I've been landscaping for 15 years Stan and I've used a flathead shovel the whole time to cut my straight lines for the sod before I come in with the skid never thought about using an edger thank you so much huge Time saver I guess even if you're a good landscaper you don't know everything right
Your channel is so helpful, I've been working landscaping on my house and my dad's factory since I was 10, and now I'm starting my own landscaping company and while I'm pretty handy, I know far from everything, I've been using your channel to learn so much, it's so appreciated my man please keep it up, so so so helpfull to have this as a resource, beyond appreciated, keep it up my man!
@@Dirtmonkey hey ran across this as I am having sod laid in San Antonio TX. I am having some landscaping company do this. My lawn lawn was bermuda I’m told I have only lived here a couple of years. Lawn was really patchy and sparse due to shade and likely lack of watering. We already have a sprinkler system so they didn’t want to use a sod cutter and instead scalped, sprayed round up for 2 days, raked and putting top soil about an inch he said right over it tomorrow and sod on Monday or Tuesday next week. There is rocks, grass roots and debris the guy assures me it will all be good after 1 inch top soil for zoysia JaMur sod. I expressed concern that we should wait till clear if old lawn, weeds and debris as well as wait at least a week after weed treatment and soil to assure a healthy base. What are your thoughts am I overly concerned?
Stan, great video. I just layed down 1700 sqft of Sod for my first time ever. this video gave me the piece of mind knowing that I did do it right. love these videos. god bless Stan.
Ive worked on a sod farm for almost 6 years, we also do installs as well I have been a part of over 1000 installs, and have only needed to use the sod stakes one time. We lay across the slope and have had wonderful results just from this. Also maybe a piece of useful information for you that we have been using a lot lately. When cutting up against a driveway, sidewalk, curbs, etc. Basically anything with a piece of concrete edge on it we have been using a stick edger with a new blade on it to make fast clean cuts. We also use this when we are patching in pieces as well. Without the cement edge there its a bit trick at times, but once perfected it reduces cut in time by almost half. Just a suggestion from my experience. Also we drag a shovel around the outside edges of where the new sod will be laid to basically give the dirt a a beveled edge so it lays flush with a driveway or when you are patching into existing sod.
I have never used anything other than a utility knife for cuts. Fast, cleaner, more consistent. One quick cut for each roll of sod, rather than half a dozen potentially misaligned ones.
Thank you for the helpful tips! I watched your videos before ordering my sod and realized that I HAD actually put down 2-3" of black dirt...which you advised against...so I added a dirt/sand mix on top, didn't compact it, and now I'm hoping for a good result.
Long time fan of ur videos. Last I commented was a a great compliment for me cuz I know it's been years and ur prolly retired. Just wanted to say your videos been part of my daily routine and my kiss history when it's comes to any project from tools to complete jobs. Thanks man ur the best
I have placed sod on top of existing grass many times. Best to do in the spring when it’s cooler and you need to keep it watered but it will work in my experience. I’ve even done it over very healthy grass to build up an area to level.
Here's a tip that even some friends of mine that are in the business have failed to put into place yet, for whatever reason. At about 3:15 you talked about staggered joints (necessary, for sure) and cutting in the offsets later. Rather than doing that, when starting row TWO, pull the roll of sod PAST the start of row ONE. Cut it off at two feet or so, and toss that over to just past row FOUR. Row THREE starts just as row ONE does and the person dropping row THREE slides the end of row TWO so that it is the start of row FOUR, with the cut end facing the stones, so that the perfectly cut side dictates where to start the next full roll. That way, only one cut is required for an entire four rows. And there is little to no waste at the end.
Hi Stan. First I just want to say I love your videos. Most are very educational and others have some great comedy. I have to disagree with your statement of 1-2 inches of topsoil. I think it really depends on the subsoil. I have done some sod projects where the subsoil has outstanding drainage and others that are clay base. Clay base subsoils would be perfect for 1-2 inches of topsoil but others that have great drainage require at least 3-4 inches of soil to retain moisture. Other than that you hit the nail on the head as usual. Take care my friend
The people we bought our house from installed sod over existing turf...they half-assed it only in order to sell the house. Looked great at first but a year later it was hard as rock and d-e-a-d dead. We didn't know what happened until our neighbor told us how they installed it.😑 Thought it was something we did terribly wrong, to have it be that fried. Wish they would have just saved their money because it's actually created MORE work for us. Starting from scratch now. Thanks for the video
50/50 mix good soil and compost 1 to 2 inches on a top soil base stripped free of weeds and grass. I recommend using starter fertilizer as well. thanks for the video bro!
I do landscaping. I did sod out in ND with no black dirt and I used a t650 with a leveling bar to flow and level out yards. You don't have to hand rack the yard. My sod would be the greenest yard you would ever see. Do you want the yard soaked with water. Water it 3 times a day from 30-40 minutes at a time.
Love your videos! Thank you! On big jobs get water on finished areas as soon as you can. If you have long cuts along drives n walks, use a stick edger or walk behind. It works great! Green side up!
we use starter fertilizer under sod. and re fertilize 6 weeks later. also use hand mower to mow first few times. have only lost one in 10 years. stan i do this stuff everyday but for some reason still want to watch on you tube. keep up the videos
I'd suggest to water immediately rather than "same day." I have always laid the sod in a manner that allows me to turn on the nearest irrigation Zone as I go. Dry soil baking in the sun seems to pull any moisture right out of the sod. Great video. Keep it up. Love the sick edger idea.
