The best topsoil for sod is dark brown to black in color, even when dry. This coloration signifies high levels of organic matter in the soil, which means the soil will be full of nutrients and microbes that fuel grass growth. Topsoil that crumbles easily in the hand, is free of undecomposed vegetative matter, and is dark when dry is the best for the job.
If the soil level is too high, the grass will be higher than the paved surfaces after installation. This will cause paved areas to flood during rain or watering.
To avoid this:. Spreading several inches of new topsoil directly on top of old soil can increase the height of your yard, which can be detrimental to your home, garage, paved areas, and other structures.
To keep your yard from being swallowed by dirt, make sure you make room for the new topsoil first. Depending on your soil quality, you will need to add different amounts of topsoil. By spreading 2—4 inches of new topsoil, you will add enough rich soil that, when mixed with existing earth, creates a nutrient-rich habitat for new sod.
Measure your yard and order topsoil accordingly, to make sure you have an even layer of topsoil across every square foot. This performs two functions. First, it loosens the hard-packed soil underneath your new topsoil, making it easier for your sod to take root.
Second, it mixes the high-quality topsoil with lower quality soil, distributing organic matter and nutrients through your yard.
This loosened soil will now absorb watering and fertilizers much more easily, while hard-packed soil often forms a hard, dry, nutrient-poor barrier that prevents sod grass roots from developing. Recently tilled soil is too loose to lay sod directly. To do so:. Start by unrolling the sod to make a straight line. For the next row, place a roll so it will unroll in the right direction a couple of inches away from the previous roll. Unroll it and slide the sod together. Do not overlap or leave gaps.
Stagger the ends to avoid long seams. On steep hills lay the sod sideways across the hill rather than up and down. Do not roll the sod because rolling will compact the soil and make new root growth difficult. Outside edges of sod that do not butt up to anything should have a little soil raked up to the exposed edge to keep the edge from drying out. Begin watering when you can do so without making a muddy mess in the areas to be sodded.
It generally takes 30 minutes or longer to accomplish this. After a few hours, check the bottom of the sod to see if it is moist. If not, water more. If you make deep footprints, the sod is wet enough. Helpful Tips If you have final raked the soil, and it rains, you do not have re-rake it again, except to repair a washout.
If the temperature is above 85 and the soil is dry, wet the soil about 24 hours ahead of time enough so that when you lay the sod, the soil is still slightly damp. Dampened soil is cooler and the turf will root faster.
If you get rained out and have to quit for a while, do not cover the sod, let it breathe. As a rule, a person can lay about square feet of sod per hour. The rolls weigh about 35 pounds each, and there is no such thing as too much help. To add 1 foot of soil on the area, take the total square area, multiply it by one, then divide by 27 to convert the square feet into square yards. If you would like to add 6 inches of soil to the area, take the total square feet area, multiply by.
For 3 inches of soil, do the same only multiply the square area by. Receive timely tips, sales, events and education program information. Plus details on new arrivals here at the store. Click to Visit our Delivery Page SOD To figure out how much sod you need, measure out the area; get the length in feet and the depth in feet. Our Inventory See What's Growing. Thank you for growing with us for over 45 years!
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