High Ground Farm

We’ve heard from some customers that they initially purchased the cheapest sod they could find, assuming that the brand is the most important part. For example, they believe that Tifway419 Bermuda is going to be the same quality, no matter where they purchase it. As is true for many things, the old adage, “You get what you pay for” applies to sod. First-time buyers, in particular, are more likely to believe they can buy cheap, low quality grass and improve it. While possible, this route is not economical. It takes months of work and usually ends up costing more to change bad grass to good grass than it would have cost to purchase quality turf to begin with. It’s a good idea for first-time buyers to ask friends and neighbors about their sod and get recommendations.

Depends on how nice you want it to look. Tifway419 is durable and drought-resistant, but if it doesn’t get enough water, it will blanch (lose color) and stop growing. Regular watering helps it put out dark green growth, giving it that characteristic color of healthy sod. Each sprinkler and irrigation method differs, so if you aren’t sure how much water your system uses per session, set out a rain gauge and measure it. This can help you determine how to manage your specific area. Is your grass losing color, not growing, and it’s mid-July in Alabama? Probably needs water.

Depends on your project. Tifway419 Bermuda is the industry standard for high-quality lawns and athletic fields. It is a durable, drought-resistant type of Bermuda sod with a fine leaf and a dark green color. It requires at least 7-8 hours a day of direct sunlight. If it is installed in a shady area, it won’t do well.

Measure your area – you can use feet or yards, just make sure that you are consistent. Multiply your length times width to get the total area squared. For example, if you have a rectangular-shaped area that is 20 feet on two sides and 25 feet on the other two sides, multiple 20 ft X 25 ft = 500 ft2. That means you need a little over one pallet (because one pallet covers 450 ft2). You might be wondering, but how do I measure if I have an area that is odd shaped and not a perfect rectangle or square? Estimate it as close as you can. Also, if there is a slope, you will need a little more grass than you might estimate at first – this is because you are measuring a 3-dimensional space using 2-dimensional measurements.

It depends. Usually, rolls are a good idea for larger orders (500 yards or more), while pallets are better for smaller orders (a few hundred square yards or less). Rolls are heavy and require equipment to move around and roll out, e.g., a front-end loading tractor, skid steer, or roll install machine. The machine needs to be able to get in and out of the space you are sodding – if there is a fence, there must be an opening large enough for the machine to enter/exit. In addition, rolls are 90 feet long – if the area you are sodding is smaller, the rolls are too long and will need to be chopped into pieces. Pallets would be easier to work with.

Put it down green-side-up! 🙂 The pieces of sod on a pallet are called “slabs”. Place the slabs right next to each other, without overlapping them, in a straight line to start your first row. For your second row, place slabs in another straight line just under Row 1. Stagger the slabs, like brick or tile, so that the seams of each piece do not line up with the seams of the pieces of Row 1. Next, for your third row, it’s okay for the seams to match back up with Row 1, you just don’t want them to align with Row 2. Continue for however many rows it takes to fill your area. Use any torn or split slabs (or cut a few slabs into halves or smaller) to fill in spaces around the edges where you are staggering the slabs or trimming around flower beds, etc.

Water, water, water! How well your new grass will do depends on how it is treated immediately after installation. Keep it damp-to-soaked for the first 3 days – you can lift the edge of a slab and see for yourself how well it is watered: take a screwdriver and poke it about 6 inches down into the soil – if there is a dry layer, better give it some water. Dry soil will suck the water away from your new grass. Within about 4 days, the roots will begin to attach and sound like Velcro when you lift an edge. You can see the little roots growing from the sod to the ground. This means the grass is doing well. It still needs to be watered regularly, but you don’t have to drench it as much as the early critical period.

There can be some dead grass/weeds if is scattered and less than 1 inch tall. Otherwise it should be landscaped to the topsoil, manually or with equipment like a power rake. When it comes to the terrain, slope, rockiness, etc., the shape should look like you want it prior to having sod installed. Installing Turfgrass is similar to installing carpet – a lumpy floor without carpet will still be lumpy when you lay the carpet on top! If your site has holes or big rocks before sod is installed, there will be holes and limps in the yard after the installed grass settles. Once your site is prepped, install sod ASAP on the newly landscaped ground because rain or wind can create ditches and ruts and erode topsoil away.

Mowing regularly (2-3 times a week) encourages bermuda to expend energy into growing out and getting thicker. The thicker it is, the harder it is for weed seeds to find a spot to take root. Nevertheless, weeds will find a way! Folks who want a perfect lawn will likely use chemical intervention to prevent weeds before they come up (pre-emerge), and to kill any (herbicide) that make it through. The type of pre-emerge or herbicide depends on the type of weed(s). Identify the weeds before you try to DIY it, so that you can use appropriate treatments. Always read and follow directions on the label.

It depends on the weather. When it first begins to frost, the grass will begin to go dormant – it will lose its color and stop growing. After a hard freeze, it will go completely dormant – this is typically at the end of October or early November. It typically comes out of dormancy around the end of April, when the temperature warms up.