Last year, I had a cut worm infestation that killed almost half of my sod; this year, I have a leaf hopper infestation and some kind of fungus. I can't wait till next year to see what I'll get!
Best way to remove turf is with a sod cutting machine. It saves a ton of weight on disposal since it barely takes any soil. You can adjust it very high too so it just barely scrapes the green off and leaves most of the soil/roots. Or if it’s good strong weed free turn can set the depth to pull nice sod rolls for use on the same or next job.
How do you guys cut your sod? I have found my Stihl concrete saw to be the quickest. Works amazing to cut bed curves fast and clean.That's what I use to cut weed barrier fabric as well.
About to sod a small piece of my front yard and your video was the best one by far! I'm your typical girl and have no idea what to do, your video hopefully helps me out. So wish me luck! BTW you're a real cutie.
On TOH they checked the soil and added some product like sod starter. They also raked each time they stepped in a spot about to get sod. Noticed some guys compacting the soil with their boots. Probably won't be a big deal but this old house show was stickler.
Whats the average price for a roll of sod? I am getting a quote tomorrow and want to see that i am not getting ripped off. After watching this video, i may just do it myself! Great video!
hi, how would you recommend laying sod on clay soil. I've had someone plant plugs in my yard and it failed miserably. I'm thinking of laying proper sod..
You said "never put sod over existing turf", but my neighbor just put sod over his existing grass and two months later the new sod is growing extraordinarily well.
You convienced me- being a 70 yr old guy? I will hire guys like you up here in Wi. and just supervise how they do it per your way..Thank you for what to look for. I only need abut 150 sq ft done, but I'm not physically able to do all this the right way ... Its worth at least $150 -$250 for me to pay someone to do this I have dead grass & dirt that runs along my Gravel Driveway about 3 ft into the rest of my nice lawn....Thank you.
hey brother.. i know this is an old video however.. we recently joined forces with another landscape company and the previous owner is insisting on using a roller after laying sod. i have never rolled sod before and have never had any issues. coming from laying sod in california/utah/ and now tennesse... question for you would be have you ever rolled sod after install? pros cons?? thanks and keep up the great work
Quick question, I have an infestation in my front yard of crab grass. It's my grandfathers old home and he passed a few years ago, I wasn't in the best financial situation to buy the home from my parents so they rented it to create income until I could get my money situation back to normal. With that said my grandpa planted Centipede grass and ALWAYS kept it up, it was a passion of his. He was known for having the most beautiful lawn in our community, after renting the home for 3 to 4 years , the renters didn't keep up the lawn outside of mowing, hence the infestation of crabgrass. I've been in the home now for 2 seasons and I've literally rid the turf of every weed known to man outside of the crabgrass. I've dug em up in the back yard (because it's a smaller backyard) and filled the holes with black soil an then plugged using the existing runners of grass, with great results. The front is a huge stretch of turf the size of a football field . I've put out pre emergent yo keep the crab grass from germinating, I've spot treated , used post emergents, bagged it while mowing etc.. I cant rid the lawn especially in certain runs of the yard. Should i give up an use my skid steer as you did here, prep the soil and use sod or do you have an opinion on getting rid of the crabgrass without having to sod. I'm in the deep south obviously with centipede grass by the way. Any help would be appreciated from anyone here in the comment section as well. Thanks
No. Pre emergent works. You're not applying at the correct time or using a poor quality one. Pre emergent needs to be down before the soil temps reach 70 degrees. If you are in the deep south and wait till April, you're too late. Crabgrass is easy to prevent and get rid of. Also what you think is crabgrass might actually be Dallisgrass. In that case you have to nuke it from outerspace.
True...big Difference in crabgrass and dallis grass...Crabgrass you can treat easily...Dallis grass is either round up or pull up. Dallis grass is a clump.
Dallisgrass gets Roundup. Use the "deodorant stick" gel version of it and just wipe it on the leaves. it will kill just the Dallisgrass and not a 3 foot circle around it.
Your video started from a clean slate, what about turf area where half the lawn is nice and many patches of dead grass or grass not growing, and you want to lay sod, do you strip all that? Or till it? Do you use any fertilizer? What do the staples look like for sod? How do you determine if you should seed or sod (as in the existing lawn is bad enough to make the decision)? Lots of questions missed in the video..
You strip and remove any turf-sorry thought I mentioned that in the video. If you lay over existing turf-it will heat up, decompose and kill it. Seed Vs sod is determined by budget. I don't fertilize-personal preferance-but my sod always takes real well with it.
I’m in Savannah GA and have sand. I’ve owned the house since it was built in 09. I moved away for a few years during which I rented out the house. Upon my return, I found the lawn had been severely neglected and eroded. I’m a serious DIYer and want to re-sod myself. My question is, can I lay the sod directly on the sand? And, what exactly is this black dirt you mentioned? Do I absolutely need it?
Most of my bermuda seems to have died off due to lack of sun. You mention removing the existing grass. Can I just scalp it using my weedeater and lawnmower set so low that it takes the "grass down to the dirt?
john smith Someone in my neighborhood did that. The builders used centipede grass and he wanted Bermuda, so he scalped his yard and laid the Bermuda over it.
