Do It Yourself
How To Clear The Area For Sod
Step 1. Clear your lawn of all debris before tilling and prepping the soil for sod
The first step to creating a great lawn is removing weeds, rocks, and debris. Before tilling in compost and grading, get all weeds and rock out of your yard. Rocks in the soil can create long term problems making lawn areas compacted, prone to dry out, and hard to aerate. You only have one chance to start your lawn with a clean soil profile free of rock and debris.
How To Remove Sod
Step 2. Learn how to remove sod out of a yard with a sod cutter the easiest way
The easiest way to remove sod is with a sod cutter. It’s important to remove old turf because a rotor tiller will not break it up. Take your yard all the way down to the dirt if you’re starting from scratch. By cutting out the old sod, you’ll make grading, tilling, and installing sprinklers, and your new sod, much easier.
How To Grade Before Sodding
Step 3. Make sure your new lawn drains away from you house and foundation
Before you soil prep, install a sprinkler system and eventually install your new sod, it’s important to establish the grade and rough shape your lawn. Cut down the higher spots and use soil to fill in the holes. Grade your lawn so that water will run away from the house’s foundation.
How To Soil Prep For Sod
Step 4. Preparing the soil with compost is the most important before sodding
Tilling the soil and adding compost is a very important step to establishing a healthy lawn before installing sod. Compost tilled into the soil will open up clay soils and help sandy soils retain moisture and not dry out too fast. Soil preparation will help your newly sodded lawn use 20% to 40% less water. A complete DIY guide.
How To Install Sod - sm
Step 5. A complete do it yourself video on sodding a front yard, tips and tricks
This is a quick overview of the basics of installing sod in a small front yard. Tips like where to start, how to align the slabs, how to get a curved border, and more! Be sure to apply starter fertilizer before sodding and keeping the green side up.