What is Landscaping Sod?
Landscaping sod is a useful material for many different instances, but if you’re a regular homeowner who’s never done anything extensive with their yard, would you know what sod is? Sod is not complicated like many other landscaping materials. It’s simply real grass on top of a small layer of soil. It’s all held together by its own root system and biodegradable material.
When you lay it down, it can fill spots completely devoid of grass and lets you skip the part where you wait for the grass to grow. It is difficult sometimes for the sod to fit in irregular shapes. You’ll have to cut it into pieces rather than just laying it down, but it will work the same.
When Should You Use Landscaping Sod?
While landscaping sod can be used for any occasion, that doesn’t mean it's the best option. These situations are where sod is the best option overall:
- When you need to quickly establish a lawn, and planting seeds isn’t fast enough or would be blown away.
- Near hillsides and construction sites that are prone to increased erosion. Having grown grass, especially sod, can help slow and even prevent most erosion.
- When there’s a drought or a heat wave and you need to improve the cooling.
- During flood season, when you need better water drainage into the ground.
Are There Different Types of Sod?
The different types of landscaping sod have different types of grass growing through their system. Some examples include:
- Bermuda grass
- Bella bluegrass
- St. Augustine grass
- Centipede grass
- Covington grass
If there’s a type of grass, there’s probably a sod for it. This way, you can have the most popular and best grasses growing out of your lawn in no time.
How Do You Prepare Your Yard for Landscaping Sod?
You can’t just lay down sod wherever or whenever you want. The laying down process is easy, but the preparation process takes a bit more time to think about. First, you want to go through your lawn and remove as much of the old grass weeds as possible, even beyond where you want to place sod. In the case of weeds, they can spread to your sod since sod is fertile soil. When it comes to old grass, it might be better to lay down more sod than you need to protect the lawn section that’s having trouble growing.
Then you need to inspect the state of your soil once all the grass and weeds are gone. You may need to add an amendment, compost, or other soil to get it ready. Once you do that, or if you don’t need to, you’ll want to grade the soil so it’s level and has proper drainage.
Lastly, if you don’t live somewhere with a good amount of rainfall, you’ll need to have sprinklers or another source of water that will provide for the sod. It doesn’t need to be overwatered, but it does need consistent watering.
How Do You Care for Landscaping Sod in the Ground?
Sod is different from a typical lawn in its aftercare. It does not have a root system that has grown into the ground, but rather one that sits on top of the ground. The water is supposed to make sure the sod stays and grows its root system into your natural ground. Eventually, it won’t be much different, but that takes time.
- First Week of Care: Water your sod consistently, three to four times a day for five to ten minutes.
- Second Week of Care: Every day, water the grass for 30 minutes, or twice if it appears that your lawn isn’t retaining the water well enough.
- Third Week of Care: Now, you can start mowing it at least once a month, at 3/4 the height of your lawn, and never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blades. Continue to do this until you reach six weeks.
- Sixth Week of Care: Fertilize your sod so that it completely joins your lawn.
Contact Pioneer Landscape Centers for Help With Your Sod
If you’re looking for an alternative to planting new grass, consider laying down sod. Caring for sod is different than caring for newly planted grass, but not more difficult if you do what you’re supposed to do. It’s the perfect option to get your lawn to appear beautiful and green on short notice. If you need help or have any questions, please contact our experts at your local Pioneer Landscape Centers.