LAWNBORNE LANDSCAPING
SOD: St. Augustine and Bermuda Grass
SOD, What is it Good for and how much does it cost?
If you have recently gazed upon your lawn and the thought of sand and cactus has crossed your mind, you might consider calling Lawnborne for a free estimate. So, you have looked at your lawn, along with the neighbors, and you know deep in your heart that the lawn is not actually a lawn but a piece of land that has some patches of grass mixed in with weeds and dirt. When it rains, the side walks are run over with mud, when its windy your car is covered in dust. You constantly have muddy shoes. Now you have a choice to change all that. Lawnborne can give your family, literally, a breath of fresh air by planting new SOD on your current piece of land. It is a known fact that SOD or a well established lawn can reduce dust, pollution, erosion, and add beauty to your home. You are only a few steps away from an affordable lawn replacement. Just follow the following steps to the right:
Bermuda Tif 429
SHADE TOLERANCE:
Has high light requirement-requires full sunlight most of day. Should not be used in shady areas.
HEAT/COLD TOLERANCE:
Has excellent heat tolerance. Not as cold tolerant as other turf type bermudas. See shaded portion of map below for suggested areas of use.
DORMANCY:
Enters dormant stage in winter months. Stops growing when temperatures drop below 50F for sustained period, turns tan winter color. Requires 65F ground temperature for significant growth. Slightly slower green-up in spring than other turf type bermudas.
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Will tolerate sustained periods of drought if well established. However, responds well to irrigation during dry conditions if higher quality turfgrass desired. Should be kept moist during sustained periods of extreme cold.
WEAR RESISTANCE-RECOVERY:
Very good wear resistance and will withstand heavy traffic. Very good injury recovery-spreads rapidly by rhizomes in warm season.
RULES OF THUMB MAINTENANCE:
The amount and frequency of watering, mowing and fertilizing depends upon the desired appearance of your turfgrass. Guidelines for maintenance procedures are offered below as good rules of thumb to follow on an as needed basis in maintaining healthy turfgrass with an attractive appearance.
WATERING:
Apply 1/2 to 1 inch water in a single application about once per week during hot and dry conditions. To promote a deep, durable root system, deep soaking water applications are preferred over short and frequent shallow watering applications. Caution against dry winter freeze.
MOWING:
For a high quality appearance keep mowed height 114 to 314 inch. Mow regularly with a reel or rotary mower allowing clippings to remain. Irregular mowing practices may result in high buildups of thatch, which will require verticutting, mulching and or removal. Suggested not removing more than 1l3 of the leaf growth during a single mowing.
FERTILIZING:
Apply 112 to 1 Ibs per 1000 SF of a full analysis fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphate and potassium; such as 28-13-13 in mid-April and 9-24-24 in midSeptember. To maintain a deep green color, nitrogen may be applied monthly at a rate of 1 Ibs per 1000 SF May thru August. Suggest obtaining a soil test for specific fertilizer requirements.
WEED CONTROL:
Weed growth competes with turfgrass growth. Good maintenance practices help eliminate weed problems. However, it may be necessary even under the best of care, to apply herbicides to maintain weed free turfgrass. Contact your local County Extension agent or herbicide dealer for recommendations for your type turfgrass.
St. Augustine Grass
St. Augustine grass (also known as Charleston grass in South Carolina) is often the most popular choice for lawns throughout southern United States. Especially in coastal regions where cold temperature extremes are moderated by oceanic climatic conditions. St. Augustine grass is native to the Caribbean, Africa and Mediterranean regions, and best adapted to subtropical climates.
Good for coastal regions, thrives in heat, does poorly in cool climates. Excellent to fair under drought conditions. Moderately good to heavy traffic. Somewhat shade tolerant. Can be used in moist, semi-fertile soils. At the moment, most common installation method is sodding or plugs; seeds are very difficult to obtain if not impossible.
HIGHLIGHTS: St. Augustine grass is a big thatch producer, more so than other types of turf grass. It also requires plenty of moisture and is best suited to humid regions. Has good shade tolerance, except for Floratam. Susceptible to fungal diseases. St. Augustine Grass Decline is a virus common to Texas and Louisiana and there is no known control.
