Laying a new lawn increases the beauty of the property as well as improves the value of your property. Sod installation is very effortless once you decide and prepare the yard. Sod is grass which is planted by seed on special farms. They are then harvested by cutting a thin layer of soil which is generally the top soil. Sods are then stacked or rolled and directly used for installation in yards. The installation of sods should be done as soon as possible to avoid the grass from drying.
Once the area for installing the sod is decided the next step is to clean the yard of any debris. The area should be readied by breaking and loosening the soil. Spread fertilizer on the soil regardless of the time of the year. With help of a rake you can spread the fertilizer into the soil. Moisten the soil if it is dry and lay the sods. All edges of the sods should be joined firmly and avoid overlapping, as it will cause uneven surface. You may notice the color of each sods are different, this is due to the way sods were stacked before sod installation. This color will even out once you start watering them. The sods need to be rolled to ensure good contact with the soil.
Once the sods are laid water them regularly and do not allow them to dry. After 10 days of installation you can water them once a week or install a sprinkler for even watering. You should mow a new lawn about a week after sod installation. Newly laid lawns takes some period before mowing, since it takes time for the roots to be established. Lawns which are seeded will take at least 2 months to mow. In case of sod, they are ready to mow in a week’s time. Make sure if the roots of the sods are firmly fixed into the soil before beginning the mowing process, this is to avoid any tearing of the sods surface.
Mowing of the sod for the first time should be done very carefully. You need to check if the roots are firmly fixed and take care to keep the mowers blades little on the higher side than its normal operation. Any newly seeded lawn should be cut according to the height which is recommended by the grower which is 3 inches. Anything more than 3 inches will make your lawn looking like a field. You should not remove more than 1/3rd of the grass blade while you mow. Once the grass reaches 4.25 inches it is advisable to cut them to maintain the 3 inches. This will reduce your work of cutting the excess grass less cumbersome. The more the length of grass, the more difficult will be the mowing process. Cutting of grass or sods which are less than 2 inches could prove to be a disaster for the new sod or lawn. If the sod pieces come off when you pull it, is the sign that the sods are not ready to mow. For mowing the sods for the first time it is ideal to allow the grass to grow more than the ideal length. Cut off only 1/3rd of the blade for the first time.
Lawns once laid need to be trimmed regularly to avoid any damage. By proper maintenance and watering you can have a very beautiful lawn in your homes. All this can be achieved in just two weeks time of laying the lawn.
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