Rototill or spade the soil to a depth of 4". Smooth the soil with a rake; removing sticks, stones, roots and other debris. Level the soil with this rake to your desired grade and roll if possible. Then, come back and rake lightly once more to fill in any low spots. Leave the grade 1 1/2" below sidewalks or driveways to allow you to mow without scalping or having to trim frequently.
Start at a straight line, such as a driveway or sidewalk, but parallel with the street for best eye appeal. If needed you can use a string starting line. Stagger the joints in each row like bricks or roofing. Make sure all joints are butted tightly together - without overlapping or spaces between strips of sod. Use a sharp knife to shape sod around tree rings or edging bordering flower-beds. Always use a plastic edging where a distinct border is desirable, otherwise the sod will grow into these areas very rapidly. Rolling at this point is optional. Heavy watering will bring the sod down to the original grade.
Before starting to water the section you have just laid, now is the time to fertilize. Using a rotary fertilizer spreader, we recommend using Huber's 12-4-8 fertilizer at the rate of 1 - 40 lb. bag for every 2,500 square feet. Then, start watering until you put down a full inch or until it starts to puddle before moving the sprinkler. As you can imagine, clay or peat sod would not allow you to do this and still get a uniform penetration of the water and fertilizer. Use a straight-sided glass, sitting in the lawn to measure and inch of water put out by your sprinkler. Keep track of how long it takes, as you can use it from now on(you always want to put on 1" of water per application even after the sod is established).
After the sod is installed, the next two weeks are very critical. Every day you should lift a corner of the sod and make sure that it is damp enough to wait until the next day. Depending on the time of year, sun, wind, etc., you can normally water every other day, but always remember to water deep. The sod should start rooting down in 4 or 5 days.
In about 7 days after installation, it should be rooted down enough so it won't move on you. At this point, the grass should be about 3" tall and it is time to mow down to 2". Let the ground dry moderately so you won't make indentations. Never cut more than one-third of the blade off or you will "scalp" the turf, which sets it back quite a bit. From now on, maintain a 2" height of cut to achieve a uniform, healthy lawn.
At last, now that your lawn is established, set up a regular fertilization and watering program and stay on it! Our salespeople would be happy to help set up a fertilization schedule that meets your specific needs. Items that will need to be considered include: soil type, soil pH, whether weed and insect control should be included, how many fertilizer applications you are willing to make, and the quality level you would like to achieve.
In order to develop a healthy, inexpensive lawn that you can be proud of, you need to apply a dry fertilizer that has a 3-1-2 ratio, because that is the ratio that grass uses nutrients most efficiently. 12-4-8 "Sod Growers Special" can be used four times per year and should be applied with a rotary spreader instead of a drop spreader. The proper setting is on the bag for one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.
If you are using 12-4-8 for your total fertilizer, the four holidays to work with are Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Halloween. You would of course have a little leeway, but they are about six weeks apart and this is ideal.
As far as weed control is concerned, a liquid weed killer is best because the weeds are killed through the leaves and is effective only when the pores are open and they are actively growing. The proper time to spray is May 15th and August 15th. You only need to spray if the weeds are present and healthy at that time and you have to be careful not to over apply, because you could set the grass back.
We hope you are happy with the results and remember to buy your landscape and lawn maintenance products from us.
As with any form of turf establishment, activities associated with soil tillage and/or root zone modification, drainage, and irrigation systems installations need to be completed well in advance of the installation of BAyr Root Washed Turf.
Following the incorporation of pH adjustment materials and fertilizer at rates based in a chemical soil test, sufficient time needs to be spent on the root zone preparation to achieve proper settling and surface smoothness.
Immediately prior to the BAyr Root Washed Turf being installed, the turf plant bed should be watered to field capacity to at least a 12-inch soil depth. The moist turf should be transplanted onto a moistened soil surface. This will also aid in soil stability and help prevent subsequent drying of the turf. If the washed turf cannot be transplanted immediately, the pallets of turf should be covered with wet burlap or hessian and stored in a cool shady area. Prolonged storage (over 12 hours) must be avoided.
One of the most important aspects of BAyr Root Washed Turf transplanting is to ensure good root-stem to soil contact at the interface of the growing medium and the new turf.
One method to achieve root-stem to soil contact is to start transplanting from the near edge, working over the top of the installed turf on plywood boards. At no time should foot traffic be allowed directly on the newly installed BAyr Root Washed Turf. The boards also help to achieve good soil contact. Alternatively, the turf can be laid from the far edge working over the prepared surface on boards. To achieve root-stem to soil contact, a roller or light plate compactor can be used, taking care that the method chosen does not dislodge or damage the transplanted turf.
It is important to handle BAyr Root Turf carefully to minimize stretching. Edges should be butted up tightly and joints staggered to give a bonded effect.
All efforts given to obtaining a smooth, firm surface at installation will dramatically reduce the subsequent time required to achieve a playable surface.
It is critical that BAyr Root Turf is not allowed to dry during the installation and the root establishment phases. Hand watering within 30 minutes will be required during the installation process, and thus the water supply must be established before starting to lay the turf. Frequent, light watering from two to four times per day must be maintained until the turf becomes rooted, normally in four to six days. At this time the frequency may be progressively reduced to encourage deep rooting. Once rooting is established, watering should be adjusted to meet the prevailing weather and turf requirements.
Careful attention to detailed soil smoothing and turf placement will reduce the amount of top dressing needed and allow quick root establishment. However, a light top dressing at BAyr Root Turf installation will help integrate the new root system with the underlying root zone. The top dressing mix must be of the same particle size distribution and composition as the underlying root zone to avoid layering and resultant interface problems.
Attention to detail during BAyr Root Turf installation will allow mowing to begin approximately six days after the transplanting. A sharp walk-behind reel mower must be used and no more than 25 percent of leaf area should be removed at any one time. Frequent, daily mowing will soon allow the desired height to be achieved.
The nutrients incorporated during the site preparation phase should be sufficient for BAyr Root Turf root establishment. However, the frequent watering during turf root establishment may accelerate nutrient leaching, particularly on high-sand root zones. Thus, fertilization may be required within two weeks of turf installation. Care must be taken not to "burn" the new turf with concentrated fertilizer applications.
The frequent watering needed during turf root establishment could promote fungal disease activity, particularly in a humid environment. Preventative or curative applications of fungicide may be required, especially on bentgrass.
With proper installation and care, BAyr Root Turf will be strong and healthy, giving many years of high performance.