When a St Augustine lawn or a section of a lawn fails for whatever reason you have several options. The most turned to option is replacing the lawn with St Augustine sod sodding is stripping St Augustine turf from a field and planting it on your lawn. Sodding a lawn brings instant gratification the failed lawn is preplaced by a successful lawn within hours.

The primary goal of preparing your lawn for sodding is to have soil to soil contact where the soil side of the sod is in contact with the soil of your lawn. There is lot of flexibility on how you achieve soil to soil contact, but the best method is to strip the existing weeds and such from your lawn with a sod cutter. This not only exposes the soil for soil to soil contact but often leaves a very level surface.

In Pinellas County, there is no month that you cannot plant St Augustine sod. Every season has its pros and cons but rarely (if ever) will St Augustine sod fail because of when the sod was planted. The best time to plant St Augustine sod is the wet warm summer months and the least optimal time would be the cold dry winter months.

Fertilizers are for the soil not the sod. If your lawn has poor unfertile soil as in it hasnt been fertilized in years then any fertilizer will help. The best fertilizer method for St Augustine sod is to apply a fertilizer to the soil before planting the sod. Consider putting about one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of soil.

Planting sod is as simple as placing the sod pieces edge to edge and trimming borders to the size. No special technique or tips here just get the sod on the ground, green side up. One clue: There are about 450 pieces of sod per pallet and sodding goes quickly if you get in a quick paced rhythm of picking sod and throwing it into place and set your mind to doing just that - 450 times!

The number one determining factor for the success or failure of your newly planted St Augustine sod is water! The sod has no roots and has less area to obtain water than a well-established turf. You must compensate for this by watering every day for at least the first month. In addition to watering, the water must cover the lawn water goes down, it does not move sideways so if you are not watering a spot on the lawn, it will die.

The down side to instant gratification is the cost. A newly sodded lawn is about $4500.00 by contract or about $1000.00 plus a whole weekend of hard labor for the DIY. Renovation is the process of carefully nursing a lawn back to health with good management. However this takes time - often a year or more and you may still need to add sod to severely damaged areas. The up side is that it costs the same as taking care of a newly sodded lawn. For more information on lawn renovation read St Augustine Lawn Renovation | I Love Turf

Authored by Rick Orr

Rick Orr is an Agronomist and Owner/Operator of A Promised Land Lawn Spraying, Inc. A Promised Land Lawn Spraying Inc., is a family owned business serving residential and commercial (large lawn) properties in Clearwater, Largo, Seminole, St Petersburg and all areas of Pinellas County, FL. You can learn more at our Info Page or on Facebook . Follow me on Twitter and Pinterest. To request a a free quote for your St Augustine turf grass lawn, click here-> Request for Proposal<

View this author's website: http://www.iloveturf.com/company-info

See more here:
Planting a Lawn with St Augustine Sod | Lawn Care Blog ...

Morganville NJ Lawn Mowing Service 732-238-8330
http://customlandscapingandlawncare.com/ Custom Landscaping and Lawn Care has been the top choice of customers in the Central New Jersey area for over 30 years for all their lawn care and...

By: frank s

Visit link:
Morganville NJ Lawn Mowing Service 732-238-8330 - Video

[Army Worm] [Army Worms In Lawn] [Armyworm] [Armyworms] [Army Grub] [Army Grub Control] [Army Grubs]
In this video we look at some [Army Worm] damage at a Kardinia Road, Mosman customer #39;s lawn. --- Have a look at http://LawnGreen.com.au/ to see how you can have a greener weed free lawn!

By: YourLawnAndGarden

More:
[Army Worm] [Army Worms In Lawn] [Armyworm] [Armyworms] [Army Grub] [Army Grub Control] [Army Grubs] - Video

Edison NJ Lawn Mowing Service 732-238-8330
http://customlandscapingandlawncare.com/ Custom Landscaping and Lawn Care has been the top choice of customers in the Central New Jersey area for over 30 years for all their lawn care needs....

By: frank s

Read more:
Edison NJ Lawn Mowing Service 732-238-8330 - Video

Mathis Outdoors - Lawn Care Solutions Newnan, GA
Mathis Outdoors (http://www.mathisoutdoors.com/) is a Lawn care and landscaping company that offers outdoor services to suit many clients. It is actually a one-stop center for people who love...

By: Cory Mathis

Read this article:
Mathis Outdoors - Lawn Care Solutions Newnan, GA - Video

[Lawn Care Experts] [Lawn Care Sydney] [Lawn Specialists] [Lawn Doctor Sydney] [Lawn Repair Sydney]
Have a look at http://LawnGreen.com.au/ to see how you can have a greener weed free lawn! Please SUBSCRIBE to our channel. In this video we demonstrate why lawns under pine trees (and similar...

By: YourLawnAndGarden

See original here:
[Lawn Care Experts] [Lawn Care Sydney] [Lawn Specialists] [Lawn Doctor Sydney] [Lawn Repair Sydney] - Video

Questions on: Lawn/Grasses

Ron Smith, Horticulturist, NDSU Extension Service

Q: I laid down sod a year ago. I think it is Kentucky blue grass. I cut it once a week. However, the grass doesn't seem to grow very rapidly even though there has been sufficient rainfall. What is the problem and what is your suggestion? (e-mail reference)

A: There are several possibilities. The grass is not fertilized or the nitrogen level is too low. The soil may be too compacted or there is excessive thatch. It could be a characteristic of the cultivar you used or a there was a natural slowdown after seed head formation. I would start by giving the lawn a light application of fertilizer. We do this on our football fields around the end of June to kick up vegetative growth somewhat. If you have a difficult time driving a spade into the lawn, then it could stand aeration. If the lawn seems spongy, then check for thatch accumulation. About a half-inch is normal or something to shoot for. Too little or anything significantly more than that indicates a problem. Another possibility is the excessive use of pesticides.