Hey John I am going to school for Advanced turf science and I would say NO, do not just scalp the yard because that will leave all the roots of the grass and any other Organic material that you have missed. That Organic material then decomposes and turns into what is called Black layer, it will kill your yard eventually. Also you want the ground to have plenty of Oxygen and nutrients. I am assuming that if you are taking out grass thats current then there is a problem most likely with the soil, so it would be a good idea to at the very least get the grass dug up and maybe rotatil to get the oxygen back in the soil. Hope this helps.
It being a year later you've probably tackled this situation , the problem with scalping is you dont remove the bulk of the root system of existing weeds, different types of grass etc.. It's best to rent a skid steer if possible, or if it's a smaller section just wet it for 3 to 4 days in a row and use a flat bladed shovel and dig it all up. You'll get out of your sod what you put into it, if you prep you soil and I've ALWAYS used either superthrive (sold at your local hardware or nursery) or Microbrew from Fox Farm nutrients . I put it in a pump sprayer and spray my black top soil with the nutrient , it's a nutrient loaded with vitamins not fertilizers, I've had amazing results. Some believe strongly in these products and others say "ehhh its ok" but I love it.
You could scalp with a weedeater and mower down to dirt if you had lots of sun and bermuda. I did that with my backyard and it worked fine. Not sure I would do that with other grasses that might not be too hardy. Bermuda is tough to kill as long as it has water and sun.
Stanley I'm confused so your saying if I lay down my Zoysia sod say in November or December when grass is basically going dormant the NEW Sod wont DIE because it cant take ROOT clear this up because I'm getting ready to purchase & install 3k sq ft of ZOYSIA ?????
Just installed 6000 sq ft of crown zoysia... Went to a lot of trouble tilling and grading the soil before installing. Got a little deep while tilling in the front, but with a heavy rain almost directly after tilling, the soil became smooth and compact after raking. Quick question, would I benefit from rolling the front lawn? Noticed a few areas that are softer than others. In hopes of eliminating the wavy effect you described was thinking it might benefit. Been watering in one hour intervals twice a day, early morning and late afternoon. Let me know! I can upload a few videos if it would help.
If i have an existing patchy backyard (about 2500 square feet) and want to start over with sod, whats the best and most cost effective way to do it? I was going to either kill it with roundup and then till and try to get as much of the dead grass out as possible, or use a sod cutter in the thicker areas. I would then add some compost (maybe 2 yards) over the top of the soil, and then lay sod. Thoughts?
grass doesn't grow from seeds in hard pack soil. overwatering didn't help. just adds mold n rot i guess. for sod, i'd try loosening the existing soil instead of throwing extra dirt down. I've seen sod laid down on a traffic island on a golf course. they drenched it with water untill the sod became as soft as the soil beneeth. i've also seen lightly watered sod dry up and ruin the entire yard. never seen overwatered grass die.
I had a low area in the backyard filled in with 28 yards of sandy type soil. Couldn't afford instant gratification sod lay. I pulled plugs with a pro plugger prior to putting the soil in. I put these in at about 8 inches apart. When I ran out I bought sod squares using the in a checkerboard style lay down. I started with watering twice a day with 15 minutes a time. The plugs are doing good. They are 4" long and 2.5" diameter. The sod after about 4 hours seems to be drying out and blades are curling in some areas. Do in need to water more often say 6 times a day at 15 minutes a time? What do you suggest?
I'm going to lay new sod in a couple weeks 2000sqf . I see that my old sod that's been dead for over 5 years has that green plastic mesh in the dried out dirt a couple inches down. Should I scrape up and toss all that old plastic mesh from the original sod install or just rototil top soil and lay the new sod? thx
What is the typical protocol for maintenance after sod installation if you do not have a normal lawn maintenance program with the customer? ie: is it the customers responsibility to water and maintain to promote growth of the newly installed sod? Do you stop back for follow ups at particular intervals after installation?
need the sod soilt activator/ accelerator before laying sod, also some slow release starter fertilizer and lawn roll the sod after it's laid. hdtv (yard crashers) says without the soil activator step and you are doing it wrong, you can have success with good soil, good sod, laying it tight and staggered and water. But having the extra steps such as the soil activator, starter fertilizer, and lawn rolling ensure being most effective.
i agree with you man I'm more of a better safe than sorry guy. there's a lot of bad sod being laid in my area even my pastors house. have you checked on your sod 5-10 years later? and basically if you have good soil with a good ph you'll be fine if you water accurately
Do I need to till up the existing soil if its compacted? In the video it looks fairly compacted and then he said to lay 1 to 1.5 inches black dirt otherwise it will be lumpy.
a utility knife. Or i have a tool that allmost looks like a shovel that has a saw looking edge on one side thats used to cut the sod and it has a fang looking end thats used to help pull weeds
We use dry wall knives. We found it cuts a lot better. Also saves money on materials because those utility knife blades will dull out fast in the dirt.
Awesome video! I have ~500sqft of bald spots where I cant get the Zoysia grass to grow. Should I till the existing bare spots and mix with soil then lay sod over, or just lay some soil over and lay the sod? Thanks!
