Preparation
Remove all debris from
the area.
Grade and shape area
to desired contours.
Peat Moss can be
added to improve the
composition of the
soil. Use 2 to 4 bales of
6 cu. ft. size per 100 sq.
metres if desired.
Top Soil should be
available to a depth of
8 to 10 cm. If this amount
of top soil is not
available, it must be
added.
Prepare the soil by
rototilling to a depth of
8 to 10 cm. rototilling
first one way, and then
the other way.
Add Fertilizer at the
rate of 10 Kilograms
per 100 sq. metres and
rototill or rake to a
depth of 5 cm. Recommended
fertilizer 5-20-20 or similar ratio.
Rake top 3 cm. to a
smooth, even surface,
and roll lightly to show
up any depressions.
Sod should be
laid as soon as
possible. In no
case later than
24 hours after
delivery.
Installation
Have the ground completely
prepared before
you order your sod.
People who are not
accustomed to physical
labour should pace
themselves accordingly
and if necessary get
help from friends.
Stack the sod in the
shade, or cover with
moist burlap, if not
laid in 8 hours.
Locate a straight line,
such as a curb or
driveway, or run a taut
string up the middle of
the area to be sodded.
Work along this line to
establish the first row.
With a rake, smooth
the area immediately
ahead of sodding.
Lay in Brick-Work
fashion.
Make sure all joints
are butted tightly together
without overlapping.
Staking is advisable on
extreme slopes.
To fit non rectangular
edges, and small areas,
cut the sod with a
knife or hatchet.
Go over the area with
a one-third filled roller
to press the roots to
the soil.
Saturate the area with
water immediately.
One litre of water in
the first hour does
more than six litres
three hours later.
Your newly sodded
lawn generally needs
mowing after 6-7 days.
Now that you have established your lawn of freshly
cut sod, grown by a qualified nursery sod grower
you must decide how good a lawn you want.
If it is to be a top maintenance lawn you
should follow the entire program outlined below.
If you want a minimum maintenance lawn,
attention to the first three points is sufficient.
Feeding your Lawn
The amount of fertilizer
for any particular
lawn depends on the
fertility of the natural
soil, the degree of
growth you want, and
the type of grass that
you are growing.
Bluegrass requires
from 2 to 3 kilograms
of actual nitrogen: 1 to
1.5 kilograms of actual
phosphorous, and the
same of potasium per
100 square metres per
year. Fertilizer applications
are determined
by the amount of
nitrogen they contain,
because nitrogen is
the most difficult of
the three materials to
handle. We recommend
any special turf
type fertilizer made by
a reputable manufacturer
using a controlled
release nitrogen.
This will provide
you with a well balanced
feeding for your
lawn and the fertilizer
will release slowly. You
should apply about
half the annual amount
in the spring, and the
remaining half in the
early summer and fall.
Be sure to follow the
instructions on the
bag. Always water the
fertilizer in to prevent
burning.
Mowing your Lawn
Mowing is one of the
most important operations
in the maintenance
of a fine lawn.
Proper mowing will
make a good lawn
look better, improper
mowing can ruin a
good lawn in just a few
weeks. The most important
point to remember
is to keep the
mower blades sharp.
Nothing defaces grass
more quickly than a
dull mower. Remove
all objects from the
lawn before you mow,
to prevent injury to
others, and to prevent
damage to the mower.
Don’t let your lawn
grow so tall that it falls
over, for it will be
difficult to mow and it
will smother out.
Never remove more
than 3 cm. of the leaf
height at any one time.
We recommend mowing
of Bluegrasses and
Fescues at a height of
4 cm. You can determine
the height of
your mower blade by
placing it on a driveway
or sidewalk, and
measuring the distance
between the blade and
the sidewalk.
You should remove
clippings that clump so
that they don’t
smother the grass.
Watering your Lawn
In the summertime,
lawns generally require
about 25 mm. of water
every week. Bluegrass
however, does go
dormant during dry
seasons - the grass
may turn brown, but
will green up again
when it is watered.
A good rule to follow
is this: If you water, do
it regularly. Apply 25
mm. every week (including
rain) at one
setting of the sprinkler.
Water evenly and
slowly enough so that
it penetrates without
run off.
Too much water can
be as harmful as not
enough. Soil that is
continually soaked
does not allow air to
reach the root zone
where it’s required.
Avoid frequent light
waterings which result
in shallow rooting.
Controlling Weeds
The best weed control
is a good, healthy turf.
When your lawn is
thick and vigorous,
weeds simply have no
place to get started . . .
and you have no
problem. In renovating
lawns, however, or
even in established
lawns that have had
lapses in maintenance,
weeds do have a way
of intruding.
Two types of chemical
weed controls are
available - one type
kills the weed (post-emergent)
and the
other type prevents
seed germination (pre-emergent).
