Warm season is a great time for sod installation

June 23, 2010

By Gary Pike Lake Oconee Breeze Lake Oconee Breeze Wed Jun 23, 2010, 08:00 AM EDT

LAKE OCONEE — The warm season is a great time to install sod. You can have an instant lawn or you can cut the sod into smaller pieces, place it throughout the yard, and let it spread together. The new growth will fill in the gaps and give you a nice yard over time. Sod is also great to fill in bare areas in the yard. When installing sod it is a good idea to prepare the soil and add soil amendments, if the soil is poor. It is important to break-up or rake the ground before installing the sod to help the new roots to penetrate the ground faster. Adding Lawn Starter fertilizer to help establish the roots quickly is also a good idea.

Make sure that you choose the correct sod for your conditions. Study how much sun and shade your yard gets daily. For sunny areas, you can use Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede and St. Augustine sod. For shady conditions, Zoysia and St. Augustine sods are the best choices. In deeper shade, most sods will struggle so you may want to consider using ground covers or shrubs in those areas.

There are several types of sod available. Bermuda is fast growing and generally the most inexpensive of the grasses. Since it grows quickly, it will require more maintenance. Centipede is another good sod grass; it is low growing and spreads quickly. It does require a special fertilizer and weed control made specifically for Centipede grass. St. Augustine is very similar to Centipede and requires the same care. The grass blades are wider and it will grow well in shady areas. Zoysia is a lower maintenance grass since it is a slow grower and stays thick. There are several varieties of Zoysia to choose from depending on your needs and preferences.

Make sure you “water-in” your new sod completely after installing it to give it a good start. Check with the nursery professionals for sod availability and installation advice. Most importantly be sure to get proper water instructions for your new lawn.

Happy Gardening.

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