Albuquerque Lot: Closed Saturday, May 26th thru Monday, May 28th. Reopen Tuesday, May 29th.

Moriarty Farm: Closed Thursday, May 24th thru Monday, May 28th. Reopen Tuesday, May 29th.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to high demand for Memorial Day weekend, if you are wanting to pick up sod on Thursday, you must order no later than Monday, May 22nd and if you are wanting to pickup on Friday, you must order no later than Tuesday, May 23rd.

There are many differences between choosing to seed or lay sod, but the end result is usually the same, as well as the maintenance level after established.

SEEDING

Pros:

• Establishing turf from seed requires less labor to install, but more care during the germination and establishment stages.
• The initial investment is less, because you are not paying for the 18-24 months farm labor to grown turf ready to cut for sod rolls.
• More selection of turf seed can be found (in town) than sod types.
• Faster installation than rolls of turf.
• Difficult areas can be successfully seeded.
• High quality seed will yield higher quality results.

Cons:

• The amount of time accomplish the final result…a lawn you can use.  Traffic should be kept completely off a seeded area until it is at least 2″ tall.  Even then, it should be mainly undisturbed, since foot traffic, pets, etc can easily destroy tender seedlings.
• Frequent watering during germination. The ground should be kept moist during the entire germination process.
• Seed cannot be planted all year long (sod can, if the ground isn’t frozen). It does not germinate below a certain temperature, and has a hard time germinating in the summer heat.  Spring and Fall are usually the best times to lay seed.
• Weed control during establishment stage is necessary.
• Erosion is more likely to happen to a seeded area vs. a sodded area. Even if it rains once during the germination process, the pattern can end up very patchy and may need to be over-seeded several times.
• Low quality seed will yield low quality results.  Many seed mixes you find at a big box store are not even designed for the area you live in.  Most of these mixes are high in annual grass that is quick to establish, but will not be around next year, leaving the need for over-seeding.  Also, these low quality mixes often contain weed seeds, have low germination rates, and could contain grasses that you do not want.  Seeding rates may be difficult for the average person to calculate and when incorrect , can have a negative impact on seed germination.an NTEP rated variety, which means it has been independently evaluated and rated by the National Turf Evaluation Program

Tips for Seeding

Using a spreader will ensure you get the proper coverage of seed.  Too much coverage of seed can cause the seed to compete with each other. Too little and you will have bare spots.  A spreader will work perfectly.

Don’t seed in the hot summer months.  Seeds have to compete with usual summer weeds, and seeds do not germinate well in heat and inadequate moisture during the summer.

Planting seed too deep will not allow it to germinate.  Laying seed and covering with about 1/8th inch of topsoil is plenty to start germination.

The next time you are mowing, thinking that Xeriscape may be the ONLY alternative, consider this:

A. The lawn area (approx. 1000 sq.ft. per home) in a block of eight average homes has the cooling effect of about 70 tons of refrigerated air-conditioning. One ton of refrigerated air-conditioning will cool approximately 400 sq.ft. of interior space. The average home requires about 3-4 ton of cooling capacity to perform its function. Consider then, how much energy those lawns save on your electric bill by cooling the exterior areas around your home.

B. Grass and mature trees cool the air and encourage rainfall. Rocked yards, parking lots, sidewalks, streets, stucco homes, etc. perform the opposite!

C. On an extremely hot day, grass can be 15-20 degrees cooler than exposed soil and as much as 40-60 degrees cooler than concrete or asphalt.

D. Acting like a gigantic sponge, lawns absorb all types of airborne pollutants, such as soot, dust and carbon dioxide, as well as noise. While your lawn is busily performing any of these functions, you may not have noticed, it is very quiet and has no moving parts.

E. Recent studies show healthy lawns absorb rainfall 6 times more effectively than a wheat field, 4 times more than a hay field and 50-100 times more than hard-packed dirt – being exceeded only by virgin forest. Lawns hold and filter the rain back to the aquifer, where everyone can use it again, and again, and again!

F. Remember, our planet has every drop of water that has ever been on earth. However, it is redeposited in different ways and areas. Many times it is lost forever, due to man’s ignorance of his environment, such as, banning green areas (grass) in favor of Xeriscape. (See E.)

