Most people have little experience laying sod yet it is an important skill that increase the enjoyment and value of your property.
Everyone dreams of a lush green lawn free of weeds and brown patches of dry grass. Most of us drive around the neighborhood green (no pun intended!) with envy as we admire lawns that are well taken care of. We speak with our neighbors inquiring about different watering schedules and herbicides that might improve the health of grass. Even if you have $1 million home, if the landscaping and the grass are both subpar it brings down the value of the property.
There are two main ways to achieve the aesthetic beauty of luscious green grass. First of all, you can wait several months for planted seeds to sprout from the ground. The other option is to purchase and lay sod at any time during the year. In the harsh winter climates you cannot lay sod in the winter.
Laying sod is more expensive than planting grass as the raw materials are rather expensive. For example, if you visit a sod farm you will most likely pay between $400-500 in order to cover a 30′ x 30′ lawn which is the typical backyard for the American home. Although this sounds expensive one must remember that the sod has been grown by a farmer for almost 18 months before it is sold to the end consumer. The farmer is well compensated because he has risked destruction of his sod by pests and diseases that are all too common in the industry.
If you choose to hire professional landscaping company in order to lay the sod, the cost will generally rise to over a thousand dollars for a 900 ft.² backyard.
The main advantage of laying sod is that in two or three weeks you will have what looks like an award-winning lawn. Of course, maintenance is key in order to insure that the green grass does not become brown grass as the summer wears on. By using seeds that you sprinkle in your backyard it can take almost 2 months for a healthy lawn to emerge.
The second major advantage of laying sod is that it is generally more resistant to weeds, diseases and other nuisances that have a tendency to destroy lawns.
Most people are inexperienced with laying sod and subsequently end up doing a poor job. For this reason, many consumers feel that it is better to simply grow grass the old-fashioned way. Installing a sod lawn is both an art and a science and it is best to read some of our tips and tricks.
The most common mistake that people make prior to laying sod is that they do not measure the pH level of the soil in their backyard. If the soil is too acidic it is likely that the sod will dry out rather quickly. It is possible to take a soil sample and have the pH measured by a landscaping company or the sod vendor. The cost is only $20 in most states and it is a good investment for healthy, vibrant lawn.
Many people prefer to purchase directly from a farmer because they want to cut out the middleman. However, the prices found at garden centers like Home Depot and Lowe’s are generally competitive with most sod farms. The profit margins at these companies are usually less than 10% as they make most of their money on high-volume sales meaning that they can offer low cost sod.
When we’re asked for tips about how to lay sod, we always respond that it is most important to be well prepared. After the sod has been cut is important to lay it down in your backyard in the same day. The longer that the sod remains rolled up the back of a pickup truck more problems you are likely to encounter. Generally, you want to purchase 5 to 10% more sod than is necessary. For the typical American backyard of 900 ft.² you would usually buy 1000 ft.² of sod.
In order to lay sod like a professional you will need to rent a few tools. You can rent a sod cutter to cut your existing lawn. The idea here is to ensure that you dig up the roots of the old gross. You can rent a sod cutter from Home Depot for about $100 for the weekend. Many people also rent a rototiller which has a similar cost if you rent it from a major garden center. As you can see, the DIY approach to laying sod is almost as expensive as having the sod laid professionally. Of course if you have to pay your nephew or someone else to help you cut and lay the sod, the costs will end up being quite similar. Once you take into consideration the sod costs, the tool rentals and the labor, it can make a lot of sense to hire a professional landscaping company.