Lawns and yards are interesting garden spaces. They tend to fade into the background but they’re still central to successful landscaping. They require a lot of care and knowledge to look their best, but they don’t produce fruit or flowers. It’s an peculiar garden space, but one that contributes a lot—in addition to providing a smooth grass surface, well-maintained lawns also prevent erosion, runoff, and puddling/pooling. Installing a lawn can be a challenge; seeding grass or other ground cover is time consuming and often gives spotty results. Sod provides a solution to those issues by directly installing established grass and the top layer of dirt together. This creates an immediate functional lawn surface and while it does require some attention before, during, and after installation it needs far less than a seeded lawn. So let’s dig in and learn a bit about the selection, installation, and care of sod.
What is Sod?
Sod is yet another gardening and landscaping term that everyone uses without fully understanding what it means. Sod—also called “turf” in some parts of the world—is the upper layer of densely growing grass or ground cover and the soil beneath it Typically held together by the grass’s roots, the soil layer can vary widely in thickness depending on the type of grass and the grade of sod.
For landscaping purposes, sods is grown on sod farms, cut to a uniform size, and then sold on to landscapers and consumers to be installed as ground cover. A wide variety of grass species can be used for sod, depending on the soil and climate at the site of installation or the intended use of the sod. Golf courses have some of the most complex sod selection and turf care procedures going, but we don’t need to worry about those when selecting sod for a yard or lawn at our home!
What Kind of Sod Should We Buy?
If you have a yard or other outdoor area that needs sod, you may want to start by learning a bit about what kind of sod is right for your use case. As sod is nearly always installed on bare soil, soil conditions are an important factor in sod selection. Climate is another vital consideration, as the temperature and precipitation cycles of your locale determine in part which kind of grass will thrive there.
Dear readers, we did some reading about different types of grass and different varieties of sod and there are so, so many. Sods and lawn grasses are an art and a science unto themselves, and we really recommend consulting with your local cooperative extension office or garden club to learn more about which is right for you. Centipede grass, Bermuda grass, and St Augustine grass are three popular choices that should work in most places. Zosiyagrass is a newer varietal that is growing in popularity, so you may see that suggested as well. All four turf varietals are reasonably easy to care for, although they do vary in terms of their cold tolerance and how they should be mowed.
Installing Sod
Let us say right up front that this is only a basic overview of what goes into installing and caring for new sod. Different types of sod, different soil and climate conditions, and different weather at the time of installation all change how we care for new sod, so please find and follow the instructions that are most appropriate for your needs. Typically, however, installing new sod goes something like this:
· Prep the soil well before the sod arrives on site. Soil should be leveled and firmed (compacted just enough to allow good root growth) a day or two before the sod is installed. This is the time to add any needed soil amendments, so don’t forget to have your soil tested! The soil should be free of debris, watered but not soaked, and hospitable to new sod. Any irrigation or sprinkler system should be installed and working before the sod is installed.
· Select the right variety of sod for you, and buy from a reputable supplier. Cheap sod will deliver spotty results. Remember that sod is a living organism, and requires care all through the process. If allowed to overheat or dry out, it will die. Have your sod delivered and installed in a timely manner, keep it well watered and in the shade when possible. A light breathable cover may help as well.
· Make sure you buy enough sod for your needs. In the United States, a pallet of rolls of sod typically contains 450 to 700 square feed of sod depending on the grade and varietal. Standards vary, however, so double check with your supplier.
· If you’re hauling your sod yourself, remember that soil and grass are both heavier than they look. Don’t overload your vehicle, your wheelbarrow, or yourself!
· Install your sod when the temperatures are relatively cool—early in the day is best! Rake the surface of the soil prior to installation and water lightly. Double check everything before you start laying your sod. Once the sod goes down, it is much more difficult to fix any problems that emerge.
· Now it’s time to start laying your sod! It’s a bit like installing flooring. Start with a straight edge like the side of a building, a sidewalk, or a driveway and work from there. This helps keep everything straight. Avoid stretching pieces of sod; it’s better to cut another piece to fit an odd space than it is to try and stretch one piece to fit. Stagger the seams in a brick-like pattern to avoid creating seams in your finished lawn. Take your time and keep both yourself and your sod as cool and hydrated as possible.
· Water frequently both during and after installation for best results. If you’re sodding a large area, you may want to take breaks from sodding to thoroughly water each section after installation. Frequent watering is essential for success after the sod is in place too. Like all plants, grass is prone to transplant shock and keeping it well watered helps the sod adjust and the roots get established.
It sounds like a lot of work, and it can be. However sod provides results that seeding grass doesn’t, and it allows you more control over what kind of grass you get and how you install and care for it. If you have an outdoor soil space that needs ground cover, sod is definitely something to consider. If you know more than we do about sod or sod care, get in touch! We have so many questions and we’d love to learn more. Gardzen is all about community and we love to hear from you!
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