Measuring & Ordering
Using a tape, measure the area of your
planned lawn. Include these measurements on a drawing of
your lawn area. Include the length, width and any unusual
features. We will be happy to determine the amount of sod
you will need using your drawing and measurments.
Preparation
Remove all debris from the area. Grade
and shape area to desired contours. Peat Moss can be added
to improve the composition of the soil. Use 2 to 4 bales of
6 cu. ft. size per 100 sq. metres if desired. Top Soil
should be available to a depth of 8 to 10 cm. If this amount
of top soil is not available, it must be added. Prepare the
soil by rototilling to a depth of 8 to 10 cm. rototilling
first one way, and then the other way. Add Fertilizer at the
rate of 10 Kilograms per 100 sq. metres and rototill or rake
to a depth of 5 cm. Recommended fertilizer 5-20-20 or
similar ratio. Rake top 3 cm. to a smooth, even surface, and
roll lightly to show up any depressions. Sod should be laid
as soon as possible. In no case later than 24 hours after
delivery.
Installation
Have the ground completely prepared
before you order your sod.
People who are not accustomed to
physical labour should pace themselves accordingly and if
necessary get help from friends.
Stack the sod in the shade, or cover
with moist burlap, if not laid in 8 hours.
Locate a straight line, such as a curb
or driveway, or run a taut string up the middle of the area
to be sodded.
Work along this line to establish the
first row.
With a rake, smooth the area
immediately ahead of sodding.
Lay in Brick-Work fashion.
Make sure all joints are butted
tightly together without overlapping.
Staking is advisable on extreme
slopes.
To fit non rectangular edges, and
small areas, cut the sod with a knife or hatchet.
Go over the area with a one-third
filled roller to press the roots to the soil.
Saturate the area with water
immediately. One litre of water in the first hour does more
than six litres three hours later.
Your newly sodded lawn generally needs
mowing after 6-7 days. Now that you have established your
lawn of freshly cut sod, grown by a qualified nursery sod
grower you must decide how good a lawn you want.
If it is to be a top maintenance lawn
you should follow the entire program outlined below. If you
want a minimum maintenance lawn, attention to the first
three points is sufficient.
Feeding your Lawn
The amount of fertilizer for any
particular lawn depends on the fertility of the natural
soil, the degree of growth you want, and the type of grass
that you are growing.
Bluegrass requires from 2 to 3
kilograms of actual nitrogen: 1 to 1.5 kilograms of actual
phosphorous, and the same of potasium per 100 square metres
per year. Fertilizer applications are determined by the
amount of nitrogen they contain, because nitrogen is the
most difficult of the three materials to handle. We
recommend any special turf type fertilizer made by a
reputable manufacturer using a controlled release nitrogen.
This will provide you with a well balanced feeding for your
lawn and the fertilizer will release slowly. You should
apply about half the annual amount in the spring, and the
remaining half in the early summer and fall. Be sure to
follow the instructions on the bag. Always water the
fertilizer in to prevent burning.
Mowing your Lawn
Mowing is one of the most important
operations in the maintenance of a fine lawn. Proper mowing
will make a good lawn look better, improper mowing can ruin
a good lawn in just a few weeks. The most important point to
remember is to keep the mower blades sharp. Nothing defaces
grass more quickly than a dull mower. Remove all objects
from the lawn before you mow, to prevent injury to others,
and to prevent damage to the mower.
Don’t let your lawn grow so tall that
it falls over, for it will be difficult to mow and it will
smother out.
Never remove more than 3 cm. of the
leaf height at any one time. We recommend mowing of
Bluegrasses and Fescues at a height of 4 cm. You can
determine the height of your mower blade by placing it on a
driveway or sidewalk, and measuring the distance between the
blade and the sidewalk.
You should remove clippings that clump
so that they don’t smother the grass.
Watering your Lawn
In the summertime, lawns generally
require about 25 mm. of water every week. Bluegrass however,
does go dormant during dry seasons - the grass may turn
brown, but will green up again when it is watered.
