Sod Farm

MH10 – posted 25 November 2008 19:36

I have been doing some research on planting about 20-30 acres of sod to sell.Could someone please point me in the right direction. I have no planting experience but I do have the passion and the land and the equipment. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

All The Best

cohiba – posted 27 November 2008 06:23

With all the land, and equipment thats good but you really need experience and working knowledge. I would try to hook up with a Golf Course Superintendent with grow in experience. The land has to be prepared perfectly or the harvester will make crap out of your product.

Do you have an idea of the market you want to go after? Home owners? Landscapers? Golf Courses? Athletic fields? That will determine the types of grasses you need to plant. And how much you can charge for them. In my area Bluegrass is going for .16/sq.ft. Bentgrass is going for $1.00/sq.ft.

Also needed is a good reliable water source. You will need a lot, and that will cost alot if you are not careful. Check with your state and local government before you start using water to avoid any potential water related setbacks.

Where are you located? Warm season or cool season? Is there enough capital available to hire people or are you doing it youself? Can you get family involved?

Good Luck… I would love to be in your shoes!!!

MH10 – posted 28 November 2008 11:00

Thank you very much for the reply! I am a contractor in South Carolina so I want to use the grass for my landscape and also other contractors that I know. A family member usually plants corn in the field (which I also dont KNow anything about) so it has good soil and very flat. Water source- I am located right outside city limits so we have city water. I would love to just plant something very small to start with so I could get a feel for it. I do have some family members that would help on the weekends but mostly I would “try” and handle it myself, I dont even know if that is possible though. Like is said before I am 25 yrs old and full of ambition so I am gonna do something. I have some capitol and would love to do it debt free, maybe plant something small at first. Avg temp here in Jan and Feb is 35 degrees and very hot and humid in summer months.

cohiba – posted 29 November 2008 07:48

Starting off small is a great idea. Do you mostly use Bluegrass or Fescues in the Carolinas? Or would you be using Bermuda or Zoysia? If you can I would rethink the use of city water. the cost is going to be astronmical for a grow in situation. It would be cheaper over the long haul to drill a well. maybe even look into a pond with a well for replenishment. Contact your local National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). They will give some assistance in telling you what is and isn’t possible with your site. In some cases, if you are really nice and offer them coffee, or lunch you may be able to get them to volunteer to do the engineering for you. In the last four years I had them out three times for drainage and pond designs. All at no charge.

Tour a local sod farm even offer to work for a week at planting time or hire one of thier guys as a “consultant” over a few beers. The more info you have going in the less surprises you will have when they arise.

Knowledge is power…..