Jumpstart Your Yard with Sod Through New York Plantings Gardening Tutorial

If you are thinking about renovating your lawn and want to see results in a snap; then laying sod is the way to go. Growing a lawn from seed is time consuming and you don’t get a finished product for weeks, not to mention is also a hassle. Sod are now be pre-produced by garden suppliers and installed on your lawn. Depending on the size of your lawn, you can have a brand new lawn in as little as one day! We would like to share to you how you can renovate your lawn using sod. Here are some steps on how to lay sod.

Laying of sod in a front yard in Long Island

First things first; preparing the area. You will need to remove existing vegetation with a sod cutter. Using a sod cutter will ensure that your area is relatively smooth and even for the new sod to lie on. Once the vegetation is removed, the area will need to be smoothed and leveled by using a landscape rake. When you are leveling the area keep in mind that your sod will probably be an inch or so thick. So when you are leveling by driveways and walkways you will want the soil to be a little lower than the edge. Also keep in mind that if you are laying sod on loose soil, there would be some settling over time.

Laying sods in a straight line

Once the area is prepped you can then begin laying the sod. In order to do as little cutting as possible, you should lay in straight lines. So for instance, start on a straight driveway edge or sidewalk edge. If you do not have any straight edges to work off, use a string to lay the first line. Make sure that the sod pieces are as tight together as possible and be sure to stagger the pieces from row to row (as if you were laying out bricks). If you are laying sod on a hil,l be sure to use sod staples (at least 2 per piece) and lay the sod down the hill, not across. If you lay it across, the sod will slip down the hill easier.

Making sure sods are straight

As you are laying the pieces out, use a piece of plywood to kneel on so that the prepared surface soil would not get disturbed. If the soil is disturbed, use the landscape rake to smooth out the surface. When you come to an object (a tree or a driveway for instance) make sure you have a sharp knife to cut the sod (tip: do all the cutting last and just lay the sod over each object or up against it). Although if you have a sprinkler system make sure those are cut out as you go. You will be sorry if you miss any.

As you are laying the sod, keep an eye on the moisture level. You may have to start watering the sod while still installing them. The seams will dry out first. A simple impact sprinkler would work just fine. Move it every 15 to 20 minutes depending on the moisture level. The sod should not be sopping wet, just moist.

Once you are finished laying the sod and all the cuts have been made, all that’s left to do is to make sure that it is watered frequently for the first few weeks. Once the roots have penetrated the soil then you will not need to water as much. You can check periodically just by tugging on it lightly. Also depending on the time of year you are laying the sod, a starter fertilizer should be applied to get the roots going. (a 5-10-5 would be a good starter fertilizer to use).

Almost done in laying sods

New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape Contractors are also here to help you in renovating your lawn. We could actually do the job for you.  We specialize in Asian Garden Design and offer other services such as artificial lawn installation, front yard and backyard beautification, outdoor carpentry and masonry projects. We also offer irrigation services, such as sprinkle system installation, drip irrgation and other irrigation system that is right for your garden.

If you have any questions about this article or want your lawn renovated or have a garden on your own, feel free to contact julian@newyorkplantings.com or call 347 558 7051 or visit www.newyorkplantings.com for more information about our services.