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Lawns and Garden Paths: Sodding

Sodding is sometimes practiced instead of seeding, but this method is usually out of the question where large areas have to be dealt with, owing to the difficulty of obtaining good sod in large quantities and because [220] of the initial expense involved in both buying and laying the sod. Immediate results are secured by turfing and the work can be done any time during the growing season (spring and fall preferred) provided, of course, it is done skillfully and is followed by copious watering. Sodding is especially useful for use on terraces, banks and for edging drives, walks and flower beds as it insures a true line. Before laying the sod, loosen the surface soil with a rake so that the roots will be brought into immediate contact with the soil and growth will commence sooner.

Sods should be cut 1/2 inches thick and 1 foot wide, thick sods are more troublesome to lay evenly. A good length to cut the sod is 3 feet but this is purely a matter of convenience. Remove enough soil from the surface for the sod when laid to be 1/2 inch lower than the surrounding ground to be seeded, this is to allow for the part seeded to settle as the final result must be perfectly even. If the newly laid sod, after settling, is lower than the part seeded it is a simple matter to sprinkle a little top soil over the surface to raise its level. Make the unions between the turves as perfect as possible and after laying tamp the turf down very firmly with a sod tamper or the back of a spade to bring it into close contact with the soil below; sprinkle a little top soil and grass seed over the bare [221] places. Water enough to drench the turf to a sufficient depth to allow the water to reach the roots and thus encourage growth to start at once. If the sodding is done in the spring, watering at intervals throughout the summer will be necessary in order to prevent the sod from burning during dry spells. Early September is an excellent month for sodding, and if the ground is kept moist by November a good growth will be secured. A lawn that is made in the fall will not usually require mowing until the following spring. The first cutting must be deferred until the grass is about 2 or 3 inches high. Subsequent mowings will depend upon weather conditions. A well-established lawn during active growth will usually require cutting once a week, but a newly made turf will not generally need this work done oftener than every ten days or so. During the first summer the growth is thin and the roots are near the surface and easily injured by too close mowing.

Leave the grass about 2 inches long and allow the lawn clippings to remain unless they make too heavy a covering. During the hot, dry spells mowing of established as well as new lawns should be done less frequently, too closely a cut lawn will burn out in excessive heat; as fall approaches mowing may be closer, discontinuing the work by October 1st. [222] Rolling is one of the most essential parts of the routine work connected with the upkeep, and is especially necessary when a lawn is newly made in order to firm the roots and to insure a close contact with the soil below. Roll, if possible, every time mowing is done but if this is not possible to accomplish try to do it at least once a month; roll the lawn anyway each spring using a roller heavy enough to smooth any inequalities as soon as frost leaves the ground and growth begins. This overcomes the effect of the alternate freezing and thawing which takes place during the winter months, heaving the roots out of the ground. Unless the firm union between roots and soil is reëstablished the growth will not be vigorous and the grass will suffer more from drought.

Watering is efficacious only when a sufficient amount of water is applied to saturate the soil several inches below the surface. A mere sprinkling does more harm than good as the roots will be attracted to the surface in search of moisture and a shallow growth that is more susceptible to injury from drought and frost will result.

Lawns infested with moss and sorrel are usually either sour or badly drained and if liming does not obviate the trouble underdraining must be resorted to. Weeds should always be fought against and rooted out [223] with one of the suitable implements offered by seed firms for this purpose, as soon as they appear. The first year a lawn is made more trouble will be experienced from weeds because the growth of grass is thin and the roots do not yet completely occupy the soil. Maintain, at all times, a vigorous growth by rolling, watering and fertilizing and little trouble will be experienced once the land is cleared from these pests. Annual weeds will disappear at the end of the first summer as the mowing will prevent the plants from seeding themselves. It is the perennial weeds as the dandelion, dock and plaintain that reappear each year and have to be uprooted in order to be eradicated, if any part of the roots of these persistent visitors is allowed to remain in the ground they will soon appear again as lusty as ever. Fill any holes made while doing this work with a little top soil over which may be sown grass seed, bare spots are invitations to weeds and must not be allowed to remain for any length of time. Crab grass is one of the most persistent weeds that infest lawns giving it a patchy appearance during the summer, assuming, as the cold weather approaches, a reddish brown color disfiguring the appearance of the lawn. It is an annual and will re-seed itself in increasing numbers year after year if allowed to remain. As soon as it appears dig it out by the roots or its spread- [224] ing habit of growth will overrun and crowd out the desirable grass.