Turpin Farm Tips
Turpin Farms wants you to know that we are here for you with all of the Installation and Care tips you need. Come to the Grower for Quality, Price and Expertise.
Sod Installation
Before installing your new sod we recommend a 18-24-12 fertilizer use a rotary fertilizer spreader on the bare ground at the rate of one (1) 40 lb. bag for every 2,500 square feet. Start laying your sod at a straight line, such as a driveway or sidewalk which is parallel with the street for best eye appeal. If needed you can use a string starting line.
Stagger the joints in each row like bricks or roofing. Make sure all joints are butted tightly together, without overlapping or leaving spaces between the strips of sod. Use a sharp knife to shape sod around tree rings, edging or bordering flower-beds. Always use a plastic edging when a distinct border is desirable, otherwise the sod will grow into these areas very rapidly. Rolling at this point is optional. Heavy watering will bring the sod down to the original grade.
One pallet of Turpin Farms sod equals 70 square yards. There are 70 individual sod pieces measuring 24" X 54" each on each pallet. Big rolls of sod are also available with prior arrangement.
Care and Maintenance
After your new sod has been laid, start watering until you put down a full inch or until it starts to puddle before moving the sprinkler. As you can imagine, clay or peat sod would not allow you to do this and still get a uniform penetration of the water and fertilizer. Use a straight-sided glass, sitting in the lawn to measure an inch of water put out by your sprinkler. Keep track of how long it takes, as you can use this information as a future reference. You always want to put down 1 inch of water per application, even after your sod has established itself.
After the sod is installed, the next two weeks are very critical. Every day you should lift a corner of the sod and make sure that it is damp enough to wait until the next day. Depending on the time of year, sun, wind, etc., you can normally water every other day but always remember to water deep. The sod should start rooting down in 4 or 5 days.
In about 7 days after installation, it should be rooted down enough so it won't move on you. At this point, the grass should be about 3" tall and it is time to mow down to 2". Let the ground dry moderately so you won't make indentations. Never cut more than one-third of the blade off or you will "scalp" the turf, which sets it back quite a bit. From then on, maintain a 2" height of cut to achieve a uniform, healthy lawn.
Finally, now that your lawn is established, set up a regular fertilization and watering program and stay on it. For a very health lawn fertilize up to 4 times a year. Use the standard fertilizer recommended for that specific time of year. Turpin farms will be happy to help set up a fertilization schedule that meets your specific needs. Items which will need to be considered include: soil type, soil pH, weed and insect control requirements, how many fertilizer applications you are willing to make and the quality level you would like to achieve.
Questions? Call us at (513) 561-2621
Turpin Sod, LLC Phone: 513/561-2621