Thank you for the video! I am getting ready to lay sod and have not done it in years. Instead of being cut in 1 ft by 4 ft pieces, all the sod farms around me now cut them in 18 in by 6 ft 8 in pieces. I was told these weigh 40 to 50 lbs each. I am not as strong as I used to be and may only have the assistance of another female Do you have a suggestion on the best way to move the sod to where we need it without killing our backs? Thanks again.
curious on your thoughts about up coming weather conditions. I am planning on rototillering this Friday coming up, and then laying sod on Sunday. My yard is 900 sq ft where I am laying sod. It is supposed to rain on Saturday through the middle of next week. Should I just hold off until weather conditions permit?
Tilling your lawn is the worst thing you can do. I make a ton of money leveling peoples lawns who tilled it. DONT TILL YOUR LAWN!!!! If you till it you will spend years trying to get the bumps out.
What about sprinkler system? If I’m trying to remove old grass and installing new sod how do I avoid irrigation lines or sprinkler head damage? I could really use your help on this
I recently bought a brand new home and there was a delay in getting sod due to consistent heavy rain "flooded the sod fields" So we moved in prior to the sod being completed and therefor I was present when it was being installed. It was delivered in pallets of small sheets rather than rolls. And then installed the next day. They didn't lay the sheets out like your video shows. They kind of chopped up the sheets and patched it together in no particular pattern. There are even gaps in between the patches. I am suspecting they did this to cover more space with less sod for cost purposes, but I'm wondering if this was wrong and what kind of trouble it's going to cause in the future. Many of the pieces are only maybe a foot wide, some less and some more.
3x a day to water sod. What time of day? How many hours apart should you water them? Can you water at night? Basically, how do you fit watering 3x a day. If it rains really heavy that day should you cut out watering completely?
Hi, I live in Florida and is super hot here. We put St. Augustine grass like a month ago. The guy said that we had to water it 3 time a week but I thought that wasn't enough. I left for 3 weeks and left the sprinkles on 3 times a week. I came home yesterday and my grass is horrible and dried. In some places it has not stock to the dirt. what should I do? can I save it?
YES! Start watering now-and do it Daily! Keep it constantly moist-never let it dry out at all. Check to make sure its not soggy mud but moist. Their is a chance it will bounce back.
We are in North Texas right on the Red River, very sandy soil here. We just dropped 2 dump truck loads of sandy lome and spread to a compact fashion. Can we just lay out our squares onto well damped dirt?
What about the "roller"? Is it necessary to rent the roller that you fill with water and roll over the top of the sod in order to press it down and even any lumps?
What kind of sod is that. Here in Florida we generally use St. Augustine, Zoysia, or Bahia, but it's always rectangle cut and not rolls. I'm guessing the same general rules before and after sod applies. Thanks and love the encouragement and videos. God Bless!
Can I lay sod over a lawn that's been covered with a weed barrier for six weeks, or do I need to remove the dead and decomposing grass and weeds, first? Or can I simply till it, and then lay the sod?
I've been landscaping for 15 years Stan and I've used a flathead shovel the whole time to cut my straight lines for the sod before I come in with the skid never thought about using an edger thank you so much huge Time saver I guess even if you're a good landscaper you don't know everything right
Your channel is so helpful, I've been working landscaping on my house and my dad's factory since I was 10, and now I'm starting my own landscaping company and while I'm pretty handy, I know far from everything, I've been using your channel to learn so much, it's so appreciated my man please keep it up, so so so helpfull to have this as a resource, beyond appreciated, keep it up my man!
Appreciate it!
@@Dirtmonkey hey ran across this as I am having sod laid in San Antonio TX. I am having some landscaping company do this. My lawn lawn was bermuda I’m told I have only lived here a couple of years. Lawn was really patchy and sparse due to shade and likely lack of watering. We already have a sprinkler system so they didn’t want to use a sod cutter and instead scalped, sprayed round up for 2 days, raked and putting top soil about an inch he said right over it tomorrow and sod on Monday or Tuesday next week. There is rocks, grass roots and debris the guy assures me it will all be good after 1 inch top soil for zoysia JaMur sod. I expressed concern that we should wait till clear if old lawn, weeds and debris as well as wait at least a week after weed treatment and soil to assure a healthy base. What are your thoughts am I overly concerned?
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@@Dirtmonkeyaaaii
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Stan, great video. I just layed down 1700 sqft of Sod for my first time ever. this video gave me the piece of mind knowing that I did do it right. love these videos. god bless Stan.
Awesome! How did it go?
Ive worked on a sod farm for almost 6 years, we also do installs as well I have been a part of over 1000 installs, and have only needed to use the sod stakes one time. We lay across the slope and have had wonderful results just from this. Also maybe a piece of useful information for you that we have been using a lot lately. When cutting up against a driveway, sidewalk, curbs, etc. Basically anything with a piece of concrete edge on it we have been using a stick edger with a new blade on it to make fast clean cuts. We also use this when we are patching in pieces as well. Without the cement edge there its a bit trick at times, but once perfected it reduces cut in time by almost half. Just a suggestion from my experience. Also we drag a shovel around the outside edges of where the new sod will be laid to basically give the dirt a a beveled edge so it lays flush with a driveway or when you are patching into existing sod.
We do the same thing. Using an edger to make fast cuts😄
I have never used anything other than a utility knife for cuts. Fast, cleaner, more consistent. One quick cut for each roll of sod, rather than half a dozen potentially misaligned ones.
We laid bermuda sod right over old grass last year. Worked perfectly.
I've done that before and got lucky that the roots took hold and ignored the old grass!
man you are better than my local Home depot or Lowes!
