Lawn and Sod
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Lawn and Sod
May 2007
Just saw this company advertised in a local mailing, they are
called Heavenly Greens and install an artificial turf/lawn
called ''FieldTurf''. Can anyone offer any positive or negative
comments about the company or product? It is appealing to us
to have a spot of grass for the kids that requires no watering
or mowing! Does it look like astroturf?! Thanks
anon
I do not own a synthetic lawn, but I've done some research for a
school project. FieldTurf, the artificial turf that Heavenly
Greens sells, has some good points; primarily that it uses zero
water and does not require pesticides or fertilizers. And of
course, you don't have to mow it, which means no noxious
emissions from a lawn mower. However, it heats up way more than
natural grass or even concrete--not the safest play surface in
the summertime. Also, although the company emphasizes that
FieldTurf's cushioning uses recycled Nike sneaker soles, most of
the crumb rubber is from recycled tires, which contain lead,
arsenic, cadmium, copper, oil, carbon, and benzene. The tiny
pellets tend to work their way to the surface of the grass, so
you probably wouldn't want FieldTurf for a yard if you've got
small kids or babies, who may eat it. (The pellets also get
tracked indoors.) You should also ask the company how it suggests
keeping the FieldTurf clean. They may suggest regular
disinfectant applications, which you may not be wild about. Good
luck on your decision.
--Oakland mom
April 2007
We are trying to decide whether to seed our 600 sq ft back yard or use sod. It gets a
fair amount of direct sunlight over the course of the day. We would optimally like
something that doesnmt consume too much water and can handle the impact of kids
playing. Any recommendations? Thanks!
I'd go with a sod for a more instant effect.
Typically, fine leaf fescues (Festuca rubra, Festuca longifolia, or Festuca
commutata)
are your best bet in the Berkeley/Oakland area. Tall fescue (Festuca
arundinacea) is
a coarser leaved, but tougher turf grass that can take more abuse.
ray
Would you consider something like a red fescue or a California
fescue for a ''meadow'' like appearance? It grows tall but only
needs mowing about 4x a year and consumes far less water and can
take foot traffic (am not sure how much).
Importantly, Calif. or red fescue, are one of many California
Native plants you can choose from, which means they help protect
and feed and attract hummmingbirds, butterflies, and other
beneficial critters.
Do a google for lawn alternatives. See the California Native
Plant Society website.
I am doing a lawn conversion and replacing with Callifornia natives.
Signed,
No mo' mowing anymo'
Use sod, not seed!
It's the soil preparation that is key to a lawn's success- same
amount of work and materials there. Sod does cost more than seed,
but it will help to smother out some weed seeds- when you
encourage new grass seeds to grow and prosper, you are also
encouraging every weed seed in the neighborhood to grow and prosper!
If you take proper care of it with regular mowing (at the right
height) and fertilizing and a realistic amount of water, sod will
make a stronger and healthier lawn in the long run. No lawn is
truly ''drought resistant'', but if you get it established so that
it develops deep roots, the fescue hybrids need the least amount
of water.
if you have existing perennial weeds, like either bulbous or
creeping oxalis, blackberries, and/or Bermuda grass (the WORST!)
I strongly suggest that you use Round-up on them as many times as
it takes to deplete the root and seed supply. Sod cannot smother
out perennial weeds, and you will regret it if you don't take
care of them beforehand- it's worth waiting to have a lawn rather
than investing time and money in something that becomes a weed
patch. Round-up does not stay active as a toxin in the soil, and
it will not inhibit the growth of the new lawn or present a
danger to people and animals.
Also, don't use the lawn for at least 4 weeks after laying the
sod- again, it's worth waiting. If you allow it enough time to
really develop a good root system it will hold up much better to
heavy use.
Finally- DO NOT skimp on soil preparation- the more thoroughly
you do it, the more successful the lawn will be.
