They say the grass is always greener on the other side, but the reality of the matter is that the grass is greenest where you spend time growing it. When done correctly, re-sodding your lawn can bring your yard from looking drab to as green as the first weeks of spring. The trick is to make sure that you follow all of the steps and don’t cut any corners—otherwise, you could find yourself facing dried-out grass, brown spots, and another weekend of heavy lawn care to get your yard looking up to code.
How to Lay Sod
Laying down sod is a great way to instantly renew the appearance of your yard. The best places to lay new sod are areas of your yard that have been barren, loaded with weeds, or are entirely dried out. This is frequently the case after long Colorado winters. In some cases when your ground is already mostly barren, there is no need to clear space before putting down sod. However, in most cases, the best course of action will be to clear the ground so that you can lay down sod that will take to the earth easily and leave you with a bright green lawn.
The first thing to do is to take a soil test. If the pH value of your soil is lower than 6, then it would be beneficial to lay down a layer of dirt before sodding. The next step is to measure the area of your yard and to purchase the sod. You can expect to pay a minimum of $0.40 a square foot for sod, which typically adds up to a few hundred dollars for a full yard (think $400 for a 1,000 square foot yard).
Once you’ve purchased your sod and added any nutrients to support your soil, the next step is to aerate the soil and ensure that you have your irrigation set up appropriately so that the sod can thrive. Rake the soil level and then unroll the turf in straight lines so that it covers the full space. Don’t have the layers of sod overlap, but instead make sure that each layer is laid tightly up against the next, nice and snug. If there are small patches that are still empty, you can fill those in with small pieces of sod. As soon as the sod is laid, it needs to be watered immensely. Don’t skip a single day watering it after you roll it, for at least two weeks.
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