Thanks😄👍
Home Depot and Lowe’s sucks lol
But yes this guy is good
Thank you for the helpful tips! I watched your videos before ordering my sod and realized that I HAD actually put down 2-3" of black dirt...which you advised against...so I added a dirt/sand mix on top, didn't compact it, and now I'm hoping for a good result.
You're welcome Greg, hope it turns out awesome !
Can I lay it down on unlevel Surface
Thank you, sir! This gives me a great starting point as I get ready to sod my back yard.
Glad I can help 🙂
These are the kind of videos from you I enjoy most! Live action and tips. Please make more of these!!!
Will do !
My family and I just bought our first home in South Carolina and we are definitely going to use sod thanks for this video
Congrats on the house Chris and thanks for watching!
Long time fan of ur videos. Last I commented was a a great compliment for me cuz I know it's been years and ur prolly retired. Just wanted to say your videos been part of my daily routine and my kiss history when it's comes to any project from tools to complete jobs. Thanks man ur the best
I have placed sod on top of existing grass many times. Best to do in the spring when it’s cooler and you need to keep it watered but it will work in my experience. I’ve even done it over very healthy grass to build up an area to level.
Stans channel is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels.
Thanks Mitch!
Here's a tip that even some friends of mine that are in the business have failed to put into place yet, for whatever reason. At about 3:15 you talked about staggered joints (necessary, for sure) and cutting in the offsets later. Rather than doing that, when starting row TWO, pull the roll of sod PAST the start of row ONE. Cut it off at two feet or so, and toss that over to just past row FOUR. Row THREE starts just as row ONE does and the person dropping row THREE slides the end of row TWO so that it is the start of row FOUR, with the cut end facing the stones, so that the perfectly cut side dictates where to start the next full roll. That way, only one cut is required for an entire four rows. And there is little to no waste at the end.
Hi Stan.
First I just want to say I love your videos. Most are very educational and others have some great comedy.
I have to disagree with your statement of 1-2 inches of topsoil. I think it really depends on the subsoil. I have done some sod projects where the subsoil has outstanding drainage and others that are clay base. Clay base subsoils would be perfect for 1-2 inches of topsoil but others that have great drainage require at least 3-4 inches of soil to retain moisture. Other than that you hit the nail on the head as usual.
Take care my friend
Thank you! Short. Concise. The info I need to learn without any BS!
The people we bought our house from installed sod over existing turf...they half-assed it only in order to sell the house. Looked great at first but a year later it was hard as rock and d-e-a-d dead. We didn't know what happened until our neighbor told us how they installed it.😑 Thought it was something we did terribly wrong, to have it be that fried. Wish they would have just saved their money because it's actually created MORE work for us. Starting from scratch now. Thanks for the video
It did not die a year later because the previous owner. It died a year later because of you and your neglect.
For cutting sod , i have sharpened medium-sized metal putty knives all the way around and use a pulling and pushing motion , it works great
50/50 mix good soil and compost 1 to 2 inches on a top soil base stripped free of weeds and grass. I recommend using starter fertilizer as well. thanks for the video bro!
Thanks John- solid advice by the way!
Been watching a few of your videos for a while now, I like your style, thank you for your work. Happy holidays!
Thanks for the support and Happy Holidays to you too !
Great information loaded with helpful tips!
I do landscaping. I did sod out in ND with no black dirt and I used a t650 with a leveling bar to flow and level out yards. You don't have to hand rack the yard. My sod would be the greenest yard you would ever see. Do you want the yard soaked with water. Water it 3 times a day from 30-40 minutes at a time.
Love your videos! Thank you! On big jobs get water on finished areas as soon as you can. If you have long cuts along drives n walks, use a stick edger or walk behind. It works great! Green side up!
we use starter fertilizer under sod. and re fertilize 6 weeks later. also use hand mower to mow first few times. have only lost one in 10 years. stan i do this stuff everyday but for some reason still want to watch on you tube. keep up the videos
Thanks Wilson and appreciate the good advice!
Excellent simple terms common sense instructional video thank you!!!
I'd suggest to water immediately rather than "same day." I have always laid the sod in a manner that allows me to turn on the nearest irrigation Zone as I go. Dry soil baking in the sun seems to pull any moisture right out of the sod. Great video. Keep it up. Love the sick edger idea.
Yes. Just don't water where you have to walk.
man i love your work... nice tips and lessons, i'm grateful. motivating to a student like me. God bless you
Thanks Alex!
Last year, I had a cut worm infestation that killed almost half of my sod; this year, I have a leaf hopper infestation and some kind of fungus. I can't wait till next year to see what I'll get!
Keep up the positive attitude
Best way to remove turf is with a sod cutting machine. It saves a ton of weight on disposal since it barely takes any soil. You can adjust it very high too so it just barely scrapes the green off and leaves most of the soil/roots. Or if it’s good strong weed free turn can set the depth to pull nice sod rolls for use on the same or next job.
How do you guys cut your sod? I have found my Stihl concrete saw to be the quickest. Works amazing to cut bed curves fast and clean.That's what I use to cut weed barrier fabric as well.
Wow, thanks for pointing out everything I did wrong when I planted my sod
thank you for being a stand up man. Not too many you can say that about
Literally a lifesaver Stan! Excellent video!
Nice tips thanks for the info. Wish here un south east of Texas I could find rolls of sod. Will make the job easier and faster
About to sod a small piece of my front yard and your video was the best one by far! I'm your typical girl and have no idea what to do, your video hopefully helps me out. So wish me luck! BTW you're a real cutie.
