Sod career

Garden Clippings for March 26, 2022

Looking for a new career?  Give turf a try.

There is not a day that goes by that nobody calls looking for a quote to remove lousy grass and replace with fresh sod.  Sounds like a lucrative business opportunity for someone with a strong back who doesn’t mind getting dirty.

But it’s not that easy.

Sod farmers cut sod from May 15 through to November 15, which adds up to 6 months of employment.  Subtract a few days of rain and the paycheck becomes even smaller.

The nearest big-time sod grower is near Strathroy.  They deliver three times a week, and if the job is big enough, will deliver right to the jobsite.

Ideally, sod should be installed the same day it has been harvested.  The following day is usually fine, but by day three sod will be past its best before date.

Getting rid of rotten or unsold sod is no tea party.  The best option is to load it on a truck and take it to a Ministry of Environment approved composting facility, a job that takes considerable time and fuel.  A less desirable option is tossing it in a dumpster bin, a practice used by the box stores to get rid of unsold sod.

Sod needs to be watered immediately after installation and needs to be kept wet for the following two weeks.  If sod is allowed to dry up, it needs to be replaced.  Watering sod falls on the homeowner who needs to be willing and able to diligently move garden hoses for two weeks.

Removing an existing poor lawn is another big job.  The simplest way is to use a mechanical sod cutter that slices the sod including an inch of topsoil.  But sod cutters are expensive and cannot be unloaded and loaded without a larger piece of equipment.  Disposal of the old grass is equally challenging.

Success with new grass is not guaranteed unless the topsoil below is of good quality with a minimum depth of 4 inches.  If the existing topsoil is not good enough, it should be replaced or amended.

Grading and leveling soil is critical.  An experienced equipment operator has an eye for leveling and will be able to get the overall grading close to where it needs to be.  Next steps are fine grading, best done with a tractor and power landscape rake.  Debris, roots and rocks need to be removed and disposed of, and finally it is time to unroll sod.

Once the sod is down, it should be rolled with a heavy lawn roller in order to make the new sod adhere to the topsoil below.  Add a fertilizer formulation that encourages root growth.

Those who think removing poor grass and replacing it with new sod is similar to hanging wallpaper are in for a surprise.