Cecelia
Last spring we seeded the ''lawn'' area (approx 20'x15') of our
yard with Festuca rubra (red fescue). It's a native grass that
can take foot traffic and doesn't get that tall. Mowing &
watering is optional, and just depend on your tolerance for
a ''messy'' lawn. We watered occassionally last summer, mostly
because I wanted to be sure the grass really ''took''. We've
never mowed the lawn - the areas that get more traffic are a
little shorter and the other areas got to be about 4''-6''
tall. This spring the seed stalks have came up - they're about
a foot tall. My 2-year old daughter and her friends love
running through them & playing with the stalks.
We got our seeds from Larner Seeds in Bolinas
(www.Larnerseeds.com) - it cost about $15 bucks to cover our
patch of lawn. It took a few weeks for the grass to come in -
at this time of year you'll probably have to be good about
watering the lawn for a while. We didn't use a pre-emergent to
reduce weeds, but did spend many afternoons last summer with
the kids weeding out the grasses that we didn't want. The folks
at Larner are really knowledgeable & can help you with all
those details.
- love my lumpy lawn
March 2007
I'm working on redoing my backyard and I like the idea of
installing Waterless Grass
(http://www.waterlessgrass.com/index.cfm). You don't have to mow,
you don't have to water, it never dies and always looks great. My
husband thinks it's a terrible idea, that it will lower the
resale value of our home because nobody wants to have a yard with
''lame fake grass.'' What do all of you think?
Jill
I'm sorry to tell you that your husband is pretty much right. My
cousin had it installed in her yard. The stuff does look great -
from a few feet away you can't tell the difference. If you get
upclose you can see that its synthetic but thats not a huge deal.
The problem is the wear. A neighbor's dog peed on the ''lawn''
and the whole thing smelled NASTY. And on a hot day, forget it.
You wouldnt even want to have the window open. Don't believe
the whole thing about urine running through it like rainwater.
Not true.
I would have to agree with your husband.
Although there is more at stake than just your property value. Astro Turf was
bad eonough, but realistic looking synthetic grass???? I checked out the
''Waterless Grass'' website. Some of their selling points are:
''No wasting water. No more polluting lawn mowers. No chemical fertilizers or
pesticides.''
My response to those selling points are:
There are many other ways to beautify your back yard and not have to use a ton
of water, it's called ''drought tolerant'' plants. The amount of pollution and
waste that goes into making synthetic grass must be enormous! And it's plastic!
Plastics come from petroleum! It's all chemicals. Plastics can off-gas, meaning
it gives off gas and fumes. What happens when it sits in the hot hot sun? What
kind of chemicals are you breathing? There is a 5 year warranty on this
''Waterless Grass'' as long as you do the yearly application of UV protection.
Sounds like more chemicals to me.
Here is a commentary from a blogger who just happens to have a
neighboor who installed ''Waterless Grass''. It doesn't sound like a good idea:
http://blogging.la/archives/2005/09/the_stepford_la.phtml
If we all want to combat pollution and greenhouse gases that cause global
warming, than we need to be ''greening'' the planet, not stripping away the
greenery and replacing it with petrolium products. Real trees and plants help to
absorb carbon dioxide. They make our planet beautiful. They are healthy for
the environment, people and animals.
Research: drought tolerant gardening; California native plants; low maintenance
easy care plants; alternative ground covers instead of traditional lawns.
That's what I think.
Laurey
Instead of grass or fake grass, how about putting in a low
maintenance ground cover that requires little to no water and no
mowing?
Maria
Oct 2006
Last winter, I noticed a lot of pieces of mud all over my lawn.
Now that the weather is getting cool again its happening again.
It looks like the earthworms are excavating and pushing dirt to
the surface. I know earthworms are good, but I also like to have
a lawn I can walk on without shoes. Am I over watering? Has
anyone else had this problem?
muddy lawn
The piles of mud you are seeing sound like molehills.
Unfortunaley, there isn't much you can do
EGW
Could be racoons! They just hit our back yard (last year it was
our front yard). They dig for grubs under your sod. They take
up little bits of your grass and expose the mud underneath.
Sometimes they will take up whole sections of grass sod. If you
think it's the worms lower your watering, but it could be those
cute furry creatures.
