New Lawn….again

rehunter31 – posted 06 December 2004 07:10

Hello…this is my first time posting and I want to say I really love this site. I recently moved into a new home in Central Florida and “killed” the St. Augustine sod that was only a few months old. I guess I didn’t follow the directions on the fertilizer and burned it. Well, I got the builder to replace the lawn for me which will be getting done on Thursday and Friday of this week. I plan on going completely organic this time. My question is, what should I do, or have the lawn installer do, to make sure the sod has the best chance during this time of year? Additionally, is there anything I should have done to my soil before the sod is laid down? One more thing….does anyone have a guide for fertilization for this type of sod for my area of the country? Thanks for your help.

ted – posted 06 December 2004 08:11

the problem wasn’t the fertilizer….

make sure you soil test it first, then when the sod is installed used a starter fertilizer on it, like a 18-24-12 or similiar numbers. you’ll want to water it every day for maybe a 2 week period. installation of the sod is crucial. make sure the ground is level first and grades properly. then make sure the sod is installed witht he edges touching each other, and make sure the sod is firmly on the ground. have someone roll the sod to ensure good soil contact. lay off the nitrogen for now. even with as far south as you are, i’m still not really excited about laying sod this time of year with the potential for freeze damage.

so you got the builder to replace it? wow.