How To Seed And Sod Lawns

Planting Lawns
We want to produce a healthy green lawn that resists disease. Use natural methods where possible so there is no danger to the environment. To produce a strong lawn; use a mixture of different seeds. Each separate variety of grass will produce different growing characteristics that will add to the strength of the lawn.
Start by grading and working over the soil. Remove all the large rocks and pieces of wood. Rotting wood can promote fungus. Contour the slope and lay of the land for easy mowing and promote water to drain away from the house. Work into the soil organic matter such as bone-meal and mix in sand and black soil, and then work this in to 15 cm in depth. Rake (use a 30 to 48 inch wide rack) the soil to get it perfectly level. Roll the soil to level it and remove humps. The ideal lawn slope is 1 Ft. per 50 Ft. of lawn.
A medium texture soil for lawns is comprised of different sizes of clay particles, silt or sand. Try this test; it should tend to crumble when pressed into a ball, even while it is moist. The largest soil particles should be sand. A medium textured soil will allow water to pass through it quickly. The proper PH balance is between 6 and 7.

Keep in mind most lawn grass types require 6 hours of direct sun. Full shade grass types require at least 2 hours of full Sun.

Seeding The Lawn
The prep work is identical to soding, but you have a greater choice with the seeds. Planting time is not as flexible as with sod but the cost is way lower. If you seed by hand, try for a consistent pattern. Sow the seeds by first walking in one direction, then cross at ninety degrees and sow the seeds to obtain a uniform coverage.
For even coverage use a spreader for fertilizers and seeding. Work in a criss-cross pattern. Set the spreader at half the recommended application rate.
1-2.5 kg of seed will produce coverage of 100 m2. Use a roller to press the seeds into the soil. Lightly cover with a light peat moss to help retain moisture in the soil. You can keep birds away by hanging aluminum plates in trees. The swinging plates reflect bright sunshine light in all directions. Water the soil once or twice each day. In three to five weeks you will have a well established lawn. Most communities will grant watering rights, even when water-restrictions are in place. Do not walk on the wet soil until the grass is 7 cm tall. Plan on 4 to 8 weeks of constant daily watering to get it established. Watering twice daily for up to four weeks is critical to seeding sucess.

Soding A Lawn
Start with a 3 in one lawn soil, made up of fertilizer, peat moss and compost. This lawn base is critical to establishing a heathy green lawn. There is more installation labor with sod, but there is a lower failure-rate with sod. Soding a lawn cost more than seeding a lawn, but the results are quicker. Soding is a good choice, especially if the soil has weeds. The sod will smother the weeds. Another good choice for sod is on sloped areas, preventing erosion. To sod an area, first flatten the soil, removing large rocks and pieces of wood. Lower the soil next to sidewalks about 2 to 2.5 cm. Lay the sod out and trim to fit with a knife or small hatchet. Soak each side to the sod and sprinkle the area in which it is to be laid. Roll the sod to obtain a good union between the roots and soil. Start in the middle of the lawn when laying sod. Run a straight line with a string to guide your first row. Stagger the second row so the joints don't line up. Push your drum roller on the first pass, and then pull it perpendicular direction on the second pass. Water the sod once or twice a day. Cut the grass when it reaches a height of 7 cm. Plan on 2 to three weeks of constant daily watering to get it established.

Mowing

Check The Mower
Be sure the blade is sharp; sharpen every 8 to 12 hours of use. Check fuel and oil levels, clean out underside of undercarriage as required (more often in wet conditions - remember to disconnect the sparkplug while working underneath).

If you are mowing a newly sod area, set your lawnmower to the highest cutting setting and cut about twice a week. Cut only with a sharpened blade to prevent the blade from ripping up the sod, as the lawn matures, lower the blade to the desired level.
If you mow the lawn to less than 3.5 cm, the grass can become susceptible to various diseases. Cutting it above 7.5 cm and the grass will tend to bend over. The grass will start producing seeds which may take away from the look of the grass. The best all round height is 7.5 cm. When you mow use different directions for a uniform look. If you use the same pattern when mowing, the wheel tracks will start to show, this especially true for power driven mowers. Use the tire tracks as a guide and overlap about 2 inches on the next pass. For safety reasons, push the mower rather than pull. If you were to fall, the blade may imperil your foot.
The best time to mow is in the early evening, after the hottest part of the day is passed, but before any dew settles in. In dry spells mow less often and keep the cutting blade higher. Taller grass weathers best in dry seasons.

Don't mow when the grass is wet. The cuts will be uneven and the clippings will clog up the lawnmower and the forming clods will smother the lawn. Mowing on a wet lawn is very dangerous because of the likelihood of slipping.

Whether it’s very hot or very wet the lawn will become stressed and it is best to mow higher than usual. Taller grass blades encourage deeper roots and keep plant crowns cooler. Also mow higher later in the year as the plant slows down in growth. The grass will also withstand the winter better.
Mow the grass shorter in the spring when the weather is comfortably cool and the grass is growing well. Mowing grass shorter that is growing in the shade will also encourage growth.

Mowing Time
A 5000 sq. ft. lawn will take about one hour to mow with a typical lawnmower.