Thanks- Hope the video helps out😃
Nancy Nunez o
What is your opinion on sprinkling lime on the top soil before laying down the sod?
I have never done it.
Why the hell would you do that? Lime is for adjusting Ph....
On TOH they checked the soil and added some product like sod starter. They also raked each time they stepped in a spot about to get sod. Noticed some guys compacting the soil with their boots. Probably won't be a big deal but this old house show was stickler.
Whats with the blurry square ???
laziest fucking censor
“If you see brown patches you have the Japanese beetle”.....NOPE, I just have two Great Danes....😆
Irie man , nice Vid , good tipsBlessings from Guyana , South America .
Definitely the best sod video I've seen, very informative!
Great to hear 😀👍
I'm hooked on your videos
Thanks Doug- I hope they help out!
Whats the average price for a roll of sod? I am getting a quote tomorrow and want to see that i am not getting ripped off.
After watching this video, i may just do it myself! Great video!
hi, how would you recommend laying sod on clay soil. I've had someone plant plugs in my yard and it failed miserably. I'm thinking of laying proper sod..
Amend your soil first, clay is high acid, you need neutral soil for grass.
Thanks for the great info.
Thanks foryourvideo made my work lot easier good tips
That's great Luis, thank you !
You said "never put sod over existing turf", but my neighbor just put sod over his existing grass and two months later the new sod is growing extraordinarily well.
Depends. In the deep south with Bermuda you could do it. Not something I would do with cool season grass.
You convienced me- being a 70 yr old guy? I will hire guys like you up here in Wi. and just supervise how they do it per your way..Thank you for what to look for. I only need abut 150 sq ft done, but I'm not physically able to do all this the right way ... Its worth at least $150 -$250 for me to pay someone to do this I have dead grass & dirt that runs along my Gravel Driveway about 3 ft into the rest of my nice lawn....Thank you.
You'll pay that much just to buy the sod yourself. To have guys come out will cost you $500+
YOU'RE THE MAN!! thanks for the great video!
Thanks James!😃
This is a fantastic lesson on sod! I would have done almost everything wrong on my own!
nice to hear you say sod, here in the UK we say turf.
American has not cared what England thinks since 1776.
hey brother.. i know this is an old video however.. we recently joined forces with another landscape company and the previous owner is insisting on using a roller after laying sod. i have never rolled sod before and have never had any issues. coming from laying sod in california/utah/ and now tennesse... question for you would be have you ever rolled sod after install? pros cons?? thanks and keep up the great work
Here in the pacific northwest our 'version' of Japanese beetles are crane flies. Same signs different bug.
should I add liner below the sod?
Quick question, I have an infestation in my front yard of crab grass. It's my grandfathers old home and he passed a few years ago, I wasn't in the best financial situation to buy the home from my parents so they rented it to create income until I could get my money situation back to normal. With that said my grandpa planted Centipede grass and ALWAYS kept it up, it was a passion of his. He was known for having the most beautiful lawn in our community, after renting the home for 3 to 4 years , the renters didn't keep up the lawn outside of mowing, hence the infestation of crabgrass. I've been in the home now for 2 seasons and I've literally rid the turf of every weed known to man outside of the crabgrass. I've dug em up in the back yard (because it's a smaller backyard) and filled the holes with black soil an then plugged using the existing runners of grass, with great results. The front is a huge stretch of turf the size of a football field . I've put out pre emergent yo keep the crab grass from germinating, I've spot treated , used post emergents, bagged it while mowing etc.. I cant rid the lawn especially in certain runs of the yard. Should i give up an use my skid steer as you did here, prep the soil and use sod or do you have an opinion on getting rid of the crabgrass without having to sod. I'm in the deep south obviously with centipede grass by the way. Any help would be appreciated from anyone here in the comment section as well. Thanks
No. Pre emergent works. You're not applying at the correct time or using a poor quality one. Pre emergent needs to be down before the soil temps reach 70 degrees. If you are in the deep south and wait till April, you're too late. Crabgrass is easy to prevent and get rid of. Also what you think is crabgrass might actually be Dallisgrass. In that case you have to nuke it from outerspace.
True...big Difference in crabgrass and dallis grass...Crabgrass you can treat easily...Dallis grass is either round up or pull up. Dallis grass is a clump.
After further inspection I have the dreaded dallisgrass . Do I do the same for dallis as i would crab as far as post and pre emergents?
Dallisgrass gets Roundup. Use the "deodorant stick" gel version of it and just wipe it on the leaves. it will kill just the Dallisgrass and not a 3 foot circle around it.
The BBQ Jerk .. Sounds good
Excellent informative video!!
Thank you !! Cool video. Well explained. Keep up the good work 👍🏼
Great video...keep it coming, your a pro!
Your video started from a clean slate, what about turf area where half the lawn is nice and many patches of dead grass or grass not growing, and you want to lay sod, do you strip all that? Or till it? Do you use any fertilizer? What do the staples look like for sod? How do you determine if you should seed or sod (as in the existing lawn is bad enough to make the decision)? Lots of questions missed in the video..
You strip and remove any turf-sorry thought I mentioned that in the video. If you lay over existing turf-it will heat up, decompose and kill it. Seed Vs sod is determined by budget. I don't fertilize-personal preferance-but my sod always takes real well with it.
