Brethren

Some important tips for turf installation… since it seems to be all we’ve been doing lately!

#1. Planning and prep-work is key:
-Use hard, clay (fill) dirt for leveling low spots. Nobody wants a soggy yard. Use a small amount of “promix” or garden mix for top-dressing.
-Taper the edges of the location of the new turf so it will lay flush with the outside of the area.
-Use the correct grass. “Palisades” zoysia only needs 3 hours of sun, filtered or full. Bermuda needs 6 hours. Fescue does great in shade, but will burn up and die in the summer.

#2. When laying new turf, use a “new lawn” fertilizer under, and on top, of the new grass.

#3. Lay the turf in a checker-board pattern (especially on a hill) so that it will grow together evenly. Also, new turf may slide down a hill in a heavy rain, so this pattern, along with sod staples, will prevent this trouble.

#4. Wet the yard, wait a few minutes for the water to soak in, and use a sod-roller to push the roots of the new grass down into the dirt. Too much air is bad for plant roots.

#5. Zoysia spreads! It even takes over Bermuda… Many of our clients want a zoysia lawn, but don’t have an adequate budget for so many square feet. Very often we install zoysia in bare spots and let time take take effect on the rest of the lawn.

Did you know? Turf can be installed all year long, even when it is “dormant” in the winter. We actually recommend this because it will become established without all the extra watering!

Top-dressing an existing lawn? We recommend “promix” for bumpy yards. Sand should be used on very minor divots.

It’s been a privilege watching these gardens grow ever since our initial installation three years ago. It’s always fun turning a blank slate into something beautiful, inviting, and care-free.

There are a number of things we consider when we install walkways. Some of these considerations include •access •flow •maintenance •perfect, “two-finger” joints 😉✌️Oh… and which non-explicit music to play while we work... 🤣

Take a look at the last two photos… Recently we planted a high-dollar tree in one of our installs. As we were planting, we noticed that there was no visible root-flare on the tree. The root flare is the part of a tree that should be above ground and tapers down to where the roots start growing.

We doctored the tree and exposed this flare. As you can see, the growers continually piled dirt on top, eventually covering the truck by a good four to five inches. When this happens, or when landscapers “volcano mulch” a tree, many risks may occur.

Tree roots need oxygen, and this is why it’s very normal for them to grow at the surface of the soil. If dirt is piled on the tree, roots may “girdle” the tree looking for oxygen, choking the tree. Where the dirt is piled, fungus, bugs, or rot may harm a tree. Also, as you can see in the photos, the tree may respond by growing “adventitious roots,” a process in which the tree is trying to adapt and survive.

Make sure when you spend your money on landscaping, you install the plants properly. Planting plants too low and volcano mulching is incredibly common. This ensures your landscaping, and your wallet, is actually low-maintenance... Happy planting!