Use ear and eye protection as sounds louder than 85 decibels can harm your hearing. A gas mower averages 90 decibels, a gas trimmer averages 110 Decibels, and an electric trimmer about 85 decibels.

Fertilizers
It takes about 1-2 kg to cover an area of 100 m2. Organic fertilizers contain dehydrated manure, fish emulsion, seaweed, blood or bone meal. Feed lawns twice a year, early spring and late fall. Synthetic fertilizers contain phosphorous, potassium and nitrogen. Phosphorous helps root growth, potassium boosts immunity against disease and helps the plant survive winters and insect attacks. Nitrogen helps produce deep green leafs. Three numbers are used to identify the fertilizers. The first number represents Phosphorous, the second number represents Potassium. The third number represents Nitrogen. Synthetic fertilizers produce growth and color in the upper plant, but do not encourage deep root growth. This condition of grass does poorly in times of drought.

In the spring choose a fertilizer with blade growth
In the fall choose a slow release fertilizer to supply a steady supply of nutrients

Watering
Lawns need about one inch of water weekly. Place a small container in the sprinkler area to test watering. Place a mark at the one inch level. Try and keep a consistent watering time, as grass does not like sudden environment changes.

An organic lawn will handle drought better than a synthetic lawn. The roots are deeper and can absorb waster and minerals better.

Soil Texture
Three components determine texture, sand, silt and clay

1/ Place a cup full of soil in a jar and fill with water
2/ Let sit until layers form; sand at bottom, silt in the middle and clay at the top
3/ Note the thickness of each layer, this indicated the proportions
4/ Ideal loam soil contains 50 percent sand, 25 percent silt and 25 percent clay

Soil Acidity-Alkaline
If soil is too acidic, add lime, if soil is too alkaline add sulfur
Use a home test kit and follow instructions

Grass Types

Cool Seasons Grass
Bluegrass, Perennial Rye, Fairway Wheat, Red Fescue, Chewing Fescue, Hard Fescue and Tall Fescue.

Warm Seasons Grass
Bahia, Bermuda, Centipede, St Augustine, Seashore Paspalum, Zoysia and Carpet Grass.

Bluegrass
Bluegrass is the preferred lawn grass for cold northern climates. It has narrow dark green blades and the ideal site is a sunny, well drained, deep fertile soil. Bluegrass grows vigorously in the spring and will stay lush and green through out the summer and fall. One con is that Bluegrass can be susceptible to several diseases. Bluegrass needs extra water if there is a dry spell longer than a week. It can be planted from seed or sod. The correct mowing height is between two and a half to three inches.
Perennial Ryegrass and Fine Fescue
These blends are often combined with Bluegrass because they tolerate partial shade and foot traffic.

Turf-Type Tall Fescue
This type adapts well to both winter cold and the summer heat and will grow in light shade. It has very deep roots and needs less nitrogen to keep it healthy.

Buffalo grass
This grass variety will thrive in extreme conditions where summers are hot and dry. It tolerates cold and alkaline soil well. It is a fine texture, gray-green in color. It rarely needs water once it is established. The correct mowing height is four inches.

Zoysia
This is a warm climate grass, which is attractive and grows well in sunny, well-drained soil. It has a dense green blades which is well suited to long hot sunny summers. It goes dormant in the winter. It will tolerate light shade. It is planted from sod as it is slow to establish. The correct mowing height is two inches.

Hybrid Bermuda
It loves hot weather that knits itself into a tight tuff. It is quite weed and disease resistant. It requires regular fertilizing and frequent mowing. Best planted from sod. The correct mowing height is two inches.

Common Bermuda
Fills out quickly into a deep green lawn. It requires very little maintenance and stands up well to heavy traffic. Because it fills out so fast it can creep into flowers and gardens quickly. The correct mowing height is two inches.

Centipede
It does not like to be pampered (less fertilizing) and adapts well to sandy acidic soil. It tolerates high summer humidity and mild winters. It does not like heavy traffic but does require less frequent mowing than other warm-season grasses. The correct mowing height is one and a half to two inches in height.

St Augustine
It is a shade-tolerant grass for warm high-rainfall climates. It is a low growing tuff with a rich, dark blue-green color. It does not like traffic, but does grow well beneath tall pines. It’s a vigorous growing tuff. The correct mowing height is two to three inches.

Lawn Chemicals
Lawn chemicals are partly responsible in the death of dogs and cats. Most veterinarians stand by these facts.

Thatch
Lawn thatch is the dead grass and rout between the upper green vegetation and the soil. If the thatch gets thicker than 1/2 inch, it can block water, air and nutrients from reaching the roots. The thatch holding the water above soil can lead to fungus and mold. Remove thatch by raking, either manually or with power. The removed thatch can be composted.

Bagging
Use a bagger attachment for the first mowing of the year. This will vacuum up pesky weed seeds and leaves. Repeat vacuuming when the dandelion seeds come out. The rest of the time you can mulch; providing your lawn with addition natural nitrogen.

Lawn Care
If the lawn gets away and overgrows, cut it back in stages, rather than all at once. Grass can suffer greatly from rapid changes in environment.

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Tips on planting and maintaining lawns for the average person.