I heard there is many types of sod, which one is good where usually kids running and play? Thanks
I always rolled the top dressing then final raked perfect grade every time
Then when the top dressing breaks down you're back to square one......
can i put down sod in the fall
I’m in Savannah GA and have sand. I’ve owned the house since it was built in 09. I moved away for a few years during which I rented out the house. Upon my return, I found the lawn had been severely neglected and eroded. I’m a serious DIYer and want to re-sod myself. My question is, can I lay the sod directly on the sand? And, what exactly is this black dirt you mentioned? Do I absolutely need it?
Most of my bermuda seems to have died off due to lack of sun. You mention removing the existing grass. Can I just scalp it using my weedeater and lawnmower set so low that it takes the "grass down to the dirt?
That's an idea! I'd research this more before you go through with it.
john smith
Someone in my neighborhood did that. The builders used centipede grass and he wanted Bermuda, so he scalped his yard and laid the Bermuda over it.
Hey John I am going to school for Advanced turf science and I would say NO, do not just scalp the yard because that will leave all the roots of the grass and any other Organic material that you have missed. That Organic material then decomposes and turns into what is called Black layer, it will kill your yard eventually. Also you want the ground to have plenty of Oxygen and nutrients. I am assuming that if you are taking out grass thats current then there is a problem most likely with the soil, so it would be a good idea to at the very least get the grass dug up and maybe rotatil to get the oxygen back in the soil. Hope this helps.
It being a year later you've probably tackled this situation , the problem with scalping is you dont remove the bulk of the root system of existing weeds, different types of grass etc.. It's best to rent a skid steer if possible, or if it's a smaller section just wet it for 3 to 4 days in a row and use a flat bladed shovel and dig it all up. You'll get out of your sod what you put into it, if you prep you soil and I've ALWAYS used either superthrive (sold at your local hardware or nursery) or Microbrew from Fox Farm nutrients . I put it in a pump sprayer and spray my black top soil with the nutrient , it's a nutrient loaded with vitamins not fertilizers, I've had amazing results. Some believe strongly in these products and others say "ehhh its ok" but I love it.
You could scalp with a weedeater and mower down to dirt if you had lots of sun and bermuda. I did that with my backyard and it worked fine. Not sure I would do that with other grasses that might not be too hardy. Bermuda is tough to kill as long as it has water and sun.
Stanley I'm confused so your saying if I lay down my Zoysia sod say in November or December when grass is basically going dormant the NEW Sod wont DIE because it cant take ROOT clear this up because I'm getting ready to purchase & install 3k sq ft of ZOYSIA ?????
Can you put down sod if you have surface tree roots ?
Just installed 6000 sq ft of crown zoysia... Went to a lot of trouble tilling and grading the soil before installing. Got a little deep while tilling in the front, but with a heavy rain almost directly after tilling, the soil became smooth and compact after raking.
Quick question, would I benefit from rolling the front lawn? Noticed a few areas that are softer than others. In hopes of eliminating the wavy effect you described was thinking it might benefit. Been watering in one hour intervals twice a day, early morning and late afternoon. Let me know! I can upload a few videos if it would help.
How often should you water The Sod after laying it down
Do you have a video on how to bid sod jobs
If i have an existing patchy backyard (about 2500 square feet) and want to start over with sod, whats the best and most cost effective way to do it? I was going to either kill it with roundup and then till and try to get as much of the dead grass out as possible, or use a sod cutter in the thicker areas. I would then add some compost (maybe 2 yards) over the top of the soil, and then lay sod. Thoughts?
grass doesn't grow from seeds in hard pack soil. overwatering didn't help. just adds mold n rot i guess. for sod, i'd try loosening the existing soil instead of throwing extra dirt down. I've seen sod laid down on a traffic island on a golf course. they drenched it with water untill the sod became as soft as the soil beneeth. i've also seen lightly watered sod dry up and ruin the entire yard. never seen overwatered grass die.
Do you have logo merch?
Hi , is black dirt same at top soil?
Do you use any fertilizers at the time of the install?
I had a low area in the backyard filled in with 28 yards of sandy type soil. Couldn't afford instant gratification sod lay. I pulled plugs with a pro plugger prior to putting the soil in. I put these in at about 8 inches apart. When I ran out I bought sod squares using the in a checkerboard style lay down. I started with watering twice a day with 15 minutes a time. The plugs are doing good. They are 4" long and 2.5" diameter. The sod after about 4 hours seems to be drying out and blades are curling in some areas. Do in need to water more often say 6 times a day at 15 minutes a time? What do you suggest?
I'm going to lay new sod in a couple weeks 2000sqf . I see that my old sod that's been dead for over 5 years has that green plastic mesh in the dried out dirt a couple inches down. Should I scrape up and toss all that old plastic mesh from the original sod install or just rototil top soil and lay the new sod? thx
What is the typical protocol for maintenance after sod installation if you do not have a normal lawn maintenance program with the customer? ie: is it the customers responsibility to water and maintain to promote growth of the newly installed sod? Do you stop back for follow ups at particular intervals after installation?
What are your thoughts on putting down compost before laying down sod? I'm going have to till it in but I like ti know if it's a good idea
I'm about to lay 4500 sq ft. Never done it before.Wish me luck.
Big Job- Good Luck!
Jasper Copper how much will a job like that cost?