A good rule to follow is this: If you
water, do it regularly. Apply 25 mm. every week (including
rain) at one setting of the sprinkler. Water evenly and
slowly enough so that it penetrates without run off.
Too much water can be as harmful as
not enough. Soil that is continually soaked does not allow
air to reach the root zone where it’s required. Avoid
frequent light waterings which result in shallow rooting.
Controlling Weeds
The best weed control is a good,
healthy turf. When your lawn is thick and vigorous, weeds
simply have no place to get started . . . and you have no
problem. In renovating lawns, however, or even in
established lawns that have had lapses in maintenance, weeds
do have a way of intruding.
Controlling Disease
Healthy turf will withstand
infestation and recover faster than neglected turf. Here are
some guides for healthy turf:
1. Use enough fertilizer to keep grass
growing vigorously - but avoid the extreme of over
stimulation.
2. Mow before the grass gets too tall.
3. Cut no more than 3 cm. of the leaf
surface at any one time.
4. Keep your mower sharp.
5. Don’t allow clippings to accumulate
to the extent that they form a mat.
6. Remove thatch as required.
7. Avoid frequent waterings which tend
to keep the grass wet.
Relieving Compacted Turf
Soil compaction is a problem which
develops naturally under many conditions. Heavy soils and
heavy traffic zones are particularly subject to compaction.
If soil is trampled, especially when it is wet, compaction
will very likely occur.
To relieve compaction without
excessive injury to grass plants has been a formidable chore
until recent years when power driven aerators were
developed. Today, aerators of many types and sizes are
available.
They usually have prongs or knives
which pierce the sod to a depth of 5 cm to 7 cm, or they
have hollow tines that extract plugs of soil. In either
case, the effect is to open up or "aerate" the soil,
allowing water, air, and nutrients to reach the turf roots.
If you are an average homeowner, you
may not want to invest in aeration equipment. You will be
wise, however, to give your lawn the benefits of aeration.
Call your landscaper or garden centre for information on
lawn services or rental companies that have appropriate
units.
The gratifying results achieved from
aeration - plus the savings realized in water and
fertilizer, will easily justify the cost.
Renovating Worn Turf
Turf renovation through use of
vertical mowers and aerators was once largely limited to
golf courses and athletic fields. Now, it has become a
common practice for other turf areas, including home lawns.
Fall renovation is in order where it
is practical to renew or rejuvenate turf that has been
abused but it is still in reasonably good shape. Since roots
grow best in the Fall and early Spring, loosened soil and
fertilizer are most needed at these times to encourage turf
growth.
The best practice, of course, calls
for a continuous management program to prevent deterioration
to the extent that it requires renovation. Such a program
would include: elimination of compaction; application of
fertilizer and moisture as grass needs it; and good weed
control practices.
Thatch and Thatch Control
Thatch in turf is the accumulation of
old leaves, clippings, stems, roots, and other organic
material which has failed to decay. Thatch sheds water
rather than letting it percolate into the grass root zone.
It may harbour fungus and other diseases, as well as insect
pests, and may make fertilizer applications ineffective.
One of the answers to the thatch
problem is a vigorous raking. This is difficult to do by
hand. A much easier way is to use a powered vertical mower
which is self-propelled and equipped with hardened steel
blades. It cuts out the thatch and thins matted growth. If
desired, you can set the blades low enough to touch the
soil; the scarifying action is an ideal pre-seeding
treatment for bare or thin areas that need over-seeding.
Controlling Insects
Unlike diseases, which must be
prevented, insects are usually controlled after they appear.
It is important that you recognize them quickly before they
do too much damage.
A common insect that you should watch
for is the white grub. Grubs live in the soil under the
grass. If you suspect their presence in your lawn, remove a
block of sod and count the grubs. If you have as many as
five per 1/10 sq. metre, treat your lawn with nematodes.
The sod web worm is a lively brown
worm about 2 cm. long that feeds on grass and causes grass
to turn brown. Chinch Bugs are small black insects about 1/2
cm. in length that suck the juices from the grass plant. The
damage shows large irregular yellowish brown patches,
usually along the edge of a sidewalk, curb or foundation.
