The Rock Pile offers a 4-way bluegrass blend sod from our farm supplier in Michigan. The varieties included in the blend are Midnight I, Midnight II, Abbey, and Coventry. This blend helps to ensure the success of your new lawn through better drought tolerance and disease resistance. The sod is cut in rectangular pieces 2 feet wide and 5 feet long so it is 10 square feet. Bluegrass performs best in full sun or light shade so it’s great for most residential sites.
So where to begin? We’ll go through six basic steps to get your new lawn ready for that summer get-together in a hurry.
1) Measure the area you’ll need for the sod. This is done by measuring the length times the width to get your square footage. Allow at least a 5% fudge factor for irregular shapes.
2) Prepare the area for sod. Make sure the area is clear of large rocks, sticks and other debris. Make sure the area is graded away from foundations and fill low areas with topsoil so that drainage problems are eliminated. Till the existing soil at least 2 inches before you add topsoil or amendments. Add topsoil if your soil isn’t easy to work. A lot of the soil in our area is heavy clay so the addition of up to 4” of topsoil might be needed. Apply a “starter fertilizer” like our Spring Valley 18-24-12 and lightly work the fertilizer in to the top 2 inches of the soil. This puts the phosphorus, the “24” in 18-24-12 where it is needed in the root zone of the sod. Lightly tamp the soil so that the smooth sod layer and soil marry in contact.
3) Get ready to unroll your Rock Pile sod as soon as you arrive home. Rolled sod can superheat and literally cook. No one wants cooked sod so get ready to get going.
4) Laying Rock Pile Sod. Start at a straight line such as the driveway if possible. Lay the sod out as if it were a rug making sure that all edges are butted tightly together. Avoid gaps between pieces and do not overlap pieces either. Where possible, stagger the sod pieces in brick-like fashion so that butted seams are less evident. For curved areas use a large and sharp knife or square shovel to create the desired shape. Tamp or lightly roll the area if possible to ensure good sod/soil contact. The better the sod was installed the better the initial sod/soil contact will be. Yes, normal foot traffic is fine (no football games) right away.
5) Begin watering right away. You can gauge watering by putting an empty coffee can or the like about ½ a foot away from the sprinkler. At the 1” mark move the sprinkler to the next area to be watered. Be mindful of “hot spots” near buildings and drives as they may dry faster than the center of the lawn. Keep the area watered well the first year through regular monitoring. Morning watering is better than evening watering but watering a newly sodded lawn trumps time of day.
6) Your newly sodded lawn can be mowed about 12 days after installation. Be sure the area is not soggy before mowing. It is better to cut grass in the evening but try not to take more than a 1/3 of height per mowing with a sharp blade. Mowing your new sod lawn regularly is more important than time of day. Don’t let the lawn “get away” from you.
After a few short weeks your lawn will be summer-ready. Let the games begin!