G. A 50×50 foot healthy grass area will produce enough oxygen to meet the needs of a family of four every day. Most Xeriscape yards provide little to no oxygen.

H. Quality turf grass not only reduces runoff water, it also prevents erosion by water or wind which results in the loss of valuable topsoil. Unfortunately, most Xeriscape yards aren’t even TRUE Xeriscape, and have nothing more than rock and gravel, with sometimes small green plantings, which provides little or no runoff protection.

I. Homes, sports fields and parks, with healthy lawns, provide safer recreation areas where grass acts as a cushion to reduce shock and potential injury. In addition, children can’t or won’t play in rocks, tumbleweeds or sand – they prefer grass.

J. Aesthetically, there can be no argument that a beautiful lawn is immediately pleasing and relaxing in appearance. When comparing a grassed area to a rocked area, there is no question as to which is more pleasurable to the senses.

K. While some may scorn its needs, others find lawn maintenance an excellent opportunity to enjoy reasonable exercise and a break away from the tv, computer, or other household happenings.

* Place several empty coffee cans or similar containers around your yard and water until 1″ of water accumulates in the containers.

* Time this event – then you will know how long you should water.

* Plan your watering cycle for every third day. (If you observe any water runoff, cut the watering time to half and water 2 times during each planned watering day.)

* Shut off the irrigation system if you observe rain and let the rainy day take place of one of your watering cycle days.

* July and August are months that normally require additional water, possibly as much as 50% more.

* Throughout winter months, water only one time every 10-15 days, during warmer daytime hours, and when there is no snow on the ground.

Simple, right? Now you can enjoy your yard while saving thousands of gallons of water each year, and don’t forget those dollars you will also save!

$423.50
+ 30.97 (Tax)
= $454.47 Total
(does not include any delivery charges) **Sod is available in rolls from 5 and 7 sq.ft. (18″ x 54″) to 300 sq.ft.
Our regular rolls are 7 square feet.

One Pallet = 455 sq.ft. and weighs approximately 2300 lbs. depending on water content (adds weight).

PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK YOUR MEASUREMENTS. We DO NOT take responsibility for square footage figures unless we measure it ourselves. ]]> http://stonegatesod.com/2012/03/calculate-the-area-for-sod/feed/ 0 http://stonegatesod.com/2012/03/step-by-step-sod-installation-instructions/ http://stonegatesod.com/2012/03/step-by-step-sod-installation-instructions/#comments Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:22:43 +0000 stonegate http://stonegatesod.com/?p=51 1. Rake and remove all rocks and debris from surface.

2. Add peat moss to soil (and new nutrient-rich topsoil if necessary). Peat moss will retain water to feed back to the sod. For heavy sand or clay soil, a soil amendment is recommended. For maximum water savings, add our Stockosorb polymers to your soil. They absorb many times their weight in water and redistribute the water in a slower time-release process (1 teaspoon absorbs approximately 8 oz. of water. 1 lb. covers approximately 200 sq.ft.)

Making the World Beautiful by Installing Sod

3. Rototil the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches. Rake again to remove additional rocks and debris that have been brought to the surface. A wide-tooth rake is excellent for this process.

4. Rake to form a smooth surface. Soil compaction should be firm enough that that it will not sink or compact after the sod is laid and watered. However, it should not be too firm so that roots will not be able to work their way into the soil. The best way to test this is to walk across the soil. It should feel spongy underfoot, but not leave a very deep footprint behind. Sod should be laid on a lightly damp soil surface, but not a soggy one.

5. Level to fill low spots. Leave soil 2 inches below any cement, flagstone or walks/driveways. This will allow for the thickness of the sod roll, so that you will not have sod higher than other surfaces. Slant the sod bed slightly away from the house/building to allow for proper drainage.

6. Level ground 1-2 inches below sprinkler heads also.

7. Begin the sod laying process along a straight edge such as a walk, patio or driveway. Lay sod horizontally with the house or street. For irregular or oval patterns, use 2 stakes with a string tied between to develop a straight edge. Using a straight edge for a guide will save you from wasting sod, not to mention less time cutting the sod.

8. Butt edges of sod together tightly to promote rapid knitting of edges. Use a sod knife (recommended) or a serrated knife to cut around trees, irregular borders and other areas.

