sod in large pieces, if possible, try to arrange them along the curved parts of the garden by reshaping their shape, instead of cutting them into pieces. Wrap a large piece of sod on the curved part of the garden by pinching it in the right places so that the shape of the sod fits the curve perfectly. Use garden scissors to cut off the raised parts you pinched into two small triangular pieces. You basically created two dart-shaped indentations, allowing the clod to take on a semicircular shape. Press the two "darts" together so that they are arranged next to each other, with no gaps.
Step 6. Cut the sod to lay them around trees and other obstacles
If you encounter a tree or other obstacle you need to arrange the clods around it, wrapping them over the object and carefully cutting them so that their shape fits the base of the object. Keep the cutouts so you can use them in case of any small gaps to fill in later.
- When placing a sod around a tree, do not place it against the base of the trunk. Placing it right above the roots could damage the tree. Instead, cut out a semicircular bezel on the edge of the root ball, so that it remains a few centimeters away from the base of the trunk.
- If you have a lot of trees or other obstacles to get around in your garden, you should use a specific cutter to cut the sod, because if you used normal garden shears it would take too long.
Part 4 of 4: Lawn Maintenance
Step 1. Walk on the ground with a garden roller
Fill it three-quarters full with water and run it over the entire garden you laid the sod on. This allows the roots of the clods to adhere to the ground below before watering.
Step 2. Water thoroughly for the first two weeks
Keeping the grass moist during the first few weeks is essential. During this time, the grass roots take root and begin to grow. If there was no water in abundance, this process would slow down or stop and the sod would die before taking root. After the first two weeks, water the weed a couple of times a week to keep it from drying out.
- Use a sprinkler system to ensure your lawn is watered evenly.
- Don't wait for the grass to turn yellow before you wet it. Check the soil by placing a finger in the soil. If it stays wet to a depth of several inches, then that's fine. If the soil is dry on the surface or to a depth of 3-4 centimeters, it's time to wet it.
- Grass that grows in shady areas should be watered less frequently, as it retains dew longer.
- Only water until it almost creates a puddle. If the sod rises from the ground, it means that you have used too much water.
Step 3. When the grass reaches a height of 7.5 cm, cut it down to 5 cm
By mowing it often with the lawn mower, the lawn stays healthy. Do not cut the grass shorter than 5 cm, to avoid getting too close to the roots.
- Make sure your lawnmower blades are always clean and sharp. Always mow the grass in different movements to ensure it grows evenly.
- Cut grass can be thrown away, but it is best to leave it on the lawn, as it improves its health by acting as a fertilizer.
Step 4. After thirty days, fertilize the lawn again
Use the same fertilizer you used at the beginning, to renew the lawn one month after laying the sod. This is necessary to replace the nutrients that may have been eliminated after thirty days of continuous irrigation. After the first month, you just need to fertilize the lawn once or twice a season to replace the nutrients for the benefit of future years.
Step 5. Take care of your lawn by clearing it of weeds
Perform periodic maintenance by watering, cutting and fertilizing it - this is the best way to keep the grass healthy and robust, but also to keep weeds away. Weeds tend to spread when lawn grass is patchy, in fact by nature they tend to creep into uncovered areas of the ground. If you are careful not to leave grass-free areas on your lawn, you won't have to worry about weeds.
