Spring is coming, and we all want a lawn that is lush, green and grassy. For a good lawn, it is essential to have good topsoil, which is where all the nutrients that help the grass catch and grow come from. Without it, your grass will not grow at its full potential.
A good option to have an instantly green lawn is using rolled sod – simply roll out the grass and, voila! You have a natural green carpet for summers. Almost anyone can do it, especially if you follow this easy DIY guide. If you don’t do it properly, you might have a garden that looks sloppy or grass that dies out quickly.
If you want to redo your lawn, drop by at our landscape supplies Calgary store for all the landscaping supplies you need, including good topsoil. We can even make a soil delivery to make your work easier; Ornamental Stone offers next-day delivery on soil within Calgary.
The key to laying sod successfully is paying attention to detail. Here are our tips for a great-looking garden using our topsoil.
Step 1: Prep the Soil
This means adding topsoil. First, you need to loosen the top 8 inches of your soil. Once that is done, spread 2 inches of finished compost and then add 2 to 3 inches of sand or clay-like soil. This is essential for improving drainage. Then, based on your soil test, add the fertilizer that your lawn requires to make up for the missing nutrients. The sod needs to be laid down immediately because sod rolls have a short shelf life. Watering it won’t help; the real enemy is heat.
Step 2: Level the Surface
Before laying out the sod grass roll, you need to make sure there is enough space for it to be at the ground level and not sticking up. You can use an iron rake to level the soil – breaking down high spots and filling in the low spots – so that it is around 1 inch lower than the curb, driveway, or any other paved surface. Water the soil lightly to make it damp but not soggy. If your newly installed grass sits too high next to the curb, it will dry out or get damaged by the lawnmower. That’s why it is essential to have the soil 1 inch below the curb, especially near the edges of the lawn.
Step 3: Lay the First Row of Grass
The first line of grass should be the longest one – whether it’s the line along your house, the fence line, or somewhere else. Unroll the first roll of sod along this line and keep off the sod as you do so. Rake out any footprints along the way, smooth out wrinkles, and pat the sod roll as you install it so that there are no air pockets underneath it. It’s a good idea to lay down a “header” row of the roll, framing the entire perimeter before moving in towards the center. This helps with smoother edges and a neater look.
Step 4: Lay Subsequent Rows
Once the “header” row is done, you need to work inwards. Cut the sod rolls with a knife to bring them to size, and make sure that you tuck in the rolls snugly, overlapping the edges so that they don’t dry out. Don’t worry if the overlapping bits “crown”; they can easily be flattened with a roller, but a gap can not be filled. You can use your knife to cut out holes for sprinklers and trim the rolls that will be laid down next to pavements and curves.
Step 5: Water Abundantly
Once the lawn is filled, it’s time to start watering. Keep watering until runoff begins. Alternatively, pull back on the hose if mushrooms start popping up. The weather and season will also require you to adjust the watering schedule. Watering helps settle the soil and replenishes the yard after water is lost to evaporation. The best time for watering is in the morning. Afternoons are hot, causing the water to evaporate quickly, and the nights are damp, which may cause fungus to grow. Water daily for the first week, then alternate days the second week, and then taper off watering to twice a week by the third week.
Step 6: Mow the Lawn
When your grass grows to 3 inches, cut it down to 2 inches. As a general rule, try to cut down just one-third of the grass at any one time and always use a sharp blade. When your lawn is new and still fragile, use the lighter walk-behind mower instead of the heavier ride-on for the first trim.
Step 7: Fertilize Again
After 3 to 4 weeks of grass growth, apply fertilizer again to compensate for any nutrients that might have washed away during the heavy watering schedule.
If you follow these steps, the grass will soon be greener on your side of the fence. But always remember that only high-quality topsoil in Calgary can add the desired aesthetic appeal to your lawn. Our topsoil is organic and comes packed with rich nutrients. Never use poor quality topsoil because that can do more harm than good to your lawn. Ornamental Stone offers the best quality topsoil, compost, mulch, and other landscaping supplies in Calgary. Just place your order now, and we’ll deliver your topsoil the very next day. Contact us for more information.