Acadiana Landscape offers two methods of lawn establishment:
1. Sodding
2. Hydroseeding
Each method can be equally successful, but the biggest difference in the methods is the time it takes to establish the lawn.
Sodding
Known as “instant yard.” Sod may be installed year-round with proper soil preparation, grading, weed control, and installation techniques. Establishment is a process of 60-90 days when sodding. The sod will begin to “root” into the ground in just a few days after it is installed. When it is well, it will take 6-8 weeks before the lawn is considered established.
Watering: Sod should be watered 2-3 times per day for the first 2 weeks. The sod has no roots in the soil and will thin layer of grass and soil dries out quickly. Allowing the sod to go through brief periods of dry conditions will encourage rooting. The native soils below the canopy of the sod tend to hold moisture and the new sod will put out roots into the soft, moist soil. But if the grass dries out too quickly, or too completely, it will not be able to put out roots. Keep the sod moist, but not standing in water. You will appreciate an Acadiana Landscape Materials sprinkler system to quickly establish sod in your yard.
Weed Control: In a newly sodded yard, weed control is possible at the time of installation or soon after, depending on the time of year and type of grass. Weed control should be part of the annual schedule of lawn maintenance practices. Application of appropriate pre-emergent herbicides can keep a lawn weed-free, healthy and vigorously growing.Acadiana Landscape Materials offers a weed control program to its customers to assure proper, safe control of most weeds found in the middle Georgia area. Timing is crucial and safety for our customers, employees, and the public is paramount.
Fertilization: Accomplished at the time of sodding. Follow-up fertilization should be performed 8-10 weeks after sod installation. Use a fertilizer that is labeled for your variety of grass and no others. Avoid spilling fertilizer on the lawn. An extremely heavy fertilizer application can kill a newly sodded lawn. Follow label directions when applying fertilizers. Avoid fertilizing when the grass is damp. Fertilizer will stick to damp plants and burn the foliage. Water in the fertilizer after it is applied to avoid burning the lawn.
Mowing: A sodded lawn should be mowed as soon as roots are firmly attached to the ground and foliage reaches a height 1 1/2 times the installed height of the sod. Mowing frequency should be between every 7-10 days after the first mowing and should continue through the growing season.
Caution: New sod that has been recently watered may be too wet to mow. Let the sod dry out for 1 full day prior to mowing the first time.
Hydroseeding
This is a process of spraying a mixture of water, seed, fertilizer, and mulch onto a prepared lawn. By using the force of water under high pressure, we embed the seed into the soil and apply a special tackifier to hold soil erosion in low-grade embankments. A paper fiber product, called fiber mulch, holds the seed, fertilizer, and water in place and provides a favorable environment for seed germination. The green fades away as the grass grows. Color, seed germination has begun. Quick germination allows rapid ground cover and makes soil erosion control benefits of the hydroseeding process. Proper soil preparation is vital when hydroseeding. Our best seed success occurs when lawns are seeded into clay or pulled and then graded to a very smooth, well-drained manner.
Watering: Hydro-seeded lawns initially should be watered frequently for short durations. Just enough to keep the top of the ground moist. As the grass germinates and fills in, it should be watered less frequently (about every 3rd day), for a longer duration. Pay attention to run-off when watering for a longer duration, if the water is running off, it is not benefiting the lawn.
Fertilization: Accomplished at the time of seeding. Three to five weeks after planting (or as the green color begins to fade) apply Ammonium Nitrate (34% N) or Ammonium Sulfate (20% N). Repeat the fertilizer application another 3 to 5 weeks. Be sure to always follow the fertilizer label directions when applying fertilizer and always water in fertilizer treatments as soon after application as possible. An application of Iron Sulfate to young seedlings is also beneficial.
Sixty days after the lawn is established, an application of a 15-0-15 analysis fertilizer is recommended. The next season’s fertilization should be done after the lawn greens-up in the spring. Follow-up in early August with an application of Ammonium Nitrate. Liquid applications of chelated Iron may be helpful in maintaining green color. Be sure to follow instructions when applying Ammonium Nitrate and liquid iron. Each can burn a lawn and damage your grass severely. Be careful. Read the instructions and follow them!!!
Mowing: In order to reduce competition between weeds and the new grass, mowing of weeds is essential. If weeds are growing, the mowing should be frequent. If the weeds get a head start on growth, the seedlings will take over and the lawn will be established more quickly. On a newly seeded lawn, it is helpful to mow as often as every 5-7 days. After the lawn is established, the lawn should be mowed between every 7-10 days.