Good riddance to one of the hottest summers on record! We are finally getting a little rain. That means the excuse that it is too hot and too dry no longer works. It's time to get at those garden tasks you've been putting off.
Now is an ideal time to start a lawn. It's the best time because it's the easiest. Mother Nature is finally on your side. Lawns planted in the fall have fewer problems because they won't suffer from the heat. This makes it easier to germinate the cool-season grasses we grow here because they prefer lower temperatures.
The soil is less likely to crust over and interfere with seed growth. Additionally, lawns need less water to get them started.
The first decision for your new lawn is what to plant. The choice is sometimes confusing. Traditional bluegrass has other competitors, including ryegrass, tall fescue, buffalo grass and wheatgrass.
Additionally, dozens of brand names and hundreds of cultivar names further confuse the issue. The information overload makes the decision difficult unless you know which types grow the best under different conditions.
Select the right seed varieties. Cheap grass seed is not a bargain.
Cheap seed contains annual grasses that will not grow back. Most Utah lawns are established with blends of several improved varieties of Kentucky bluegrass. Other acceptable lawns in our area consist of improved, turf-type tall fescue or perennial ryegrass. Never plant annual rye, common perennial rye or common tall fescue because they are weeds.
Lawns are established in one of three different ways. They are either seeded, planted by hydro-seeding or planted using sod. Each method has advantages and disadvantages, so make the decision of what method to use based on your needs.
No matter what method you use, soil preparation is the same. Poor soil conditions are the primary cause of lawn failures. Poor soil preparation translates into an uneven, poor quality lawn that is much more likely to get serious diseases and other problems.
The only time you can make significant changes in soil is before the lawn is established. Once grass is planted, soil improvement is costly and difficult. New homes usually have poor quality, exposed subsoil. Unless soil is improved by adding organic matter, it does not grow good turf. Five to six inches of quality soil are needed for good turf growth.
Sod has many advantages in our impatient world. Sod farmers will do much of the work for you. They do the planting, watering, mowing, weed control and other operations, so you can have a beautiful, instant lawn.
They grow it on their farms and cut it out by the acre to transfer to your landscape.
Like fast food, it is fast lawn. Drive up and order and you can take it with you. Better still, call for delivery and it will be on your doorstep in a few hours. Lay it down or have someone else do it and presto, the dry dusty soil around your home is now a rich luxurious green carpet.
Although initially more expensive, sod has several advantages: (1) The lawn is established faster — two to three weeks to root firmly compared to 3-4 months for seed. (2) Sod can be laid in midsummer when seeding is difficult. (3) Lawn is established more easily on a steep slope or terrace. (4) Sod can be used for immediate repair of bare areas in established grass.
Quality sod comes from quality farms. Most sod in Utah is bluegrass and bluegrass blends. Check with a sod dealer on grass varieties. Mixtures or blends of three or more grasses have the highest resistance to diseases and insects. If shade is a problem, select sod that has shade-tolerant grasses.
Choose deep green sod that is free of weeds. It will have a thin layer of soil on the roots and will hold together well when the individual pieces are picked up. It makes no difference if it comes in individual flat pieces or if it is in small rolls. Larger rolls are for professional installation and require special equipment to lift, handle and install.
Good sod is carefully dug using the right equipment and delivered within hours of being cut. This transition is important. Sod is perishable.
Store sod in the shade or lightly water the exposed sod surfaces. During cooler weather, sod may be kept for several days without any noticeable damage. If necessary, sod can be unrolled on concrete or plastic sheeting and watered until permanently laid. If the turf sits in the pile, it gets no light and stops growing. It gets too hot, and fungi grow on the turf.
Lay the first course, or row, of sod along a straight line across the width of the site. In the next row, stagger the end joints as if laying bricks. Place individual sod pieces close to one another but do not overlap. Do not stretch sod during the laying process.
When laying sod on slopes, work from the lowest point to the top. Lay the sod strips across, not up and down the slope. On steep slopes, pegging or staking is necessary to keep the sod in position until it roots.
Rake soil into any noticeable joints or seams that develop between the sod pieces. This prevents excessive drying of the ends of the pieces and avoids spaces in the finished lawn.
Keep the sod well-watered but not saturated until it is firmly rooted (two or three weeks). Water when the sod shows signs of stress (turns a blue color or footprints remain after walking across it). Prevent traffic on the sod during this time. After it is firmly rooted, sod areas are managed like other established lawns.
Take advantage of the cool fall weather to plant or renovate your lawn. Use the time wisely to make your grass and the rest of your landscape more beautiful next spring.
Sagers on KSL
Join Larry Sagers and co-host Don Shafer for the KSL Radio "Greenhouse Show" on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The subject this week is spring blooming perennials.