9. Lightly fertilize the day of sod installation. We recommend our fertilizer mixture, as it has been specifically designed for our New Mexico sod. A 50 lb. bag will cover approximately 7000-7500 square feet. Fertilizer should always be watered into the lawn immediately after application to avoid burning the sod.

10. Water sod heavily and thoroughly after installation for the first two days. Thorough watering during the first 48 hours is crucial to the success of your sod. Water heavily enough to see water on the ground surface, but not standing water. This should be done 3 times per day for the first 2 days.

11. Water thoroughly every day for this first 10-14 days, but do not flood after the first 48 hours. After the 14th day, gradually reduce watering to every other day for a week. After 21 days, you should be able to determine if your sod will need more or less watering based on it’s response to your watering cycle. Check our Water Saving Advice column to learn how to measure the amount of water your specific irrigation system distributes, as all irrigation systems differ.

12. Fertilize lawn 4-6 weeks after installation. Fertilizer should always be watered into the lawn immediately after application to avoid burning the sod.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Fridays and Saturdays are busy order days for us, We are only able to bring in a certain amount of sod per day.  We ask that if you want your sod for pickup on Fridays or Saturdays, please plan a little more in advance and try to call 48-72 hours ahead of time.

If ordering for delivery, we ask that you order 24-48 hours ahead of time.

IN RARE CASES, we have had customers cancel an order into Albuquerque, so you are welcome to call us  to check, if you are needing a small amount.

If you are in desperate need for sod, and cannot wait the 24-48 hours, you may visit our farm (M-F 9:30-3:30, Sat 8:00-11:00) and we will cut it fresh for you when you arrive (1 pallet – 455 sqft – takes about 7-10 minutes to cut, so you won’t be waiting a long time).

Here are some of our best Fall and Winter lawn care tips:

• Aerate. Late Fall and early Winter are good times to aerate your lawn.  This allows air, water and nutrients directly to the root level (all roots need nutrients, water AND air), and opens areas of the soil, helping ward off compaction, which can be tough on roots.

• Fertilize. Lawns become somewhat, but not fully dormant in the winter.  You should fertilize BEFORE this semi-dormancy stage. This will allow the lawn to still receive much needed nutrients it can lack over winter, leading to a much healthier, happier lawn come Spring. Make sure to read the full instructions, and application rates for Fall and Winter.

• Mow (possibly for the last time this season). In New Mexico, our lawns still grow well into November. So don’t put that mower away just yet. Make sure to keep mowing until the yard stops it’s growth period.

• Clean off debris and snow. We don’t get much snow in the Southwest, however, there can be patches of snow in the shade that if left for some time, with wet debris, can smother and kill the grass underneath. Sod still needs oxygen in Winter! If snow is left to pile on grass (not common in South and Central NM, but a possibility in Northern NM) keeping it wet through an extended time, it can turn lawns pink or gray with snow mold.  Spread out any large piles of snow to encourage melting.

• Keep foot traffic to a minimum. There are a few times throughout Winter, that the ground may be frozen or close to it.  When we play and run on grass in these conditions, it can damage it. Keep rough foot traffic to a minimum in the cold Winter months.

• Work out soil compaction. Too much foot traffic on wet Winter grass can compact the soil, which is not a good for turf roots that work hard in Winter.  Compaction can be helped by aerating.  So again, keep foot traffic to a minimum in Winter.

• Reseed before the Winter sets in. Reseeding is a great thing to do in the Fall before the cold Winter temperatures. Attaining good seed germination is difficult for the common homeowner, and seed grades sold at big box stores, is not of the highest quality (ie. lower germination rates).  So if you really want to do some serious seeding work, local landscape contractors can “powerseed”, which distributes seed into machine-made knife-like slits to achieve optimum seed germination. We sell Grade 1 (the best germination rate) Scotts Premium seed in all the same sod varieties we have.

• Get rid of pests and weeds. Fall is the perfect time to treat for weeds, dandelions, bugs, and grubs. Herbicides, pesticides (organic is better) and weed killer are good options to apply before the Winter cold arrives.

If you really want to have a superb lawn in Spring, you must care for it throughout Winter too.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions.