Wife wants sod, I have a month, is it doable? (Northern California)
My wife wants new grass by August. I know laying sod in the summer isn’t ideal because of the heat but is there anyway I could be successful in doing so? Also would love some pointers for this project.
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Top_of_the_world718
Tell you wife to shut the fuck up. Lawn care isn’t something you rush.
That said, you can have decent sod by August, but its gonna take ALOT of water to get it thru the summer heat
That-Carpenter842
You don’t need new sod. Unless you spend a ton of money removing a few inches of soil your turf will be way too high.
Start watering now. It looks bone dry. Rent an over-seeder and buy good grass seed. Use starter fertilizer. And plan on repeating the process in September. You’re really not as far away as you think you are.
And start mowing at 4” high. You need to do some research. Cause by the looks of it your new sod would be ruined pretty quickly.
jjbeo
Put down an inch of garden soil, local sod farmer grass seed, water 4x a day until it sprouts
badjoeybad
Totally doable. Here’s a pointer – whatever the budget is for sod, you need to double it. That way when it dies you can replace it in October!
Kidding aside, It’s technically possible, but really only if you live right at the coast. Don’t know what part of NoCal you in but I’m in a pretty cool and foggy one and I wouldn’t dare.
lolikamani
Yes call 3 friends and give them beer. You can do this in a weekend. I’ve laid sod in summer heat in Florida. It’s miserable but you can do it successfully.
Salty-Cricket7606
It’s 2 1/2 pallets max. You could do that yourself in a day
Senior-Self-1682
The hardest part will be digging and leveling. You gotta account for the thickness of the sod. If you don’t have a mini steer skid, then you’ll have to till and shovel it. Possible to do all that in a month but you’re gonna be sore and have no free time.
js22titan
Rent a sod cutter, remove sod and thatch layer if present, apply starter fertilizer, lay sod, water, water, water. You’ll have a lawn in 2 weeks. Then keep watering 2-4 times a week
Festivarian
Just buy your wife something nice with the money saved from watering. Scarify overseed and water in the fall. Just show her every hot summer green grass post and say, “baby this is it right here, two months.”
ninjacereal
I’d get an annual grass seed, usually they come up faster. Then in the fall I’d sod.
Immo406
How committed are you about actually giving a shit and maintaining it / caring for it? And Northern California could be Redding, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, etc, can you narrow it down to a county? Don’t care: lay some sod and water it, Care: till it and amend lightly and then get some midnight KBG seed if you can spend the money on the water or maybe a tall fescue or Bermuda would be better for drought.
ziomus90
Will wife water? Then get sod.
shokeen_5911
Its only as doable as your wallet allows it
seadieg0
NorCal is about to get HotAf. Hope your in the bay and not the valley.
Anxious_Star6017
Landscaper with 20 years of experience in the northern Bay Area.
You can 100% do it. Seed or sod. Neither is easy each has its challenges.
Both require a lot of water in the beginning.
Sod – Very labor intensive for a short amount of time instant results.
Start by renting a rotortiller <careful with sprinklers if you have them.
Bring in compost or soil amendments. Mix some into the soil you have currently the more you use the better the result but the more expensive it gets. 1″ of soil amendments would be ideal. Mix it in using the rototiller
Or remove the top 2 inches of soil and old lawn and add 3 inches of topsoil.
This would be a good time to move irrigation lines replace sprinklers or make adjustments to the current system that will improve coverage
Level out the topsoil or amended soil. Like really take the time to make it as bump-free as possible. Remove any rocks or pebbles of 1/2″ or larger. Any large dirt clumps should get broken up.
We like to use a roller (quarter to half full) at this point and a large aluminum rake to help achieve this. Roller just to help see any potential dips or “empty” areas that sink everyonce in a while.
Lay down sod starting from the furthest or longest straight edge. We like to roll all our rolls in the same direction. Bricklayer pattern for the sod rolls. As long as you are overlapping a minimum of 18″ or 2ft.
