Sod Installations
Why should you choose Perfect Green Landscapes for your new sod installation or sod replacement? It's simple, we do what most companies either don't or won't. Think about it. Just as a house is only as strong as it's foundation, your turf can only be as good as the ground underneath it, and North Texas soils are notoriusly uneven, lumpy, full of holes and nutritionally deffecient. There are generally only three reasons why your existing sod has failed: lack of water and nutrients in the soil, lack of sun from mature shade trees or an insect infestion of some sort, which is hardly ever the case.
Have you ever watched a sod crew install new turf? Do yourself a favor and pull alongside one of their projects and watch them for five minutes. Then you'll know why your yard is lumpy, has high and low spots, terrible drainage, and dips in the ground that sprain your ankle every time you mow it. You'll see a small army of men walk back and forth from the trailer with a piece of sod, throw it down on the ground (that wasn't properly graded to begin with) and then kick the piece into place. The result is sod that isn't laid nice and tight - it will surely have gaps - and put down on ground that resembles the surface of the moon.
Here is how we perform every sod installation or replacement, and it's what sets us apart from other companies.
Step One:
If we're replacing existing turf, obviously the first step is to determine why yours failed to begin with. There's no point in putting down new soil on top of grub-infested subsoil, is there?
Once we know that your subsoil is good, a determination needs to be made as to what type of turf would work best for your property. We also need to check your irrigation system to make sure it will provide proper water coverage to all areas, and every head and valve cover will flagged so they won't be covered over with pieces of sod. Often times we find that simple adjustments to heads need to be made, and we usually have to adjust the height of heads and valve boxes to allow for the new sod. After that's completed, the old grass is removed, giving us a fresh pallete to work with.
Step Two:
This is truly what separates us from the rest, and these are the time-consuming, labor intensive steps that most companies just won't do. And it's one reason why we won't be the cheapest sod installers in North Texas. But if you want a smooth, level, properly draining yard this must be done. There are no shortcuts!
Once your ground is stripped down to bare earth, it needs to be worked. It may need rototilling, and it almost always needs good, fresh soil in spots to cover exposed tree roots and fill in high and lows spots. We use large landscape rakes to sculpt the ground so that it drains properly, and then the surface is packed with a heavy roller so that it's as smooth as a baby's behind. No lumps. No dips. No soft spots that will sink after a while, and no areas where water will collect after heavy rains, killing off your investment. And years of enjoying a firm, smooth yard!
Step Three:
Once the ground is smooth and ready for sod, we apply a proper layer of fertilizer on top of the soil. We also give it a light watering so that the sod has a nice, moist surface to help establish root growth. Each piece of sod is then hand laid - not kicked into place - to make sure all edges are nice and tight and square. No gaps. Anywhere. You will normally see one or two members of our crew on their hands and knees placing each piece where it needs to be, and cutting around sprinkler heads and valve boxes. Once all of the sod is in place we roll it out again with a heavy roller, give it another light covering of fertilizer and then water it in. If we need to, we will roll it out a second time so that it is nice and smooth.
The result is a new lawn that your neighbors will swear has been there forever, and years of pride and pleasure for you and your family!
