|
A successful lawn begins with the foundation of soil preparation. Proper soil preparation will increase the lawn's ability to hold moisture between irrigations and rains and will also help retain nutrients for the lawn's continued health. Proper soil preparation includes bringing the lawn area to grade, incorporating amendments to the area in response to the soil properties of the site, and then grading the area to a sod ready final grade. When all three of these steps are followed the final lawn and landscape area not only looks better but also is more resilient and hardy.
Rough Grade:
The rough grade is the first step of the ground preparation. At this time water drainage and land form is determined and sculpted from the property. During this stage we recommend addressing issues of severe slope within the yard(especially south facing slopes) as these can be more difficult to efficiently water and tend to be the most challenging aspects of maintenance. Terracing is one option in reducing slope related issues. Also during the rough grade process insure that all parts of the yard will drain properly and that water will not stand in any areas for prolonged periods of time.
Amending the soil:
The goal of soil amendment is, as its name indicates, to make the site-soil better. The goal is not to cover the site-soil. On most soils in Colorado we recommend that the property owner amends the site-soil with 3-5 cubic yards of organic matter per 1000 square foot of landscaped area. This quantity equates to between one inch and two inches of organic material. The property owner should thoroughly rototill this material into the soil as deeply as possible (4-8 inches). Soil layering (the practice of bringing in new soil without tilling it into the soil) can cause very serious problems for the turfgrass root development as well as problems with water movement down through the soil.
Choosing the right amendment:
An organic soil amendment is a product such as manure, decomposed plant compost, peat moss, etc. When choosing a soil amendment be careful not to include amendments that may cause future problems in the yard. All amendments should be well aged and well decomposed. Fresh manure can be high in salts and can cause the lawn "burn" injuries. In contrast aged manure can be an excellent addition to most soils. Some manures such as horse manure may contain higher level of weed seeds because horses do not digest seeds as completely as cows or other ruminants do. Another counterproductive amendment is mountain peat moss. In contrast to Canadian spaghmum peat, local mountain peats tend to be poor at water retention and can actually repel water.
Settling: Allow the soil to settle after you have amended the soil and before you install your turf to prevent uneven grade, especially around trench lines. Sprinkling with water or even using a roller or other compactors can help speed this process.
|
