Soil Preparation, Watering, & Caring For Your Lawn
A good soil preparation can save you 30% more water in your landscape, so it's important to get this step right. Turf Master Sod Farms offers soil preparation services and we are happy to take care of this crucial work for you. If you prefer to do it yourself, here are some important guidelines to keep in mind.
Consider Investing in an Irrigation System
- Water is most accurately applied when using a quality sprinkler system with an ET controller on well prepared soils. (For explanation of ET, please scroll to the bottom of this page.)
- Watering times will vary for each sprinkler zone depending on type of sprinkler head, location, slope and temperature.
- An irrigation system that is properly designed, installed, and maintained will uniformly and efficiently deliver water to your lawn and save you valuable time and money.
Soil Preparation
- Subsoil or rip 6 – 10 inches deep.
- Till 4 – 8 inches deep.
- Apply organic matter/compost at a minimum of 3 cubic yards per 1000 sq. ft. For optimal results, apply 6 cubic yards per 1000 sq. ft., especially for hard soils.
- After ripping, amending, tilling, and grading; the soil is ready for planting.
Water Requirements for Freshly Laid Turfgrass
FALL & WINTER WATERING
- WEEK 1: It is critical to water new turf the first 7 days. New sod requires ¾" - 1¼" of water per day for the first 7 days. Total amount should be split up over 4 or 5 watering periods each day.
- The warmer the temperature, the more water you need to apply!!
- WEEK 2: After the first 7 days, water at a rate of ½" per day for 7 days; split up over 2-3 watering periods each day.
- WEEK 3: If watering restrictions allow, water ¼" per day every other day for 7 days. After the first two or three weeks, revert to watering 1-2 times per week as local watering restrictions allow, based on the inch per month rates in the chart below.
SPRING & SUMMER WATERING
- WEEK 1: It is critical to water new turf the first 7 days. New sod requires 2" minimum of water per day for the first 7 days. Total amount should be split up over 4 or more watering periods each day. When temperature is more than 85 degrees, additional waterings may be necessary.
- WEEK 2: After the first 7 days, water at the rate of 1 - 2" per day for 7 days, depending on soil type. When temperature is more than 85 degrees, additional waterings may be necessary.
- WEEK 3: If watering restrictions allow, water 1/2 - 1" per day every other day for 7 days. After the first two or three weeks, revert to watering once per week as local watering restrictions allow, based on the inch per month rates shown in the chart below.
- WEEK 4: Water as needed, depending on soil type, season, and temperature.
- If there is no natural precipitation during the winter months when your sprinklers are shut off, it may be necessary to hand-water. The warmer the temperature, the more water you need to apply!
Water Needs of Established Turf: Watering needs vary per month to maintain turf at various levels of quality (if the proper steps have been taken during soil preparation and watering your freshly laid turfgrass). Click here for the monthly watering requirements for your established lawn.
*** These water needs are based on Kentucky Bluegrass only. Fescue can use up to 30% less water, Turf Master Enviroturf™ can use up to 40% less water, and Canadian Blue Fescue™ can use up to 50% less water.
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Fertilization
It is highly recommended that you fertilize with Turf Master’s High Phosphorus fertilizer at the time of installation.
* Each lawn has different fertilization needs depending on the sod type, environmental conditions, soil type and maintenance.
* The first fertilization of the year should be done in March and the last fertilization in mid October.
* Bluegrass typically needs fertilization 4 - 5 times per year.
* Fescue, Fescue blends and Turf Master Enviroturf™ typically need fertilization 2 - 3 times per year.
* Canadian Blue Fescue™ typically needs fertilization 1 - 2 times per year.
* Call or come by Turf Master to find out what Turf Master Fertilizer blend is currently recommended for your lawn.
Mowing
* You can mow 10 days to 2 weeks after laying new sod.
* Turn the water off for 1 full day before mowing.
* When mowing never remove more than one third of the leaf blade.
* Mowing height is recommended to be 2 ½ - 3 inches.
Advantages of Cool Season Turfs
When placed on properly prepared soil and irrigated correctly, cool season turf can be one of the most xeric plants in your landscape. No other single plant can improve the value of your property while offering these environmentally friendly attributes:
- Are very traffic tolerant.
- Can survive heat stress.
- Can use less water than most xeriscape plants.
- Removes allergens such as dust and dirt from the air.
- 8 front lawns have the cooling effect of a 70 ton air conditioner.
- Acts as a natural filter, reducing pollution by purifying water passing thru the root zone.
- On a hot day, turf areas will be 15–30 degrees cooler that decks, patios, shrub beds, dirt areas, and walkways.
- According to US Water Resources Council, lawn watering, swimming pools and automobile washing accounts for only 27.5% of a household’s total water usage.
- Produce more oxygen than trees, shrubs, and flowers. (2500 sq. ft. of turfgrass releases enough oxygen for a family of 4 every day!)
What is the ET Rate???
The rate at which plants use water is called evapotranspiration or ET. Temperature, humidity, wind, and light all influence the ET rate. When watering, you only need to replace the amount of water that has been lost due to ET.