Anon
June 2005
Can anyone recommend a place to buy sod for DIY installation? I'm specifically interested in shade-tolerant sods (any thoughts or recommendations there?) like maybe a fescue/bluegrass mix (based on what I've read, but I'm open to other suggestions). Thanks in advance for your help!
JP
To answer my own posting in case anyone else has the same question: I went ahead and ordered sod from The Sod Shop in Martinez (www.thesodshop.com) - they were very helpful, fast and well-priced. They recommended Mello Jade for shady yard. We installed it ourselves in an afternoon, no problems. It's been 2 weeks and the lawn looks great!
JP
May 2005
Hi - we just moved into a new house in East Oakland and inherited a perfect lawn and a big plot of dirt out in back, not to mention two large containers of weed killer.
We have a dog and an 8 month old and I am concerned that we are all being exposed to the weed killer that was undoubtedly put on the lawn and the backyard to keep the weeds away.
Does anyone know how to deal with soil that has chemicals in it? And how does one safely clean up a lawn? Is it possible? Is there anyway to test for the toxicity in the soil?
Also does anyone know a child friendly alternative to a lawn. I've heard of chamomile and clover, but do they create a cushion like a lawn would?
thanks so much...
Catherine
Depending upon when you moved into the house and when the previous owners last squirted/applied the weed and feed I would not worry. Most of it ends up in the soil(under the grass) or as run off after a few rains. We've had a really wet winter. The grass, after a few cuttings, will be perfectly safe for your dog and child. I would use the extra soil you have (in the plot) as a place to plant flowers. Dirt is expensive to haul off b/c of it's weight.
So relax, enjoy the grass and carfully (and legally) dispose of the chemicals. We had the same situation when we moved into our home, and our previous home's owners had way more stuff than just weed and feed.
enjoy the grass!
If the name of the chemical is on the containers, you can find out what its 'persistence' in the soil is. Some chemicals don't stick around in their original form for very long, others do. If the information on the label is not clear, you have several ways to get the info: Inquire at a nursery that sells chemicals (like East Bay in Berkeley). Or go online and google it. Or contact the company that manufactured the product and ask for the data on its toxicity and persistence.
The best way to hurry any toxicity out of soil is to leach it through with water. Water your lawn more frequently (and deeply!) than you normally would, but not so much that it is soggy all the time (bad for the lawn).
There is no lawn replacement that is cushiony like a lawn, and nothing that will hold up to frequent use! Take my word for it- I'm a landscaper and have dealt with this question for 25 years. There are groundcovers, like chamomile, that can take "light traffic", but this means only occasional very light use, like between stepping stones. Otherwise, it will not stay healthy, not look nice or feel nice.
Clover is tough, but not cushiony, and it attracts bees- good for your garden plants, but not so good for bare feet.
Cecelia
August 2003
We've lived in a rental for over 5 years and plan to be
here for longer until that mysterios time when we can
finally buy a house (probably not anytime soon). When
we moved in, we put all sorts of plants and flowering
bushes in the dirt-filled backyard after hours of hard
labor to clear it out. Now we have a toddler and we just
want a lawn back there so he can play in a fenced-in
area.
Our landlady probably won't pay for it - so we have to
come up with the money ourselves which is going to be
really,really tough. But, it's has to happen - we just
hired someone to dig out most of the old stuff and it's
all dirt (sigh, again) back there.
Does anyone have any suggestions about how to
install a lawn? I'm thinking roll-out sod/turf that will
quickly root. But we have lots of weeds that grow back
there, and as I said, very little money. I'm afraid if we
just spread grass seed, we'll get an uneven, weed
filled mess and I really am dreaming of a place that's
fun to hang out with the kid.
Thanks for your advice and suggestions. If you know
someone we could go to for this, that would be great
too.
jenny
Rolling out sod may seem like the better solution, but it
really isn't. You have to weed, rototill and level the area
in any case. Then, if you put in sod, you only have one
kind of grass. Some areas of your lawn get more water,
some
get more traffic, some get more sun. The lawn will die in
certain areas. You will forever be fighting to keep a
perfect green carpt. A better and cheaper alternative is
to seed it. Put in several different kinds of grass and
dichondra. Then, when you find spots that aren't doing
well, put in chamomile, lawn daisies, plaintain, and
dandylions. This will create a beautiful butterfly meadow
that is easy to maintain.
a gardener
March 2003
We recently moved to home with a backyard (our first ever).
