How do I prepare my lawn for sod?
There is no better time to enhance your lawns ultimate beauty and success than by improving the soil before any planting takes place.
Benefits of proper and complete soil preparation
- Improved turf uniformity
- Increased turf density
- Faster recovery from wear
- Reduced use of water, fertilizer & chemicals
- Reduced maintenance
Why is good soil important?
For optimum growth grass needs just four things, in the proper balance, to grow: sunlight, air, water and nutrients. Reduce any of these, or provide too much of any one, and the grass may die or simply suffer. In the right proportions the grass will flourish providing not only beauty to the landscape but also a clean and safe place to play and many benefits to the environment.
Grass obtains three of these four essential factors (air, water and nutrients) from the soil. However, many soils are less than ideal for growing grass. Some soils contain too much clay and may be very compacted-- great for roads but bad for grass because air and water aren’t available to the roots and the roots can’t grow. Other soils may have too much sand-- beautiful on a beach but difficult to grow grass on because water and nutrients won’t stay in the root zone long enough for the plant to use them. Another frequently observed problem with many soils is that its pH (the degree of acidity or alkalinity) is too high or two low for optimum grass growth.
What's the best soil for growing turf?
Loams, sandy loams and loamy sands with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 are the very best soils for producing a beautiful, high-use, low-maintenance lawn. Unfortunately, this ideal soil mixture is seldom found on any property... especially after construction.
How deep should the soil be?
The absolute minimum depth of quality soil for a carefree lawn is 4 inches. However, for a deeper root penetration and the benefits that brings the accepted standard is 6 inches.
Can my soil be improved?
Practically without exception. Not only can most soils be improved, they usually need to be improved to get the maximum results with a minimum of maintenance.
The knowledge of what’s necessary, the amount and availability of materials and the immediate costs of time and money are the factors that typically deter people from taking the steps necessary to improve the soil. While some people don't fully understand the importance of good soils for grass, many also believe they can save time and money by ignoring the need to improve their lawn’s soil.
The fact is, failing to improve the soil before planting is only inviting a much greater and continual investment of both time and money that will never return its value as fully as preparing the soil properly before planting any grass.
Soil prep steps for the ultimate lawn
"The beauty is in the blades, but the ‘action’ is in the roots," is a good adage to remember when growing grass. Thus, the value of proper site preparation and soil improvement, before any planting takes place, is that it will be easier for the grass roots to penetrate deeply and evenly. Deep roots will make the lawn more drought resistant, a more efficient water and nutrient user and more dense as new grass plant shoots emerge. A dense lawn crowds out weeds and better resists insects and disease.
Follow these steps for a beautiful, healthy and trouble-free lawn:
- Clear the site of all building materials (wood, cement, bricks, etc.), as well as any buried stumps, rocks, stones or other debris that is larger than 2 inches in diameter.
- Rough grade the entire area to eliminate any drainage problems on the property. This includes sloping the grade away from building foundations, eliminating or reducing severe slopes and filling low-lying areas. A tractor-mounted blade or box blade are most often used for rough grading or a heavy duty rake on smaller sites. The rough grading will probably uncover more debris that should be removed and not buried.
- Till the soil to a depth of at least 2 inches. This should be completed prior to adding any topsoil or soil amendments. This will control most annual weeds, alleviate subsoil compaction and permit a bonding of the topsoil to the subsoil. It will also improve root penetration and water movement.
- Add topsoil (or LinGrow Compost) to achieve a total topsoil depth of 4-6 inches after firming. To the extent possible, practical, affordable and available incorporate humus (fully decomposed organic matter) into the topsoil.
- Test the soil pH with a chemical soil test to determine if any pH correction materials are required.
- Acidic soils (pH of 6 and below) can be improved with the addition of lime. The type and amount of applied lime will be determined by the level of acidity and should be based on the recommendations of a reliable garden center or turf professional.
- Alkaline soils (pH of 7.5 and higher) can be improved with the addition of sulfur or gypsum. As with acidic soil correction materials, the type and amount of materials will be determined by the level of alkalinity and should be based on professional recommendations.
- Apply "starter" fertilizer that is high in phosphate (P, or the middle number on a bag of fertilizer). Ideally, this fertilizer should be worked into the top 3-4 inches of soil but can also be left on the surface.
- Finish grade the entire site, maintaining the rough grading contours and slopes, with a tractor-mounted box blade on large areas or heavy-duty rake on smaller sites.
- Roll the area with a lawn roller one third full of water to firm and settle the surface and reveal any low spots that should be filled to match the surrounding grade surface. If time permits, allow the area to settle further with rainfall or by applying irrigation water.