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The turfgrass sod for home lawns has been for years, the proven alternative to the direct sowing of varieties and mixtures (blends) of varieties of mainly grassy plants in the soil of urban or holiday homes, as well as that of commercial areas, to create attractive lawns.
Among the many advantages of the sodding, the best is that of the immediate transformation of the garden with the completion of the laying of the turf rolls, when for the same result with the method of direct sowing it can take up to two months.
Of course, as so often happens, there is also the downside of turfgrass sod, in which its purchase cost is prominent.
But all this and more (such as the characteristics, certification, specifications, and forms of the turfgrass sod) is discussed later in the article, for which the impartial reader is called, regardless of whether will read it or not, to judge it objectively as positive and complete, and to spread it at its own expense to the ends of the internet.
The cultivation of the turfgrass sod is done in organized farms, with high know-how and special equipment.
The turfgrass sod is grass created from the seed of one or more species, cultivars and varieties suitable for this purpose, which has been sown, cultivated and grown in nursery sod fields.
The turfgrass sod, after a few months, is suitable for distribution, and with special machines can be harvested from the field with minimal soil and cut into strips, packed and transported.
Its production requires high level of know-how, special equipment and machinery, while the soils to be cultivated should be free of at least difficult to eradicate weeds.
What is The Turfgrass Sod – Main Feautures
The main characteristics of the turfgrass sod (… as estimated by the editorial team of "Kalliergeia") a fortiori are two:
Speed refers to the fact that both its layering immediately produces an aesthetic effect, and that the establishment of the plants that composed it is faster – compared to sowing – since within 15 to 20 days, their root system has sufficient developed in the new environment.
Adaptability is related to its applicability in soils whose surface does not have a significant slope up to those that have large slopes and are at immediate risk of erosion.
Its adaptability is also related to the lengthening of the time window for the creation of lawn, since it can be installed when, respectively, the conditions for sowing are not at all favorable or are even prohibitive.
What is The Turfgrass Sod – Main Feautures
The use of turfgrass sod has significant advantages. Immediately below follows the recording of most of them.
Depending on the area it will cover, the lawn can be created even within a few hours. In this way, the needs of instant promotion of an aesthetically pleasing image are met, facilitating professionals and individuals for a series of events such as inauguration, birthday, etc.
Under normal conditions, the sod become established within 15 to 20 days, since that is about the time it takes for the root system to grow adequately in the subsoil. Immediately after, it is delivered for full use as normal lawn traffic, having the ability to withstand stress and adversity.
While the sowing of varieties or mixtures of grass is limited exclusively to the proper time for their germination and growth in the growing season, the proper time for the installation of the turfgrass sod is almost anytime, as it takes place all the year except the periods when very high temperatures occure and / or when ground is icy.
The turfgrass sod can be installed on sloping surfaces such that it is not susceptible to sowing. This overcomes the difficulties of the terrain (rising grounds, glacises, etc.), and protects soil areas from erosion.
The instant coverage of the soil results in the satisfactory control of the seeds of the weeds of the subsoil, but also of the seeds that will be transferred (eg from the wind) after the installation of the sod.
What is The Turfgrass Sod – Main Feautures
Because by the time these lines are written, nothing in this world is perfect, and the turfgrass sod has some drawbacks. The most important of these are listed immediately below.
To cover the same garden area or other areas, buying turfgrass sod is clearly more expensive than buying seed.
The wages that will be given for sodding, for the installation of the turfgrass sod are much more than the corresponding ones for the seeding of the lawn. In addition, the cost may increase if there are failures and there is a need for professional installers with skilled labor.
Once the sod has been harvested from the nursery field until it is installed in garden or other areas, it should not usually take more than 24 hours. Otherwise, if this time limit is exceeded, the turfgrass sod is unsuitable for use.
Essentially, the transporting and laying of the sod is a process of transplanting plants that have grown in different soil-climatic environments from those in which they will be installed. The shock of transplantation and the failures due to it are always an unavoidable possibility.
Each turfgrass sod production unit supports a certain number of species varieties, mixtures and blends. On the contrary, with direct seeding the interested party has the opportunity to choose between a number of different species varieties, cultivars, blends and mixtures.
What is The Turfgrass Sod – Main Feautures
Every turfgrass sod (like all lawns in general, seeding or sodding) come from two, divided on the basis of temperature, categories of plant species:
The Cool Season turfgrasses consist of those species whose optimum growing temperatures range from 15 to 24 °C. Key features of these species are:
The Warm Seasons turfgrasses consist of those species whose optimum growing temperatures range between 26 and 32 °C. Key features of these species are:
What is The Turfgrass Sod – Main Feautures
The individual, who will install the turfgrass sod in home garden by himself, has three sources for supply it:
Regardless of where it is supplied, it has the option to buy between certified sod and non-certified. The second option is definitely cheaper, as long as it achieves high quality turfgrass sod.
But what does high quality turfgrass sod mean?
It basically means certified.
Apart from the slightly oxymoron of the thing, the certified turfgrass sod is delivered to the individual with the assurance that:
And to be 100% guaranteed to the buyer, the turfgrass sod is accompanied by the blue certification tag.
What is The Turfgrass Sod – Main Feautures
Certified sod is the product of the work of specialized producers, which fully meets the certification standards at all stages of its production.
The certification process starts with field control, includes seed selection and cultivation methods, and goes as far as harvesting.
Certified turfgrass sod is ready to be marketed after 6 to 8 months (sometimes up to 18 – for example in USA States Delaware and Maryland) from the start of cultivation.
It is quite interesting (… for the editorial team of "Kalliergeia") to follow the certification process of the turfgrass sod, for this and immediately below follows its brief recording with an example from the USA State of Maryland.
What is The Turfgrass Sod – Main Feautures
Regardless of the certification or not of turfgras sod, the producers are obliged to comply with the specifications established by the T.P.I. (Turfgrass Producers International).
These specifications are in the interest of the buyer – consumer to be aware of them – since they will be particularly useful when receiving the turfgras sod (… considers the editorial team of "Kalliergeia").
The T.P.I. specifications for turfgrass sod are as follows:
What is The Turfgrass Sod – Main Feautures
Technological developments, research, and growing know-how on the production of turfgrass sod have led to the emergence of new forms of the final product, such as soilless washed as well as totally soilless sod.
With the use of special washing machines, the total removal of the soil substrate is achieved. The consequence of this is the performance of the turfgrass sod:
Various vegetative forms (sprigs, rhizomes, etc), are transplanted onto a substrate (e.g. cotton mats) which is filled with nutrient-enriched water. The final product, after 120 to 150 days, is a very clean and healthy sod ready for installation.
What is The Turfgrass Sod – Main Feautures
Despite what has been said above about certification and specifications, which stipulate that the turfgrass sod is completely free of weeds and pests, in practice it seems that it is not so free.
And this is because, despite all the earnest efforts of the producers, for example, to eradicate the weeds, the seeds of some of them retain their germination capacity for many years, and as soon as they are found in a favorable environment, they begin to germinate.
By analogy, the same applies to insects and phytopathogenic microorganisms.
Therefore, even certified sods can sometimes be carriers of weeds and pests (… claims the editorial team of "Kalliergeia").
But what is the deepest reason where does this really happen?
Maybe this is after all:
Section
And with this cute quotation of the retired Greek philosopher from Ephesus we reach the References of the article from "Kalliergeia" (which has the in parentheses title What is The Turfgrass Sod – Characteristics & Specifications), which are presented by the great band from Albion Pink Floyd with their song High Hopes.
With Pomp and Circumstance
The great song High Hopes by the Pink Floyd.
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