As you go laying the sod pay attention and try to keep the soil level. If you don’t dips and valleys or mounds WILL show up later. So if you see a divet fill it in and try to level it with your hand before rolling out sod.
Extra step but in my opinion makes the difference worth it as it helps fight dried-out edges. Roll the edges towards other pieces and try to push the new roll into the next. Then tap/punch/slap the edges. In my experience, this keeps edges down and tends to minimize dry edges.
Fill up the roller, water, Roll, water, roll, water. The last watering should feel like a lot and bit waterlogged.
Stay off of it the best you can. Water everyday in super hot weather water it twice. Do this for about a week or unless it get SUPER soggy let it rest a day. The idea is to not let it dry out, it doesn’t have to be a swamp but moist is good
2nd week you tone it down watering 3 days a week.
You can mow after 14 days.
Ive had to plant lawns in 100 degree weather due to time constraints and other things that were out of my control and I have never had to replace or repair a lawn that I’ve put in.
draxula16
Whatever you do, it’s going to need frequent watering at first. Get whatever sprinkler timer you can get, and irrigate religiously.
Also, does your wife realize this is a process? I’m not fond of this option, but if she plans on having some sort of event then maybe buy or rent turf?
Shit I apply product to our lawn and sometimes wait a few weeks to see a hint of a change.
Ultimately, irrigation is key. Take that into account regardless of what route you take. GL
Comfortable_Fox_8552
You could probably get rid of her in a month
NatKingSwole19
Wait til mid-September. Also in NorCal.
theshaneshow49
Your wife is thinking new sod equals new lawn but it doesn’t we know the truth. New sod mid summer needs alot of water more than the sod is worth. Plus with that watering schedule you won’t be able to use till it cools of for the year. On top of of that what if it all dies, I agree with the other comments work on what you have. Source local seeds, water , fertilize and over seed are your friends. It won’t improve over night but give it two weeks that shit will be green
DanielSticks
I’d do the sod, I have sod. It latched quick and I didn’t put anything underneath as far as soil. I just laid it on dirt and watered the hell out of it. Suns beating it up right now, in Arizona, but it’s still holding tough.
vincevuu
Get a garden weasel, top soil, look for free compost
pyrowipe
Yep, if you have time, lil money, and muscle… a few tools will make it easier.
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Tell you wife to shut the fuck up. Lawn care isn’t something you rush.
That said, you can have decent sod by August, but its gonna take ALOT of water to get it thru the summer heat
You don’t need new sod. Unless you spend a ton of money removing a few inches of soil your turf will be way too high.
Start watering now. It looks bone dry. Rent an over-seeder and buy good grass seed. Use starter fertilizer. And plan on repeating the process in September. You’re really not as far away as you think you are.
And start mowing at 4” high. You need to do some research. Cause by the looks of it your new sod would be ruined pretty quickly.
Put down an inch of garden soil, local sod farmer grass seed, water 4x a day until it sprouts
Totally doable. Here’s a pointer – whatever the budget is for sod, you need to double it. That way when it dies you can replace it in October!
Kidding aside, It’s technically possible, but really only if you live right at the coast. Don’t know what part of NoCal you in but I’m in a pretty cool and foggy one and I wouldn’t dare.
Yes call 3 friends and give them beer. You can do this in a weekend. I’ve laid sod in summer heat in Florida. It’s miserable but you can do it successfully.
It’s 2 1/2 pallets max. You could do that yourself in a day
The hardest part will be digging and leveling. You gotta account for the thickness of the sod. If you don’t have a mini steer skid, then you’ll have to till and shovel it. Possible to do all that in a month but you’re gonna be sore and have no free time.
Rent a sod cutter, remove sod and thatch layer if present, apply starter fertilizer, lay sod, water, water, water. You’ll have a lawn in 2 weeks. Then keep watering 2-4 times a week
Just buy your wife something nice with the money saved from watering. Scarify overseed and water in the fall. Just show her every hot summer green grass post and say, “baby this is it right here, two months.”
I’d get an annual grass seed, usually they come up faster. Then in the fall I’d sod.
