Homeowner Sodding - Seeding Tips

  Few things add more curb appeal to a residence or location than a thick, rich, and healthy lawn. But not always does a person managed to start out with just that. Often times, especially when dealing with new construction, it is necessary for us to give Mother Nature a little helping hand in establishing that beautiful turf we're all so proud of. Below are some helpful tips on establishing that healthy lawn whether it's by applying grass seed or laying pre-grown sod.

Soil Preparation: 

We recommend prior to starting your sodding project, that you have your soil tested for its pH, are rather how acidic or alkaline you soil is. Turf grows and develops best when the soils pH is between 6.0 and 7.5.  ow soil pH can create a toxic condition known as chlorosis, or a yellowing of the turf.  If left untreated, nectrotic (dead spots) spotting of the grass blade can develop. This leads to stunted growth which can take one or several growing seasons to correct. Having a soil sample taken can prevent these conditions by allowing you to know the soils current pH and make proper adjustments by the addition of lime. Always apply the proper amounts of lime as directed in your soil sample. Additionally, having your soil tested for its levels of phosphorus and potassium will determine if the levels are adequate for good root development. You can have your soil tested by Texas A&M University for a small fee. The following forms should be properly filled out and sent in with your soil sample, and will also instruct you on the proper way to take your soil sample.

Taking the time to insure that your soil is properly prepared is probably the most critical step in establishing that healthy lawn. Soil gives your turf a solid base to develop, much like a properly constructed slab for a new home. It should be well prepared and graded prior to applying any seed or sod. Ridding your soil of low spots now will keep water from standing in areas after your sod as been laid, which can lead to fungus development. The use of a tiller will break up heavily compacted soil, and it's a perfect time to add amendments such as lime, phosphorus, potassium or topsoil if needed. Grades should be set as to gradually slope away from the home or building.

A sod roller can be rented from most home centers or rental companies, and should be used to firm it up. Also, prior to installation of the soil, apply a 13-13-13 fertilizer prior to sod installation, and then moistening your soil by watering it prior to installation.

Laying your Sod: 

Once the sod has been delivered, you should make sure the sod is laid within 48 hours. Heat is trapped inside the sod from when it was cut, and can burn and kill the grass if not laid with this time frame.

Sod pieces should be laid in a brick like pattern with staggered seams. Avoid leaving gaps between the sections of sod when installing. Excess can be trimmed with a sharp machete or large knife. Once you have the sod installed, tamp or roll the sod to eliminate the gaps between the sod and the soil. A quality turf food may be watered into the soil at the recommended rate, and then followed up with a thorough watering.

Applying your Seed: 

Distribute the grass seed evenly over the soil. One way to do this is to apply half the amount of seed to be applied in crossways pattern, and then the remaining grass seed at a right angle to the first. This helps to ensure an even coverage.

Seed should be applied with a broadcast spreader capable of delivering a measured disbursement rate. Avoid  applying seed by hand as it may result in inconsistent density of the grass. Once seeded, we recommend covering the seed with one or two bales of straw to help retain moisture in the soil. Once the seeds have germinated, which should take place within 10 days to a weeks time, do not attempt to remove the straw. The decaying straw will help to replenish your soils Nitrogen content which is essential for turf growth.

Watering: 

Consistent watering of the sod is critical for proper root development. Deep root development should establish within a growing season https://sodgreen.com/, but may take as long as two seasons to fully develop. Water sufficiently enough to keep your soil moist but not soggy. We recommend not letting the sod dry out between watering for at least the first two weeks. This can be checked by lifting up the edges of the sod and checking underneath. Watering should be performed twice daily (early morning & late evening) for the first 3 days, then once per day for the next two weeks. After that, watering may be reduced to every two days for the next two weeks. Weekly watering, insuring water penetration of 3 - 4 inches, should be performed at least once per week thereafter.

When to Seed / Sod: 

Seed should be applied in late summer and early fall making sure to allow for proper  germination of the grass seed prior to the colder winter temperatures. Seed can also be applied during the spring months prior to the hot summer temperatures reaching their peaks. Summer seeding can be performed, but a very strict watering regimen should be followed during these times.

Sod can be applied from spring through early fall. Insure that proper root development has taken place prior to the colder weather of late fall and winter. This will insure that your new lawn is properly established prior to the first frost. We do not recommend laying sod during the winter dormant months since the sod may die prior to root development due to the slow growth rate.

Space Planting: 

Space planting or checker boarding is the planting of sprigs or small sections of grass at regular intervals. The proximity of each sprig from one another will determine the amount of sprigs needed. Likewise, the closer the sprigs are planted to one another, the more sprigs will be needed and the faster the lawn will establish and fill in. Sprigs should be planted at 2" depths with a portion of the sprig extending up above the soils surface.

