Sod installation becomes your ultimate solution when your lawn gives an untidy look. It is the right time to refurbish your lawn when weeds and other unwanted saplings appear more on your lawn instead of velvety grass.
Have you also got bored with the traditional and time-consuming method of sowing seeds and then waiting for the grass to grow?
Read: How to lay sod over existing lawn
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If yes, then a rather new method is becoming trendy now: the installation of sod. You can avail of the sod installation services along with other landscaping services in Surrey, the District of Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster, Richmond by visiting Deo Landscaping.
It brings us to the question of knowing what sod is?
Read: Tips to Take Care of Your New SOD after Installation
What is sod?
Sod is a layer of laid-out grass taken out with roots and an actual amount of soil connected with it for oxidation. It consists of long strips of grass and a layer of soil present under it.
To not rot out and remain fresh after installation, it is necessary to purchase the sod on the same day of harvesting. It will increase the chances of sod becoming installed and help it grow rapidly.
How to install sod?
Installing sod on your lawn is a tedious and time-consuming task, but this method is way better than sowing seeds and waiting where the chances of success remain doubtful. Moreover, the final look and freshness are worth your time and effort.
You can install sod once you remove the old grass from your lawn. The next step involves the preparation of soil and laying sod beds over the prepared soil.
After laying the sod, neat the edges and water it frequently. Fertilization is also necessary once you are done with the procedure. If you feel that any place is left exposed, without grass, cover it with seeds to fill the shady spots.
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What are the steps to install sod?
You can install sod by yourself by following these steps:
1. Take out the material required to install sod
It includes a soil test kit for knowing the soil, so you pick an appropriate sod for that. Organic matter prepares the soil and nourishes it well. Sod: that is our main material. Grass fertilizers that you will need after the sod. Hand towel.
There are various sorts of equipment that are designed for finishing and cutting, such as rototiller, spading fork, soil rake, carpet knife, stiff push broom, and lawn edger. The material for final finishing includes lawn roller and lawn sprinkler.
2. Measuring the area of the lawn for sod
Measuring the area of the lawn before you buy sod is very crucial. By knowing the area, you can buy an exact piece of sod that prevents you from spending extra money. However, it is advised to buy 5% extra sod so you can neatly cut it at the edges.
Buying sod by keeping in mind factors like hardness, sunlight, or shade, and the purpose of using the lawn, i.e., the harshness level, will help you to pick the best variety.
3. Remove previous grass
Laying sod on a rugged surface won’t work properly, so you need to remove old grass and a touch of old soil underneath. The goal is to make the soil level an inch below the encompassing surface so that sod can easily fit on that ground.
It can be done in the following steps:
- First, pick a sod cutter; it is a frame with a sharp blade.
- Cut the grasses from the roots.
- Lose the grass in long strips.
- Throw the old sod into the compost pile.
4. How to prepare the ground before sod?
- Preparing the soil before laying sod is the most important step because it will ensure the stability of the sod and how it will thrive in the future.
- The first step includes cultivating the organic matter in the soil. For this, you need to dig the soil to 6 inches and fill the organic matter to 2-3 inches. Organic matter is beneficial in increasing soil fertility and microbial activity that will thrive in the grass.
- Remove all the debris, weeds, and rocks from the surface and make it even.
- Level the soil a few inches below grade so that the combined width of sod and soil makes the required height.
- The finished soil should be grainy and damp, allowing the easy penetration of air and swift grip of roots.
- Water the soil well before a day so that the sod fits well.
5. Laying the sod
The next step involves laying sod along the straight edges. For this, you need to unroll the rolls of sod and start spreading it straight. Lay them all one by one from start to end. Make sure that the whole length connects with the soil underneath.
6. Finishing
Once you have laid down the sod, it is time to give the lawn and sod the final touchup. No matter how smoothly you have laid the sod beds, there will always the edges around the spaces that won’t be straight.
Don’t worry! We have a solution for that. Just fold back the excess sheet and cut out projections using a box cutter.
It seems that sod has reached its completion by looking at the outlook, but it is not because appearances are sometimes deceptive.
To make a firm connection between sod and soil, a lawn roller is required to push the sod firmly against the soil underneath.
Avoid too much walking on the sod for about a month so that the sod won’t settle down because of damp soil.
7. Watering the sod.
Water the sod regularly twice a day without missing. Watering the sod is the decisive stage because that will ensure the bondage between root and soil. Proper watering helps the roots attach to the soil and become lush and green in the future.
Continue this practice for a month and then reduce it considerably after four weeks. Make sure that the texture of the soil under the sod should be damp. Avoid extra sprinkling of water that will lead to the muddy ground.
To ensure this step, separate a corner of where you detach sod from the ground to check the water saturation level after sprinkling.
8. Fertilizing and overseeding
This step will tell how to maintain once you are done with sod installation.
The final step will help you give a wholesome look to your lawn. If you feel that there are some shady spots left, fill those places with seeds so that the grass will grow in that area as well.
Fertilize the lawn once it reaches at maturity of four weeks. Before this time, exposing sod to chemicals could be proved fatal.
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Conclusion
Making the lawn look luscious green can add tons to your house’s beauty and the area you have planted the artificial grass. Sod installation can save your time and effort and make your dream achievable.
Proper mowing and maintenance of the grass is the key to increasing your lawn’s shelf life.
Deo landscaping is always near you to provide their services to have a lawn greener, fresher, and more durable.
FAQ’s
Is installing sod difficult?
Nothing is difficult if you approach it with a proper method. Installing sod is a bit hectic because you have to perform all the steps within the day. After every step, giving yourself some rest will prevent fatigue and boost your activity.
Can you install sod on your own?
Yes, by following these steps, you can install sod yourself. It is time taking process that must be carried out with patience. If you rush a process, the results will appear on the growth and keeping of your lawn.
In another case, if you doubt your skills, you can consult a professional and buy their services for sod installation.
Sod installation cost
Sod costs between $0.30 to $0.83 per square foot on average if you are installing sod on your own because, in this case, you are just investing in sod.
If you have consulted a professional, it swelled from $0.87 to $1.76. So, applying it to the whole lawn will cost $400 to cover a 1,000-square-foot backyard.
You also need to spend on fertilizers to keep up with the maintenance. The cost of fertilizers adds another $5 to $10 to your budget.
Sod installation time
Sod installation consumes a different time range because it depends on various factors. It will vary from lawn to lawn, taking comparatively more time for big and edgy lawns.
On average, to cover an area of 600 square feet, a person will take approximately two hours. Laying sod does not take much time; it the edges where the most cutting is required, increasing the time from case to case.
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Preparing for laying out some sod sounds a lot more complicated than I thought. This does make me think some expert assistance will be required if we want an installation that goes well and won’t have any kind of complications. I’ll ask for some help from a local landscaper so it’s a lot easier for us to get our property decorated and prepared.