Texture: coarse
Cold Tolerance: Poor (damage possible below 20)
Shade Tolerance: tolerates moderate levels of shade, but will become thin under dense shade conditions.
Traffic Tolerance: Poor
Rate of Establishment: Medium/Fast
Planting: sod or plugs
Watering: needs weekly watering for optimal appearance, but will survive drought conditions
Mowing Height: 2" — 4"
Common Pests: grubs, chinch bugs, mole crickets, sod webworms, armyworms, and cutworms
Thatch: heavy producer of thatch made from stolons
WARNING: an ingredient in many weed/feed products (2,4-D) designed for cool-season grasses, Bermuda and Bahiagrass, can kill St. Augustine grass.
Q. Why won't my grass grow under the tree? I have the best St. Augustine type.
A. The reason for the general poor performance is a lack of, or alteration of, sunlight. The light quality is diminished because trees absorb the same light needed by grass, and since the trees get to it first, they get the most. In addition, trees affect the intensity and duration of light on the turf.
Trees with a dense overhead canopy also have a denser root structure that absorbs more moisture from the soil, leaving less for the grass.
Trees alter conditions by moderating temperatures, leveling out the highs and lows, decreasing wind, increasing humidity and intensifying competition for water and nutrients. As a result, turf experiences reduced shoot density, more upright growth, increased plant height, decreased root depth and thinner leaves and cell walls, causing fewer carbohydrates to develop in the cell walls, reducing photosynthesis and transpiration rates and making them more susceptible to disease. In other words, grass doesn't do too good under trees.
Many of the semi-dwarf types have excellent shade tolerance relative to the coarse-type St. Augustine grasses and other warm-season grasses.
We also know that the semi-dwarf varieties do not possess chinch bug resistance, and those planting this grass will need to use insecticides to control infestations when they occur.
Q: Reports on this new St. Augustine Grass called Palmetto are appearing in the Charleston SC area. I understand Texas has many sod producers and are also growing this grass and is doing well in Houston. Tell me about this grass. I have Raleigh currently with severe brown spots and areas that have never greened up since last winter.
A: St. Augustine grasses are mainly propagated vegetatively. Therefore, breeding of new varieties takes time, which is one of a variety of reasons for their slow appearance in the marketplace. A key factor is the long and vigorous testing required before release. For example, Floratam resulted in a combined 10-plus year efforts of both the University of Florida and Texas A&M (that's why it is named Flora-T&M) has become a highly successful example of breeding efforts.
Palmetto grass is the new kid on the block. It is available as plugs or sod. Results are encouraging. There has been anecdotal claims for deep rooting capabilities and its ability to establish itself quickly even under adverse conditions.
Palmetto grass was discovered and developed on a sod farm near Daytona Beach, Florida. The cultivar has been tested under "real life" conditions on the sod farm and in practical homeowner situations. Palmetto is not a miracle grass, but the combination of characteristics demonstrated is unequaled.
The most notable attribute when examining a field or plot of Palmetto grass is it's deep, vivid color and soft texture. Its visual appeal alone makes it a superior choice compared to other strains available. Palmetto has proved to be exceptional both sun and shade. Often in designing a landscape, a grass is required that will thrive in both full sun and shade. This problem becomes more exaggerated as landscapes mature, and shady areas increase when trees grow larger. Palmetto grass is the most versatile St. Augustine grass available to address these changing needs.
Cold snaps can severely damage or kill Raleigh St. Augustine Grass. Palmetto grass has withstood temperatures near 5 degrees F. in South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas with no significant damage. In Jacksonville, Florida and Charleston, South Carolina Palmetto grass has remained green in areas where other St. Augustine lawns have gone dormant. Palmetto grass remained green in the Tampa Bay, Florida area after two nights of heavy frosts. Floratam and Raleigh St. Augustine both sustained significant browning out damage in the same area.