To eradicate broad-leaf
weeds, hormone
type post-emergent
chemicals are used.
They are available
under many trade
names and can be
purchased in combination
with fertilizer.
You simply mix them
with water and apply
as directed or apply
with the fertilizer.
They are most effective
when weeds
are growing vigorously
in the early part of the
season and temperatures
are in the-20°c.
range.
Caution: Follow the
directions on the
container.
Crabgrass is easily
controlled by using
pre-emergent chemicals
on the soil surface
where seeds may be
waiting to sprout in
the spring. You must
apply your pre-emergent
material
early in the spring
before the seeds
germinate.
Killing the weeds is
only half the operation
- you must remember
to replace them with
grass.
Controlling Disease
Healthy turf will withstand
infestation and
recover faster than
neglected turf. Here
are some guides for
healthy turf:
1. Use enough fertilizer
to keep grass
growing vigorously
- but avoid the
extreme of over
stimulation.
2. Mow before the
grass gets too tall.
3. Cut no more than 3
cm. of the leaf
surface at any one
time.
4. Keep your mower
sharp.
5. Don’t allow clippings
to accumulate to the
extent that they form
a mat.
6. Remove thatch as
required.
7. Avoid frequent
waterings which
tend to keep the
grass wet.
8. Most important of all
- use chemical preventatives
as recommended
by your
local landscaper or
garden centre.
READ THE LABEL.
FOLLOW DIRECTIONS,
AND TAKE NECESSARY
PRECAUTIONS.
Relieving Compacted Turf
Soil compaction is a
problem which develops
naturally under
many conditions.
Heavy soils and heavy
traffic zones are particularly
subject to
compaction. If soil is
trampled, especially
when it is wet, compaction
will very likely
occur.
To relieve compaction
without excessive injury to grass plants
has been a formidable
chore until recent
years when power
driven aerators were
developed. Today,
aerators of many types
and sizes are available.
They usually have
prongs or knives
which pierce the sod
to a depth of 5 cm to
7 cm, or they have
hollow tines that
extract plugs of soil. In
either case, the effect
is to open up or
"aerate" the soil, allowing water, air, and
nutrients to reach the
turf roots.
If you are an average
homeowner, you may
not want to invest in
aeration equipment.
You will be wise, however,
to give your lawn
the benefits of aeration.
Call your landscaper or garden
centre for information
on lawn services or
rental companies that
have appropriate units.
The gratifying results
achieved from aeration
- plus the savings
realized in water and
fertilizer, will easily
justify the cost.
Renovating Worn Turf
Turf renovation
through use of vertical
mowers and aerators
was once largely limited
to golf courses and
athletic fields. Now, it
has become a common
practice for other
turf areas, including
home lawns.
Fall renovation is in
order where it is
practical to renew or
rejuvenate turf that
has been abused but it
is still in reasonably
good shape. Since roots grow best
in the Fall and early Spring,
loosened soil and fertilizer
are most needed at these times
to encourage turf growth.
The best practice, of
course, calls for a
continuous management
program to
prevent deterioration
to the extent that it
requires renovation.
Such a program
would include: elimination
of compaction;
application of fertilizer
and moisture as grass
needs it; and good
weed control
practices.
Thatch and Thatch Control
Thatch in turf is the
accumulation of old
leaves, clippings,
stems, roots, and
other organic material
which has failed to
decay. Thatch sheds
water rather than letting
it percolate into
the grass root zone. It
may harbour fungus
and other diseases, as
well as insect pests,
and may make fertilizer
applications
ineffective.
One of the answers to
the thatch problem is
a vigorous raking. This
is difficult to do by
hand. A much easier
way is to use a
powered vertical
mower which is self-propelled
and equipped
with hardened
steel blades. It cuts
out the thatch and
thins matted growth. If
desired, you can set
the blades low enough
to touch the soil; the
scarifying action is an
ideal pre-seeding treatment
for bare or thin
areas that need over-seeding.
Controlling Insects
Unlike diseases, which
must be prevented,
insects are usually
controlled after they
appear. It is important
that you recognize
them quickly before
they do too much
damage.
A common insect that
you should watch for
is the white grub.
Grubs live in the soil
under the grass. If you
suspect their presence
in your lawn, remove a
block of sod and count
the grubs. If you have
as many as five per 1/10
sq. metre, treat your
lawn with a good soil
insectiside such as
Diazinon.
The sod web worm is
a lively brown worm
about 2 cm. long that
feeds on grass and
causes grass to turn
brown. Chinch Bugs
are small black insects
about 1/2 cm. in length
that suck the juices
from the grass plant.
The damage shows
large irregular yellowish
brown patches,
usually along the edge
of a sidewalk, curb or
foundation. These
pests may be controlled by using Diazinon.
If in doubt consult your
local landscaper or
garden centre.
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