Berkeley Parents Network: Lawn and Sod

Berkeley Parents Network

Lawn and Sod

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Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > House & Garden > Lawn and Sod

Questions

Waterless Grass
Mud clumps all over lawn
Where to buy sod
Remediating Soil & Lawn sprayed with weed killer
Need a cheap lawn!
How to plant sod

Waterless Grass

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

Mud clumps all over lawn

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

Where to buy sod

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

Remediating Soil & Lawn sprayed with weed killer

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

Need a cheap lawn!

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

How to plant sod

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. Donmt 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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