Slide 1 LHAP 106 - Turfgrass Sod Slide 2 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly... Slide 3 Advantages: Instant green Ground cover Knits quickly No need for herbicides Protects from erosion Can be installed anytime Slide 4 Disadvantages: More expensive upfront Species selection may be limited Cultivar selection may be limited Requires more watering immediately (irrigation adds to the expense). Slide 5 Slide 6 Slide 7 Transporting Harvested Sod Outer edges and top of stacks are prone to desiccation Not as much of a problem on short trips Protect with tarps Slide 8 Slide 9 Onsite staging is critical - how far apart should they be stacked?? Ensure that you plan a starting point and roughly how far each pallet will cover so you don’t run out of space! Slide 10 Machinery used for delivery can impact staging as well - spiders have large wheelbases… Slide 11 Slide 12 Storage Layer of soil and layer of actively growing tissue Warm, moist environment will initiate decomposition Soil microbes attack soft, green tissue Chlorophyll quickly breaks down 2 days maximum 12 hours in extreme heat Slide 13 Slide 14 Slide 15 Sod Installation Slide 16 After properly preparing the base… install PERPENDICULAR to flow of water (not parallel as you see here…) Slide 17 Slide 18 Flag and Trim irrigation heads, as you go. Slide 19 Slide 20 Sod Installation Lines must be straight Begin at a straight or solid edge, or consider a string line Installation must be perpendicular to the flow of water - turn at 90 degrees if going around a building from side yard to front yard Starting point planned so that traffic is not over freshly laid sod Installation pattern takes sprinkler zones into consideration. Joints must fit tightly to ensure success! Slide 21 Slide 22 Make sure to unroll ends to reduce desiccation and brown lines being left over post application. Slide 23 Slide 24 Slopes Perpendicular to slope Discourage runoff Begin at bottom and work your way up May need to stake in place Slide 25 Steep Slopes Slide 26 Post Installation Care Slide 27 Irrigation Sod prone to drought and desiccation Water immediately following installation Water thoroughly to soak through rhizomes and into soil Maintain moisture Slide 28 Mowing As soon as necessary based on aerial shoot growth and root growth Because sod is a mature plant mowing can begin immediately to desired height As opposed to seeded grass which should be allowed to reach mature competitive height before mowing Slide 29 Slide 30 Slide 31 Slide 32 Slide 33 Slide 34 Slide 35 Slide 36