Another important characteristic of Palmetto grass is its deep, massive root system. Once established, this could help reduce watering. In addition, this root system causes Palmetto to transplant well, and establish quickly. It is often desirable to plant a landscape that gives the appearance of a mature lawn shortly after installing.
In selecting grass varieties, it's important to recognize relative strengths and weaknesses to aid in the selection of the most suitable variety for your site. St. Augustine grasses can perform well in a wide range of sites formerly thought of as sites for Centipedegrass, Zoysiagrass, or Bermudagrass. Give them every consideration.
Disadvantages of St. Augustine grass
St. Augustine grass , like most turf grasses, has certain cultural and pest problems. It does not remain green during drought conditions without supplemental irrigation. It produces excessive thatch under moderate to high fertility and frequent irrigation. It has poor wear tolerance and some varieties are susceptible to cold damage. The coarse leaf texture is objectionable to some people.
The major insect pest of St. Augustine grass is the chinch bug , although resistance to chinch bugs varies somewhat among cultivars. For example, Floratam and Floralawn have traditionally been considered chinch bug resistant, but over time the insect has overcome this and are now considered a pest to these cultivars as well. St. Augustine Decline Virus (SADV) is a major disease problem in some parts of the United States but has not been identified as a problem in Florida. Some cultivars are also susceptible to gray leaf spot disease.
First things first, how much does new grass cost?
The first thing to do is get yourself a measuring tape, pad and pen. Measure your lawn in square or rectangle sections by feet. You may end up with several sections like the example below.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Oh my lawn! It's time for SOD!
Measure each section length X width, for example section A. measures 75ft X 20 ft
Once you measured, multiply Length X Width to get your square feet for each section. Your pad should look like this:
Section A: 75ft X 20ft = 1,500sq ft
Section B. 40ft X 6ft = 240sq ft
Section C. 65ft X 6ft = 390sq ft
Section D. 20ft X 40ft= 800sq ft
Total Square Feet: 2,930 sq ft
Now that we know our total square feet, we need to convert square feet into square yards because SOD is measured in sq yards. All you have to do is divide your total sq ft by 9:
2,930sq ft / 9 = 325.55 sq yards
How many pallets do I need?
Now that we have our total square yards, we can divide by either 50 or 63, depending on where you buy your SOD in Texas. In this case, we will divide by 63, since we order our grass from a company that sells SOD by 63yards a pallet.
325.55 sq yards / 63 = 5.16 pallets of SOD.
How much is the SOD?
Grass prices vary depending on who you purchase it from. In this case we purchased St. Augustine Raleigh SOD for $189.00 per pallet.
5.16 pallets X $189.00 = $975.24+tax
How much is the Labor?
The labor depends on how much preparation your lawn needs. Most lawns fall under our Basic Installation . Some lawns need our Premium Installation, which means the lawn needs to be tilled, leveled and graded. For our example, the labor rate for each pallet would be $190.00 per pallet.
5.16 pallets X $190.00 = $980.40 labor
How much is the delivery?
Delivery charges vary on the SOD dealers. Most charge between $40 and $50 dollars for small orders, and free for large orders. For our example the Delivery charge is $50.00.
What's the total?
Here are your totals:
5.16 pallets of St Augustine SOD: $ 975.24
Labor to Install Pallets: $980.40
Delivery: $50.00
Total: $2,980.88
Bermuda or St. Augustine, now that is the question.
Now that you know what it will cost for a new lawn, we can focus on what type of grass best fits your property. You can read about Bermuda and St. Augustine to the right. Basically, if you have shade, you need St. Augustine, If you have full sun, you need Bermuda. Here are some basic tips for determining and defining the right light.
- Full Sun- A daily minimum of 6 hours of direct unobstructed sun.
- Partial Shade- A daily minimum of 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight.
- Light Shade- Sunlight under tall trees and under trees with sparse foliage.
- Shade or Full Shade - No direct sun; this occurs on the North side of structures and under dense leaf canopies.
- Dense Shade- Shade so deep no shadows are cast; this occurs between tall buildings and under low close branches.
I know how much and what type, what's next?
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Office (214) 604-1156 - Fax 972-499-2364