What to Consider When Buying Sod
When shopping for sod, quality is, of course, your number one concern. But how can you tell which one is quality and which one is not?
Soil Consistency
Remember that the soil is what keeps the sod nourished and alive. The soil in the sod should be packed just right – not too loose that they will fall apart and not too tight that the nutrients almost couldn’t find their way through the grass before it withers away. Also, the soil must not be more than an inch thick or there will be a huge gap between the roots of the grass and the soil in your yard. On the other hand, less sod soil means there will be inadequate support for the grass until the roots have established themselves in the soil under the sod.
Fertilizer Application
Proper fertilization of your sod protects it against drought and disease. However, it is important not to apply too much fertilizer as this can bring a whole range of issues too, like wilting and crabgrass.
Root Maturity
To determine the maturity of grass, check its roots. If they are all knit together, that means the grass will be able to survive the handling. The color of the grass should also be singular all throughout (no patches). Patches indicate immaturity, poor health or the presence of disease. When grass is dense and at least 2 inches long, that’s also a sign that it is mature.
Harvesting
If sod is not replanted within a period of eight hours, it loses moisture. The three things to check to determine if sod has been harvested for quite some time are color, warmth and moisture.
If there’s discoloration, the grass has likely been out too long. To check for warmth, hold the middle of the pallet of sod. If it’s warm, it might have been under the sun for a while and has started to decompose, or it may indicate the start of thatch or dead grass.
When it comes to moisture, the roots of good sod will be moist; if not, that means it’s going to wither away as a result of heat exposure. As well, the sod’s edges must not be dry or cracked. If they are, that means the sod is not moist enough to stay alive and make it the planting location.
At the end of the day, you’ll want to choose a reputable sod supplier that can cut your work in half in terms of determining sod quality. You don’t have to consider just one supplier however. If you check out at least two or three options, you can make comparisons and make a well-informed choice.