Turf Wars

Some important tips for turf installation… since a smooth, healthy lawn is not only practical, but dependable:

#1. Planning and prep-work is key:

-Use hard, clay (fill) dirt for leveling low spots. Nobody wants a soggy yard. Use a small amount of “promix” or garden mix for top-dressing.

-Taper the edges of the location of the new turf so it will lay flush with the outside of the area.

-Use the correct grass. “Palisades” zoysia only needs 3 hours of sun, filtered or full. Bermuda needs 6 hours. Fescue does great in shade, but will burn up and die in the summer.

#2. Fertilizing:

When laying new turf, use a “new lawn” fertilizer under, and on top, of the new grass.

#3. Laying the turf:

Lay in a checker-board pattern (especially on a hill) so that it will grow together evenly. Also, new turf may slide down a hill in a heavy rain, so this pattern, along with sod staples, will prevent this trouble.

#4. Watering and rolling:

Wet the yard, wait a few minutes for the water to soak in, and use a sod-roller to push the roots of the new grass down into the dirt. Too much air is bad for plant roots.

#5. Zoysia spreads!

It even takes over Bermuda… Many of our clients want a zoysia lawn, but don’t have an adequate budget for so many square feet. Very often we install zoysia in bare spots and let time take take effect on the rest of the lawn.

Did you know?

Turf can be installed all year long, even when it is “dormant” in the winter. We actually recommend this because it will become established without all the extra watering!

Top-dressing an existing lawn?

We recommend “promix” for bumpy yards. Sand should be used on very minor divots.