Laying sod next week. I think it's fun???

[Bill]

Next week I will be laying 400 sq. feet of St. Augustine sod in the front half of my front yard.

The soil is good. The previous section had been devoured by Aphids, which I have eliminated.

To or not to fertilze the dirt prilor to laying the sod, that is the qusstion?

Bill

[BillandJeny]

If your soil is sandy I wouldn't do it. Each time you water or it rains the nutrients from the fertilizer is only going to leach deeper and farther away from the roots and the roots that do come in direct contact with the fertilizer may burn. I don't know about clay soils but I would expect the possibility of root burn would still exist.

zhan

[AuthorAlexander]

I laid centepede sod last year, my soil is extremely sandy, tilled it up and added some clay soil, leveled it all out raked it, applied fertilizer, raked it in applied a little spray of water the night before to help settle it some, laid it the next day, rolled it firmly in contact with soil and it took off a is doing great.

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[escape]

It will cost you about 25 dollars for a bag of premium, organic fertilizer, but that same amount can buy you a cubic yard of compost and that will ultimately be much better for the sod in the long run.

For sod to be healthy it needs a few things. A nice layer of loosened soil, to a depth of no less than 4 inches, with as much organic matter as you can provide. This increases the water holding capacity of the soil, but at the same time makes capillary water more available to the root hairs. Tight clay soils have water in them, but many times the water is not available because it is held tightly to the clay particulate.

I never heard of aphids eating turf the way you described. Can you better describe what these insects looked like, and how many you saw? I'm just rather curious.

Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for yourself or a friend?

[Bill]

Thanks all for replying. I was told by the guy from the county that is what they were. He no I saw any, but he said they were all over the area. LI'd like to know what they look like also.

Thanks again,

Bill

[Newt]

Hi Bill,

I never heard of aphids attacking a lawn either. Take a look at thes sites for some helpful info on how to prep your soil, lay your sod an take care of it organically.

-- Newt