Sodding in Ontario
If your lawn is seriously infested with weeds or is barren of lush green grass, it’s time to start fresh with new sod. At Captain Handy, our professional landscapers will come to your premises and first prepare your grounds for the sod. To give your new grass the best chance to flourish, we will remove the top 2 to 4 inches of soil from your yard then top it back up with nutrient-rich topsoil. Once the ground is properly, we then lay premium quality sod that will transform your backyard once again to soft and lush green grass.
Irrigation or Sprinkler system
The best irrigation system price in Toronto and Ontario with us! Captain Handy provides a full range of landscaping services for private homes and cottages. The sale, installation and maintenance of lawn irrigation systems are no exception!
Offering services at the best price/quality ratio – We have confidently taken a leading position in the market of home and garden landscaping in Toronto and Ontario as a whole. If you are looking for irrigation companies near me – this is definitely Captain Handy!
Tips for taking care of sod after laying
The first watering of the sod is very important as it will affect the further establishment of the lawn. After laying it is necessary to water the lawn immediately, because it has been without moisture from the time of cutting to the time of laying, and sometimes just under the scorching sun, and for this reason it urgently needs moisture. That the water would not just freshen up the lawn, but give the grass the strength to take root on your property you need to water the sod so that the water soaks in about two inches below the level of the sod. The ideal time to do this watering is in the morning before 10 a.m., at which time the sun is not yet too warm, and the water on the property will not evaporate too quickly.
Watering the sod on the second day is just as important as on the first day because the sod has not yet taken root, it quickly lets moisture through and the sod dries out quickly. But do not rush and water the lawn heavily, then the water will accumulate and stagnate just under the layer of sod that is destructive to your lawn. Watering is about three times a day, but in small quantities, so that the sod was moist throughout the day. This watering system should be followed from 7 to 14 days, during this time the roots should take in the new soil.
Watering a lot of water at once is strictly prohibited, on the one hand, it prevents the roots to receive oxygen, and on the other hand on a hot day, it will provoke the development of bacteria and diseases. Different regions have different climates and different soil compositions, which directly affects the amount and duration of irrigation of sod. If the soil has a large clay content or all the lower layers of clay, the amount of watering can be 3-4 times a day for 5 minutes, and if the soil is sandy loam, it should be watered more often and for a couple of minutes longer.
Tip: To see if you water your lawn enough or too much, after ten to fifteen minutes check the soil underneath the sod – if water collects underneath then reduce the amount of watering. If the soil dries out too quickly, it is worth increasing the watering time.
Make sure the sod is watered evenly or there will be gaps in the form of dried-out patches. It is worth noting that the sod in the first week should be soaked in water during watering for about half an inch. As the sod takes root, you should water less and less often.
So in the second week, each watering should soak the ground sod about a quarter of an inch, 1-2 times a day. In the third week, water once every other day, but more heavily than in the second week, so that the soil soaks up about half an inch of water.
After about the fourth week, the sod should finally grow into your lawn. By this time, watering can be reduced to once or twice a week, but the soil should be moistened to a depth of one inch.
To make the moving process go smoothly, reduce the frequency of watering your lawn and start mowing. This will make the soil firmer which will help less trauma to both the roots and stems of the grass.
Care of the lawn two to three weeks after laying
It is very important to know that the first mowing should not take place too soon after laying the lawn, the optimal period is 14-16 days after laying the sod. And the important aspect is the length of the mowing, it should not be more than one-third of the blade.
Between the second and third week after laying you can test the rooting of the sod in the soil. To do this, try lifting the sod by the corner and if you feel resistance, it means the roots have started to root to the ground. This means you can water one less time, but you can increase the amount of water when watering.
As for sod fertilizer, things are much simpler here. After laying sod does not require fertilizer, it has all the useful substances since it has had good care, and the fertilizer will not stay in the ground, it will be washed away by water due to frequent watering in the first two weeks after laying. Fertilize the sod can be at least a month or a month and a half later. And in case of diseases or the appearance of brown, or yellow spots, carefully water those areas, which would reduce the nitrogen level in the soil, thus you will protect the sod from the appearance of new spots.
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