When using sod in space planting, the normal sod pieces can be cut in half or quarters. This, combined with the space planting is done for cost savings only. Space planting can reduce the cost involved with sodding, although it can take one or two growing seasons for the sod to fully fill in between the sod pieces to create a completed lawn. There are some pros and cons to space planting, and below is a partial list of each.

Space planting can cause irregular lawn heights if the sod is not imbedded into the soil.  Since sod pieces come with usually an inch or so of soil with the grass itself, if just laid on top of the soil this will cause elevation differences between the root zone of the sod piece and the topsoil height of the lawn.  Having to bury these sod pieces into the lawns topsoil causes excess labor cost for the job, thus we never cared to install lawns this way. 

Not All Insects Are Pests In Organic Food Farming

A natural phenomenon that is happening all the time in the nature is the law of food chain; every organism needs to obtain energy in order to live. For non-primary producers like human being, we are not able to make our own food from sunlight; therefore we need to consume another organism to obtain the necessary energy and one of the most traditional methods I would like to discuss here is growing of plant/crop for consuming.

However, as the farmers start to grow plant/crop, another group of organisms (known as pests to human being) are drawn to the crop in order for them to survive too. While they are eating up those crops, they have indirectly reduced the quantity and profit margins for the farmers.

In order to protect commercial interest, conventional farmers start to use chemical pesticides to kill the "pest" in order to protect those foods but this could also lead to the potential harm on consumer's health when we eat those foods with pesticides sustaining on the plants.

Based on the law of food chain, we could actually introduce some beneficial insects that are actually predator of those common pests. With these beneficial insects around, the amount of pests will be kept under control and the use of chemical pesticides can therefore be avoided. This method is actually being used by the Organic Certified Farms.

Insects like ladybugs are one of the best friends you can have in farm. They love Aphids which are extremely destructive to the crop if left unattended. In order to attract the ladybugs, we need to grow plants that can provide food and shelter for them. Plants like Angelica, Caraway, Cilantro, Dill, Fennel, Tansy, Wild Carrot, Yarrow, etc. are some of the good choices.

Another best friend you can have in farm is Lacewing, beside Aphids; they also eat eggs of Caterpillars, Mites, Order Thysanoptera (Thrips), White-flies and a variety of other small soft-bodied pests. In order to attract the lacewing, some of the choices we can grow are Allysum, Borage, Dilland Elderberry.

The third best friend you can have that I will mention in this article is Parasitic Wasps, they are the natural predators of grubs. In order to attract Parasitic Wasps, some of the choices we can grow are Firethorn (Pyracantha), Forsythia, Garden Cosmos, Lemon Balm, Parsley, Peonies and Sea Lavender.

There are more than 3 beneficial insects around in the nature other than the ones discussed here; the law of food chain always exists and we can always use the most natural ways to do everything. The time has come where we should take Organic Food seriously as this is the way how our food is grown from past to now until chemical pesticides come into the picture.

S.KC, a part time blogger who come across Organic Food Concept few years back and decide to start searching for more information on Organic related stuff since then in order to gain his knowledge and to share them with his friends. He believes that Organic Products will be the products in the future and by going the Organic way also means going back to the natural way.

Food is basic need and it is one of the top in the hierarchy of human needs. We consume food everyday' 3 to even 6 times a day. Thus, food farming is always a promising business. There is wealth in farming if managed and marketed well. Look at Vietnam. The country now has grown to be a significant U.S. food producer since the American soldiers left. It has produced many Vietnamese food entrepreneurs. In fact, it has exponentially grown with an 8.5 gross domestic product (GDP), an economic rate better than China and India.

From rice to vegetables, farming could offer a vast opportunity including small joint venture. Farming joint ventures could range from leasing your land to a big food company to food marketing partnership and simply, food production and supply partnership.

What is gaining popularity in farming is capital ventures, where you just lend an amount of money to a farmer to fund his/her food production https://www.agrifarming.in/. The joint venture will ensure continued food production, as long as funding and market continue.

Before lending the money, you should first study the market of the food produced. Does the food has a guaranteed market even after 5 years? How large is the demand for the produced food? Does the whole market system provide a good and lasting opportunity like has the government provided a law that requires production of a particular food as an ingredient for processed foods? Or does the market system is in dire need of production of a particular food because supplies are shortening?

Second, check the food production itself to see the viability of meeting the market demand. How many can be produced? As a more responsible joint venture partner, you may include checking its viability to environmental, health of consumers and life of the farmer. Does the food production use the traditional and inorganic pesticides and fertilizers? Does the production waste a lot of water? Does the production is in an environmentally-critical area like watershed area? Does the production earn a farmer a quality life?

Third, calculate the potential and after-production revenue and agree specifically on a revenue-sharing scheme. The scheme can solely depend on the size of capital lent to the food production. Carefully put the joint venture agreement into writing for legal purposes.