Q: I have a question about a lawn that won't grow. It's on the north side of my house and gets very little sun. I've tried reseeding. I'm wondering if landscaping the area with stone mulch would be a good idea (less work, more economical) rather than keep trying to grow grass. If so, what kind of stone mulch would you recommend? I don't want it to look like a playground with pea rock. (e-mail reference)

A: I strongly advise you not to use stone mulch. The stones migrate to other areas of the yard and create heat islands. Stone mulch leaves no surface for recreation or relaxation. It also collects dirt where weeds will grow. You have not been using the right grass seed. Look for fine leaf or creeping red fescues because they are the most shade-tolerant grasses. You couldn't have more shade than I have on the northern exposure of my own backyard. The grass is shaded by the house, a large Ponderosa pine and an Amur maple tree. I am successfully growing an attractive turf cover of creeping red fescue in that area.

Q: I am wondering if you think it is a good idea to plant oats with grass seed. Someone recommended this to me as a way to get a lush lawn and protect the grass as it grows during the summer. If so, how much oats would you mix in with the grass seed? (e-mail reference)

A: Mixing oats with grass seed, especially when hydroseeding, is at least as old as I am, which is pretty old! I don't know that there has ever been a formula for how much oat seed goes with grass seed. We just threw a few handfuls into the hydromulcher to get the effect we wanted and get paid faster. If you want a hard figure as a guideline, I would suggest about 1/2 pound per 1,000 square feet of area being seeded.

Q: A few years ago, I noticed some very lush, green grass on my front yard with mushrooms growing in it. Now those spots have died and seem to be expanding. What can I do about it? (e-mail reference)

A: I would rake those spots to rough up the soil surface, overseed and cover lightly with mulch.

Visit link:
Questions On Lawn/Grasses

Altamonte Springs Lawn Care | 407-697-3990 | Altamonte Springs Lawn Treatment | Lawn Fertilization
Altamonte Springs Lawn Care | Altamonte Springs Lawn Treatment - http://customgreenlawns.com/altamonte-springs-lawn-care/ Call today: 407-697-3990 For the Altamonte Springs lawn care company ...

By: Altamonte Springs Lawn Care

See more here:
Altamonte Springs Lawn Care | 407-697-3990 | Altamonte Springs Lawn Treatment | Lawn Fertilization - Video

Q I was very troubled to see this sight along southbound Interstate 880 after the Bay Bridge maze. On the curve before the first Oakland exit, there is a LAWN planted. Really? In a drought, Caltrans plants lawn? You've got to be kidding me. Can you find out the rationale for this? Absolutely shocking.

Rick Magarian

Alameda

A This is part of a stormwater management treatment plan to collect runoff from the freeway, and the area will not be watered. The road is slanted so that the all water runoff pollutants are collected into the approximately 1-mile-long treatment area. Caltrans has curbed water use by 30 percent _ its goal is 50 percent _ but will complete what it considers essential landscaping to prevent water pollution or erosion. They will use mulch or gravel, or drought-tolerant native or nonthirsty plants.

In addition, the California Transportation Commission has allocated $47 million in emergency funds to continue installing smart sprinklers on state property that automatically adjust to weather conditions, soil moisture or broken pipes. And 34 landscaping jobs have been postponed.

If you see any broken water pipes or leaking irrigation systems, go to http://www.dot.ca.gov/ and click the "Be a Water Watcher" icon to submit a maintenance service request.

Q Oh Gary, the irony! On a trip to Fresno I see the roadside message "SEVERE DROUGHT. LIMIT OUTDOOR WATERING," which I don't have a problem with, until I see the same message on Highway 152 nestled among acre after acre of almond trees. Might as well change it to read: "SAVE A NUT. DON'T FLUSH."

Jeff Adams

San Jose

A Almonds are thirsty. It takes 1.1 gallons to bring one almond to maturity.

Read the original post:
Roadshow: In a drought, Caltrans plants a lawn?

Q I was very troubled to see this sight along southbound Interstate 880 after the Bay Bridge maze. On the curve before the first Oakland exit, there is a LAWN planted. Really? In a drought, Caltrans plants lawn? You've got to be kidding me. Can you find out the rationale for this? Absolutely shocking.

Rick Magarian

Alameda

A This is part of a stormwater management treatment plan to collect runoff from the freeway, and the area will not be watered. The road is slanted so that the all water runoff pollutants are collected into the approximately 1-mile-long treatment area. Caltrans has curbed water use by 30 percent _ its goal is 50 percent _ but will complete what it considers essential landscaping to prevent water pollution or erosion. They will use mulch or gravel, or drought-tolerant native or nonthirsty plants.

In addition, the California Transportation Commission has allocated $47 million in emergency funds to continue installing smart sprinklers on state property that automatically adjust to weather conditions, soil moisture or broken pipes. And 34 landscaping jobs have been postponed.

If you see any broken water pipes or leaking irrigation systems, go to http://www.dot.ca.gov/ and click the "Be a Water Watcher" icon to submit a maintenance service request.

Q Oh Gary, the irony! On a trip to Fresno I see the roadside message "SEVERE DROUGHT. LIMIT OUTDOOR WATERING," which I don't have a problem with, until I see the same message on Highway 152 nestled among acre after acre of almond trees. Might as well change it to read: "SAVE A NUT. DON'T FLUSH."

Jeff Adams

San Jose

A Almonds are thirsty. It takes 1.1 gallons to bring one almond to maturity.

See the original post here:
Roadshow: Caltrans cuts water use by 30 percent