How To Make Your Turf Installation Look Great

Everyone wants to have a beautiful carpet of green in their yard, and it is really hard to wait all summer for grass seed to sprout and be strong enough to walk on. That is why so many people prefer to have turf installation. It only takes a couple of weeks for the sod to root before you can start using it like you would any established lawn. Laying sod also cuts down on the amount of weeds that will pop up while the grass is taking root. There are a lot of benefits to the instant lawn.

Before you install grass on your property, you have to prepare the area first. This is the same whether you seed or use turf installation. If your budget doesn't allow for turf installation, you can seed most types of grass. This will take much longer; sometimes it can be three to four weeks before the seeds germinate. After that you have to wait for it to grow taller and thicker before you can use it. If you seed your lawn, be prepared to wait for two months or more before your lawn is useable.

To prepare the yard for turf installation, you have to follow a few steps. If you don't give attention to the details before your lay the sod, you will regret it for years. You can't easily fix low spots or bumps once your grass is established. You also can't amend the soil once you have a fully established lawn. Preparation before you put the grass in is essential if you want the lawn to look great in the years to come.

To prepare your yard for turf installation you need to rototill the soil. The soil needs to be loosened, and you should try to get at least 6 to 8 inches deep. You can amend the soil as you are rototilling. If you can add two inches of compost on the areas you plan to plant grass, this will help the soil to have organic matter that will make it easier for the roots of the grass to grow in. You can also add fertilizer at this time. You should till the compost in so that it incorporates with the soil. Once you have finished tilling the area, you need to level it out. This is a labor intensive job, but one that can't be skipped without noticeable problems later. Some crews that do turf installation will do all of this work for you as part of their installation fee. If you are doing it on your own, use a large landscape rake. These get the job done much more quickly than a regular rake. After you have raked it smooth you should water it lightly. This will settle the soil and let you see
if there are any areas that need to have more attention.

After the ground is leveled you can have your sod delivered. You want to begin the turf installation at the back of the yard. You want to avoid walking on the sod after you roll it out. Begin rolling the sod out, snugly fitting each piece against the next. You want to complete one row before you begin the next row. The rolls of sod need to be staggered so that their seams don't match up.

After you have installed the sod you need to water it properly. It can't be allowed to dry out because this will kill the roots. It will take at least one week, usually two, for the roots to grow into the prepared soil.


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River Mifsud is a subject matter expert on of growing grass. Visit http://returf.com.au/buffalo-grass/ for more information about buffalo grass.