Sod Installation in Woodstock, Georgia

Zoysia Sods

In North Georgia, Zoysia sods work great on nearly any lawn. We work primarily with Emerald, Zeon, and Zenith Zoysia grass. 

Emerald Zoysia grows best in full sun or partial shade. You’ll want to ensure your lawn has proper drainage, though, as Emerald Zoysia is drought-tolerant. It offers an additional perk being low growth, making it a lower maintenance sod. 

If your lawn has some shady patches, Zeon or Zenith Zoysia are solid options as they’re shade-tolerant. Zeon is slightly darker than Emerald Zoysia and offers more insect resistance. Best, Zenith and Zeon can tolerate extreme heat and cold.

Bermuda Sods

Bermuda grass is one of the most sought-after sods on the market today. While its lush appearance draws many in, know that Bermuda sod does best in full sunlight. If you have a few trees on your lawn, it might struggle to take and grow. If you have the sunlight for Bermuda, you’ll enjoy dense coverage and that perfect shade of green.

If you do have some shade on your lawn, you could always opt for TifTuf Bermuda sod. TifTuf is more wear-resistant and drought-resistant than traditional Bermuda grass making it a great option for lawns that will host fun and games. 

Fescue

If your lawn is more shaded than sunlight, don’t fret. You can still enjoy a picturesque lawn thanks to Tall Fescue sod. It will require some reseeding and aeration each year, but the result is a dark green lawn ideally suited to a shady lawn.

Preparing the Lawn

Your sod will have the best chance to set roots and flourish if the land is properly prepped before installation. This starts with removing any grass in the area where you’ll be installing sod. At B. Green, we’ll begin by scraping off the top layer of grass to expose the soil underneath.

Next, we’ll use tillers to loosen up that soil to make it easier for roots to dig in and absorb nutrients. Soil analysis results will let us know the pH balance of the soil and the composition of vital nutrients. Based on those results, we’ll then add fertilizers and other enhancements to the soil. 

After making the soil richer in nutrients, we’ll begin grading the lawn with rough leveling. Air pockets between the sod and soil prevent roots from digging in, which will result in dead patches on the lawn. Grading allows us to smooth out the lawn and ensure better contact.

Rolling Out The Sod

Once the lawn is prepped, choosing where to begin may seem daunting. Finding the longest straight line of your lawn, whether along a road, driveway, or fence, usually works best. You’ll want to roll out the pieces and weave the edges together to promote an entire, healthy, seamless lawn. 

When you roll out the second row, it’s critical to stagger the first piece between the first and second pieces of your first row. This way, you don’t have noticeable seams running along the entire lawn, which could result in patches of dead grass. 

As subsequent pieces are rolled out, air pockets will need to be smoothed out to prevent any dead patches. Curves and slopes present unique challenges for landscapers and DIY experts alike. Managing these effectively makes the difference between a vibrant lawn and anything less.

Whether you choose to install the sod yourself or trust us at B. Green to handle it, your watering will make or break the installation. When the sod is first installed, you should water it daily. After the first week, you can begin watering every other day. 

By the third and fourth week you should water twice per week and once per week, respectively. Sod is prone to drying out so following the water schedule laid out by the landscaper is essential for a picture-perfect lawn.

There are various factors that impact the cost of sod installation, including the type of sod, the soil, and the labor required for proper installation. 

Most sods are less than $2 per square foot, so it really comes down to the sod that’s best suited to your lawn. Any type can result in a lush, beautiful lawn when it’s properly suited to its environment. 

Another important factor impacting the sod installation cost is the soil. Understanding what nutrients are available or lacking in your soil helps determine what additives and fertilizers the lawn will need going forward. These can impact the cost depending on how nutrient-depleted the lawn is. 

Factors that increase the time to install the sod can impact the overall costs. The terrain of the lawn itself is particularly relevant. If there are hills, lots of curves, irrigation systems or installations to work around, it will take longer than a flat rectangular lawn.

Spring and Fall are the go-to times of year for installing sod around Woodstock. Newly installed sod is no match for a Georgia summer. Installing sod in the spring (after the last frost) offers the benefit of being able to enjoy the lawn throughout the summer. It’s not too cold and the grass has time to root before the heat sets in. Some drawbacks of a spring installation include the impending growth of weeds and the possibility of sudden extreme heat. 

Fall is an ideal time for sod installation in Woodstock. After the final blistering days of summer, you can install the sod giving it a chance to root in the warm weather.  As temperatures cool, the grass will have less competition from insects and weeds, too. For the patient person, a fall installation offers nothing but upside.