A well-kept lawn is not just for the rich and famous. Even an ordinary homeowner can make his or her lawn look wonderful. There are times when you will want to start from scratch, but preparing a new lawn is not as simple as it seems.
First, you have to plan. Aside from choosing the type of lawn you want, you need to think about whether you will plant a new lawn from seed or sod. You also have to determine if you have the proper kind and quantity of soil available. Most new construction sites have minimal native soil available and will need to purchase lawn soil to begin your lawn. At Kynock’s, we manufacture a proper spec’d lawn soil to take all the worries away.
Planting from seed simply means spreading grass seeds on prepared soil, either by hand or using a seed spreader. Using sod means using carpet-like sheets of grown grass like you would lay carpet tiles.
Planting a new lawn using sods is certainly easier. For one thing, you are not limited by the time of year, and you can even undertake this project in summer as long as you have a steady supply of water. The results are immediate because even if it takes a couple of weeks for the transplanted sod to grow into your lawn, it looks complete from the very beginning. Sods allow the use of the area within 4 to 6 weeks of application.
The primary downside to planting using sod is the cost. Sods are more costly, after all, someone went through the trouble of planting and raising the grass for you.
Planting from seeds is much less costly, but the challenge level is higher. You will be required to choose the right seeds for your lawn, and that also affects what times of the year you can begin these projects. However, this level of control over seeds also means that you can make customized mixes of seeds, which is particularly important for lawns meant to address soil conditions.
The most obvious downside to planting a new lawn from seeds is that it will take quite a while before it is ready to be used. Usually, a complete growing season is necessary. Add to that the fact that some real care is needed for the new lawn to grow properly, and you can have a major project on your hands. However, planting a lawn from seed is more gratifying than using sod.
Either way, the first thing to do when physically preparing your lawn is to remove all the old grass. Not just the leaves, but the roots as well, and that means churning up the topsoil of your current lawn. It is easier to do this by cutting patches of soil held together by the grassroots, quite similar to cutting up a carpet. After clearing you may need to grade the soil, especially if there are unwanted inclines and bumps.
Once the project area has been cleared, you will need to till or scarify the existing soil to a depth of about 6 inches or add new soil to this depth. This is meant to loosen up the soil to provide better aeration and drainage, which both seeds and sod require. At Kynock Resources, we provide a manufactured lawn soil that will meet the requirements for a healthy lawn.
After tilling the soil, a lawn roller is used to smooth the work surface. If sod is used, then it is laid out and cut as necessary, then a heavier roller is used to work out air pockets.
If the seed is used, they are spread then worked into the soil using a rake. After your seed or sod is applied, it is very important to water your grass daily until roots are established. Whether you decide to sod or seed it is very important to properly maintain your lawn with liming annually, fertilizing periodically, aeration and proper mowing techniques throughout the season. This will provide you with many years of beautiful lawn, in return for your efforts.