How committed are you about actually giving a shit and maintaining it / caring for it? And Northern California could be Redding, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, etc, can you narrow it down to a county? Don’t care: lay some sod and water it, Care: till it and amend lightly and then get some midnight KBG seed if you can spend the money on the water or maybe a tall fescue or Bermuda would be better for drought.
Will wife water? Then get sod.
Its only as doable as your wallet allows it
NorCal is about to get HotAf. Hope your in the bay and not the valley.
Landscaper with 20 years of experience in the northern Bay Area.
You can 100% do it. Seed or sod. Neither is easy each has its challenges.
Both require a lot of water in the beginning.
Sod – Very labor intensive for a short amount of time instant results.
Start by renting a rotortiller <careful with sprinklers if you have them.
Bring in compost or soil amendments. Mix some into the soil you have currently the more you use the better the result but the more expensive it gets. 1″ of soil amendments would be ideal. Mix it in using the rototiller
Or remove the top 2 inches of soil and old lawn and add 3 inches of topsoil.
This would be a good time to move irrigation lines replace sprinklers or make adjustments to the current system that will improve coverage
Level out the topsoil or amended soil. Like really take the time to make it as bump-free as possible. Remove any rocks or pebbles of 1/2″ or larger. Any large dirt clumps should get broken up.
We like to use a roller (quarter to half full) at this point and a large aluminum rake to help achieve this. Roller just to help see any potential dips or “empty” areas that sink everyonce in a while.
Lay down sod starting from the furthest or longest straight edge. We like to roll all our rolls in the same direction. Bricklayer pattern for the sod rolls. As long as you are overlapping a minimum of 18″ or 2ft.
As you go laying the sod pay attention and try to keep the soil level. If you don’t dips and valleys or mounds WILL show up later. So if you see a divet fill it in and try to level it with your hand before rolling out sod.
Extra step but in my opinion makes the difference worth it as it helps fight dried-out edges. Roll the edges towards other pieces and try to push the new roll into the next. Then tap/punch/slap the edges. In my experience, this keeps edges down and tends to minimize dry edges.
Fill up the roller, water, Roll, water, roll, water. The last watering should feel like a lot and bit waterlogged.
Stay off of it the best you can. Water everyday in super hot weather water it twice. Do this for about a week or unless it get SUPER soggy let it rest a day. The idea is to not let it dry out, it doesn’t have to be a swamp but moist is good
2nd week you tone it down watering 3 days a week.
You can mow after 14 days.
Ive had to plant lawns in 100 degree weather due to time constraints and other things that were out of my control and I have never had to replace or repair a lawn that I’ve put in.
Whatever you do, it’s going to need frequent watering at first. Get whatever sprinkler timer you can get, and irrigate religiously.
Also, does your wife realize this is a process? I’m not fond of this option, but if she plans on having some sort of event then maybe buy or rent turf?
Shit I apply product to our lawn and sometimes wait a few weeks to see a hint of a change.
Ultimately, irrigation is key. Take that into account regardless of what route you take. GL
You could probably get rid of her in a month
Wait til mid-September. Also in NorCal.
Your wife is thinking new sod equals new lawn but it doesn’t we know the truth. New sod mid summer needs alot of water more than the sod is worth. Plus with that watering schedule you won’t be able to use till it cools of for the year. On top of of that what if it all dies, I agree with the other comments work on what you have. Source local seeds, water , fertilize and over seed are your friends. It won’t improve over night but give it two weeks that shit will be green
I’d do the sod, I have sod. It latched quick and I didn’t put anything underneath as far as soil. I just laid it on dirt and watered the hell out of it. Suns beating it up right now, in Arizona, but it’s still holding tough.
Get a garden weasel, top soil, look for free compost
Yep, if you have time, lil money, and muscle… a few tools will make it easier.
https://preview.redd.it/c811wwt9htaf1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc25fb53d6ffd89c08980f4361c8739e1be57b8c
Put this seed down last Friday. 2-3 weeks and ill be mowing.
Hand her a shovel and find out.