A significant portion of the yard was covered in Algerian
ivy which I've spend the last month removing. We'd like to
put in sod (where the ivy was) -- but we can't afford any
of the estimates we've gotten so our only option is to do
it ourselves.
How do I know whether I need to amend our soil? Is the job
as simple as rototilling, raking, grading and then laying
the sod? Is there anywhere i can go for specific
instructions? Thanks very much.
Annette
We did our own backyard and nothing could be easier than
laying your own sod. Having someone else do it is nothing
but robbery! We were quoted $1200 to sod our lawn and we
did it ourselves for $350 (the cost of the sod). The only
tricky part is having a large enough vehicle to transport
it (if you go pick it up yourself). Yes, you should
ammend your soil. Ask at your local nursery for
ammendment suggestions, pile it on and rototill it in. Or
you can just throw regular fertilizer on it if your soil
isn't too bad (ours was pure clay so we had to do a lot).
The just go ahead and unroll the sod, give it a good
soaking with water (get it nice and soggy and keep it that
way for the next 12 hours or so). You might want to get
one of those little sod cutters if you have to work around
any trees or other obstacles in your lawn. Also, sod is
heavy so if you have a dolly or a wheelbarrow to move it
from the truck to the yard that will save your back.
email me if you have any questions and good luck!
cameron
Doing a lawn right is labor intensive, but shortcuts will
reduce its health and longevity.
Soil preparation is key. Work the soil when moist but
not gooey.
Our clay soils are compacted, & rototilling does not
open them deeply (affects drainage & root growth). Break up
with shovel & pick to about 12''.
All soils here need organic amendment- for a lawn, at least 1
part to 2 parts soil- turn in well to 12''. Then, rototil to
blend the top layer finely.
Grade, & then water for a week or 2 to settle.
Next do a finish grade with a grading rake, roll with a
roller 2/3 full of water, grade again, roll again, etc. until
the grade is just right (it will be a bit mounded until it
finishes settling).
Spread starter lawn fertilizer, lay the sod, roll with the
roller 1/3 full of water.
Saturate the sod, keep it very wet for the first week, then
wet for 2 weeks, then moist for another 1-2 weeks. Don't use
it for 4 weeks.
Consider putting in an irrigation system- you & your lawn
will be grateful!
Cecelia
Hi Annette,
My husband & I have installed sod at 2 different houses
relying solely on advice & supplies from Sloat Garden
Center (SF and Marin); they are very willing to answer
questions in detail over the phone. The hardest part is
clearing out the weeds, so you're more than halfway!
Get yourself a soil test kit and then augment according
to those results. Grass likes nitrogen so we had to
augment w/chicken fertilizer & forest mulch. If it's a
large area, you might want to consider installing a
sprinkler system (we bought a kit on-line from
lawnbeltusa.com and it works great). Rake, level, and
then roll out the sod like carpet. It's amazing how
quickly you can go from brown dirt patch to lawn; it's
really satisfying!
-CG
We installed sod about four years ago. We learned so
much. Make sure your sprinklers work REALLY well
first. We just rototilled the soil with a lot of leaves in it. It
was very inorganic sand/gravel/clay soil. The grass is
still growing fine. However, we picked a very fine fescu
and this is not the best climate for fescu. Half our yard
is shadey and half sunny. As long as it gets water the
grass does well in either sun or shade. I think it needs
too much water and if I had it to do over again I would
pick a less fine grass, even leaning toward a thick crab
crab grass type, that doesn't need so much mowing or
water. What ever type you choose be prepared for the
racoons to roll up the sod every night ruining all your
work for weeks. You can buy our live trap if it comes to
that (540-8788). Every morning you will go out and have
to stamp it down again. But in the end your grass will
grow. Maybe seeds would be better (especially at this
time of year) because you wouldn't have to battle the
racoons, with plenty of water it grows well.
Sarah
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