Getting Started With Lawn Sod Installation
If you’re looking to reshape your lawn, consider hiring a professional for sod installation. You’ll save money and time, and you won’t have to do the tedious work yourself.
Getting started with sod installation requires some basic skills and equipment. You’ll need a straight-edged spade and a garden knife to trim the sod. Start with the outer edges of your yard. Lay down the sod in horizontal rows, ensuring that there are no gaps between the rows.
Next, you’ll need to condition the soil. This means tilling the existing soil to a depth of about two inches. This helps to loosen the soil and encourage root growth. Depending on the type of soil, you may need to add a layer of topsoil. The layer should be about 2 to 4 inches thick. You can also add organic matter to the soil to increase its water-holding capacity.
After you’ve taken care of the heavy lifting, you’re ready to lay the sod. You’ll want to lay it in a rectangular shape. If your yard is unusually shaped, you might need to get creative. If you have a hill or a large tree, you’ll need to fit the sod around the obstacle. Using a rototiller can help you do this.
To make sure your sod sticks, lay down the new sod in a shady area. This will keep it from drying out. However, you shouldn’t lay it on hot, dry, or unlevel ground. If the ground is too rough, the sod will have a rough look. You’ll need to water heavily to ensure that the grass roots are growing properly.
Whether you’re installing sod yourself or hiring a professional, you’ll need to measure your lawn. Generally, the larger the yard, the more you’ll need to pay. Square or rectangular yards are less expensive to install than yards with curved or irregular edges. In addition, if you’re planning on hardscaping in the lawn area, the cost will rise.
The best time to install sod is when the weather is mild and cloudy. The sod will be more likely to stick if the surface is damp and shady. Aside from the obvious, you’ll need to measure the area and the best spot for the sod delivery. If you’re installing sod on the edge of your yard, you’ll need to remove the existing dirt or rocks.
The most important part of any good sod installation is the soil. Depending on the soil, you’ll need to add topsoil and rototille it to a depth of at least two inches. You’ll also need to fertilize the soil. A good starter fertilizer should be high in phosphate. You might also want to add dolomitic lime based on the results of your soil test.
If you’re a whiz at landscape design, you might even have an idea of how many square feet of sod you need. For an average-sized backyard, you can estimate how much sod you need by multiplying your measurements by nine.
