Sanding Palisades Zoysia

ChadR – posted 03 October 2011 22:27

I’m in Memphis, TN and have recently laid down some Palisades sod. I also have some other rutted, uneven ground. I was told that I *should not* use sand on the Palisades. Does anyone know about this or why this may be?

If I can’t use sand for filling in and leveling, is there anything better or faster than just clean, filtered dirt?

Also, can I work on the leveling this late in the season, or should I wait until next year?

Thanks for any info.

jod788 – posted 04 October 2011 07:10

I would never use 100% sand to level the lawn. Use half sand, half soil. If you just laid the sod, I’d hold off on leveling it. I like to leave newly laid sod alone as much as possible. How long ago was it laid?

ChadR – posted 04 October 2011 14:18

Thanks for the response.

We have a mix around here that is usually called promix (soil+sand). That’s what I would like to use.

The sod has only been down two weeks. So, I’m curious about the recommendation of not using any sand on my Palisades, and also about when is the right time – number of weeks after sodding and/or time of year.

And, would filling in the gaps around some of the sodding be done differently and/or different time than leveling on top of the sod?

mrmumbels – posted 04 October 2011 18:08

I don’t understand why anyone would ever put sand on their lawn. It’s not a golf course that gets water every few hours. Without organic material your lawn will suffer in the heat. Last thing I would want is a layer of sand that holds absolutely no moisture.

ChadR – posted 04 October 2011 23:01

Maybe I should re-phrase my question… I want to level up some low spots and fill-in around some open seems between Palisades sod squares. What is best to use and when?

Thanks.

jod788 – posted 06 October 2011 12:56

How big are these gaps? If the sod was laid correctly and the pieces are butted against each other, it is still going to look like there are gaps. However, they will actually “fill in” before too long on their own.

ChadR – posted 06 October 2011 13:32

Laid by a complete amateur (myself). Of course as it was laid, there didn’t seem to be any gaps at all. But after looking back, there are *some*, but they may be insignificant. I’d say none more than 1/2″, but most are probably less than 1/4″.

Maybe these will grow in fine on their own without filling them with soil/sand mix?

Thanks for the questions and feedback!

jod788 – posted 06 October 2011 16:05

yes – with time, you won’t look at your lawn and see it as a bunch of squares. It should fill in.

ChadR – posted 06 October 2011 16:12

Thank you.

As for using any sand (straight or mixed) on Palisades – does anyone know of any science that may explain why I was told *not* to use any sand at all on my Palisades. (e.g. leveling up low spots, etc…). I don’t know if this comment was specific to Palisades or Zoysias in general.

Thanks.

mrmumbels – posted 06 October 2011 18:48

quote:Originally posted by ChadR:Thank you.

As for using any sand (straight or mixed) on Palisades – does anyone know of any science that may explain why I was told *not* to use any sand at all on my Palisades. (e.g. leveling up low spots, etc…). I don’t know if this comment was specific to Palisades or Zoysias in general.

Thanks.

The sand thing is my personal opinion. Pople always say put down sand because golf courses do it. Golf courses are like hydroponics. They water constantly the water drops through the sand hits the roots then dries up quickly. Would you add sand to your flower pots? Probably not because the water would go straight to the bottom of the pot and the plant would get no nutrients. How about adding top soil! maybe add a few alfalfa pellets too for nutrients and water absorption.