How'd it turn out
need the sod soilt activator/ accelerator before laying sod, also some slow release starter fertilizer and lawn roll the sod after it's laid. hdtv (yard crashers) says without the soil activator step and you are doing it wrong, you can have success with good soil, good sod, laying it tight and staggered and water. But having the extra steps such as the soil activator, starter fertilizer, and lawn rolling ensure being most effective.
I have never needed any that- my sod always grows great. I don't roll it or fertilize it-just consistent water and good base soil!
i agree with you man I'm more of a better safe than sorry guy. there's a lot of bad sod being laid in my area even my pastors house. have you checked on your sod 5-10 years later? and basically if you have good soil with a good ph you'll be fine if you water accurately
+THE LAWN GODS yep. Great long term results because I lay down a good quality base soil.
Do I need to till up the existing soil if its compacted? In the video it looks fairly compacted and then he said to lay 1 to 1.5 inches black dirt otherwise it will be lumpy.
Another video suggestion on sod. The proper way to cut the sod. As in like around sidewalks and bed areas.
a utility knife. Or i have a tool that allmost looks like a shovel that has a saw looking edge on one side thats used to cut the sod and it has a fang looking end thats used to help pull weeds
We use dry wall knives. We found it cuts a lot better. Also saves money on materials because those utility knife blades will dull out fast in the dirt.
Good idea. Thanks😄
like one with a serrated blade?
Exactly like that. Just a standard drywall knife
Do you do sod and demo work in the state of Alabama???
nice vid. i want a bed edger so bad, they are awesome
They are awesome of many things-not just bed edging! :)
Did you mention to roll the sod with a heavy roller to compact it? Or it not necessary.
Awesome video! I have ~500sqft of bald spots where I cant get the Zoysia grass to grow. Should I till the existing bare spots and mix with soil then lay sod over, or just lay some soil over and lay the sod? Thanks!
Till first -you need to remove the existing turf.
allright thanks!
Do not till. Worst advice ever!!!
Thank you for the video!
I am getting ready to lay sod and have not done it in years. Instead of being cut in 1 ft by 4 ft pieces, all the sod farms around me now cut them in 18 in by 6 ft 8 in pieces. I was told these weigh 40 to 50 lbs each. I am not as strong as I used to be and may only have the assistance of another female
Do you have a suggestion on the best way to move the sod to where we need it without killing our backs?
Thanks again.
just use a lawn tractor with a trailer
curious on your thoughts about up coming weather conditions. I am planning on rototillering this Friday coming up, and then laying sod on Sunday. My yard is 900 sq ft where I am laying sod. It is supposed to rain on Saturday through the middle of next week. Should I just hold off until weather conditions permit?
Good questions but I don't think I'm the person to give you those answers. Good luck!
Tilling your lawn is the worst thing you can do. I make a ton of money leveling peoples lawns who tilled it. DONT TILL YOUR LAWN!!!! If you till it you will spend years trying to get the bumps out.
Do I water the soil after I lay it out?
Sweet video!
Thank you !
What about sprinkler system? If I’m trying to remove old grass and installing new sod how do I avoid irrigation lines or sprinkler head damage? I could really use your help on this
Does the area have to be tilled before sodding?
I recently bought a brand new home and there was a delay in getting sod due to consistent heavy rain "flooded the sod fields" So we moved in prior to the sod being completed and therefor I was present when it was being installed. It was delivered in pallets of small sheets rather than rolls. And then installed the next day. They didn't lay the sheets out like your video shows. They kind of chopped up the sheets and patched it together in no particular pattern. There are even gaps in between the patches. I am suspecting they did this to cover more space with less sod for cost purposes, but I'm wondering if this was wrong and what kind of trouble it's going to cause in the future. Many of the pieces are only maybe a foot wide, some less and some more.
3x a day to water sod. What time of day? How many hours apart should you water them? Can you water at night? Basically, how do you fit watering 3x a day. If it rains really heavy that day should you cut out watering completely?
Hi, I live in Florida and is super hot here. We put St. Augustine grass like a month ago. The guy said that we had to water it 3 time a week but I thought that wasn't enough. I left for 3 weeks and left the sprinkles on 3 times a week. I came home yesterday and my grass is horrible and dried. In some places it has not stock to the dirt. what should I do? can I save it?
YES! Start watering now-and do it Daily! Keep it constantly moist-never let it dry out at all. Check to make sure its not soggy mud but moist. Their is a chance it will bounce back.
thank you!!!!
We are in North Texas right on the Red River, very sandy soil here. We just dropped 2 dump truck loads of sandy lome and spread to a compact fashion. Can we just lay out our squares onto well damped dirt?
What about the "roller"? Is it necessary to rent the roller that you fill with water and roll over the top of the sod in order to press it down and even any lumps?
What kind of sod is that. Here in Florida we generally use St. Augustine, Zoysia, or Bahia, but it's always rectangle cut and not rolls. I'm guessing the same general rules before and after sod applies. Thanks and love the encouragement and videos. God Bless!
Blue grass mix.
That's always a videos are awesome question for you how do you build up a small slope and then add sod my fear is the slope washing away
Can I lay sod over a lawn that's been covered with a weed barrier for six weeks, or do I need to remove the dead and decomposing grass and weeds, first? Or can I simply till it, and then lay the sod?
Can I just lay over sand? Do I need the top soil?