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Whether you decide to seed a lawn or lay sod, creating a lawn does not take too long. It is the preparation that consumes the most time and is the most important factor contributing to the ultimate success of your lawn.
Seeding a Lawn: Sowing seed may not produce the instant to a wide range of sod types, sowing seed also results that you can achieve with sod, but it allows you the greatest choice. Select the most much more economical. Unless you have access appropriate seed mixture for your yard.
Straight Edges
Using A Plastic Sheet
Lay down a piece of heavy-duty plastic, and use the edge to make a straight line. Sow the grass seed over the area. The ground under the plastic sheet will remain unseeded.
Smooth Curves
Using stakes And String
Mark a curve using two stakes and some string. Tie the string to one stake, and drive this into the ground. Tie another stake to the free end of the string, pull it taut, and draw a curve into the soil.
Sowing Grass Seed
• Before sowing: Thorough preparation is essential. Remove all large stones and other debris. Then apply a complete or balanced fertilizer to the whole area to encourage strong, healthy growth.
• Using a mask: Grass seed can be very dusty. To avoid breathing this dust, wear a dust mask when sowing the seed.
• Where to start: Start sowing at the far end of the designated area so that you do not need to walk on the newly sown seed.
• Raking: After sowing, lightly rake a thin layer of soil over the seed. This improves germination and helps to protect the seed from birds.
Avoiding Problems
• Weeds: Kill off all old grass and weeds before you start to sow any seed. Choose a non-selective weed killer such as glyphosate. This is inactivated upon contact with the soil, so once the weeds are dead, you can start to work safely.
• Sowing thinly: Sowing grass seed very sparsely adds work in the long run. Thin grass is readily invaded by weedy grasses, broadleaved weeds, and moss.
• Sowing densely: This can lead to problems since the poor air circulation caused by dense sowing encourages a variety of fungal diseases.
Seed Distribution
To help you distribute grass seed evenly, use a plastic flower pot with several holes in the bottom as a shaker. Once you know how much area a pot full of grass seed covers, this method will help you sow at a consistent rate.
Keeping birds off
To protect a small, newly sown area from birds, push stakes into the ground, and put flower pots on top of them. Drape lightweight fruit netting over these, and weigh the edges down with stones.
Laying Sod
Making a lawn from sod can be one of the most instantly gratifying garden jobs. Once you have prepared the site, the next step is easy, and the results are immediate. Always buy good- quality sod from a reputable supplier; cheap sod may be infested with weeds, pests, and diseases.
Storing Sod
Rolls: Sod is often delivered in rolls. Order it for delivery on the day you need it sod should not be left rolled up for more than a day or two.
Unrolling sod
If you cannot use the sod right away, you must unroll it. If you do not, the grass will deteriorate rapidly. Once the sod is unrolled, water it, and keep it moist until you are ready to lay it.
Good Laying Practice
Best time: Sod can be laid most of the year, but late summer, early autumn, or early spring are the best times. Avoid very wet, dry, or cold weather.
Staggering Rows
Lay the first row alongside a straight edge. To lay the next row, kneel on board to protect the sod. Stagger the seams to give an even finish, and brush top-dressing into any gaps.
Traditional Tip
Boxing sod: If you are using sod lifted from another area of your yard, it may be uneven.
To trim these pieces so they are the same depth, place each piece upside down in a box of the correct depth, then scrape off excess soil with any suitable sharp implement. Re-lay the sod as soon as possible.
Shaping Sod
The edges of a newly laid lawn are formed by the ends of the sod pieces, which will need to be shaped. It is easier to do this after laying the sod than beforehand. The same technique can be used for reshaping the lawn once it is established.
Dealing with Edges
• Sharp spade: Use a sharp spade to shape sod if you do not have a half-moon edger.
• Straight edge: Use two pegs and some string to mark off a straight edge. Drive die pegs into the ground, then mark off the line by stretching the string taut between the two pegs. Cut just inside the line.
• Watering: Do not water a new lawn until you have finished shaping the edges. Watering before cutting will make it hard to make a sharp cut, and will increase the amount of damage done as you stand on the sod.
Marking and Cutting a Curve
Drive a short piece of wood into the ground and tie a piece of string to it. Pull the string tight, then attach a funnel to the string. Fill the funnel with sand, and use the funnel to mark off an accurate and even curve on the sod.
When you have finished marking the curve on the sod, use a half-moon edger to cut alongside it. To make a sharp, accurate cut, stand directly above the edger and cut into the sod with a straight, downward motion.
