Highland Sod Farms Ultimate Grass Guide

HIGLAND SOD FARMS ULTIMATE GRASS GUIDE

A NOTE FROM HIGHLAND

If you’re checking out the Highland Sod Farms Ultimate Grass Guide, you’re either a current building or landscaping partner, a homeowner working directly with us, or considering purchasing sod from our farm. We cannot thank you enough for being here with us, and choosing Highland Sod Farms for your lawn.

Highland Sod Farms has been in business for nearly 40 years. We’re known for growing the highest quality grasses for our zone including Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescue. We are located conveniently in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, but deliver turf from Louisville, Kentucky, down through Bowling Green to Nashville, Tennessee. We offer the best in quality and customer service to match. Sod is available year round in both small rolls and large contractor rolls. For smaller orders, the farm is open daily for pick ups, and we cut sod every morning to fill fresh grass orders. Give us a day’s notice, and we will have your order ready for pickup; give us a week and we can have you on the schedule for delivery and installation.

Owned and operated by Jimmy and Melissa Jenkins along with qualified staff Mindy Wood and Jerry Colston, the Highland Sod Farms team is ready to help make your lawn or your client’s lawns a dream come true. If you have any questions, or need help, give us a call at the office at 270-769-1005.

WATER

During the warm season, your lawn needs about an inch of water per week in general whether from rain or from watering. An irrigation system is the easiest way to be sure your lawn is hydrated, but a good old-fashioned garden hose and sprinkler will work just fine. About an hour per day should give you the needed inch of water.

PRO TIP: Do not let your new sod dry out. It must stay damp during the rooting process.

FERTILIZER

Feeding your lawn is important to keep the roots strong and healthy and the color green. Early spring you need a light breakfast to get your lawn going in late February or early March. Use a Pre-Emergent weed preventer and fertilizer. This prevents crab grass and other weeds from growing in the summer time. Follow up with lunch, additional fertilizer, 30 days before Memorial Day; avoid fertilizing between Memorial Day and Labor Day, during the hot months.

PRO TIP: Make sure the Pre-Emergent is down before the forsythia stops blooming.

MOWING

The window for mowing depends on the thickness and health of your lawn, but you will typically begin moving in March or April and mow through November or December. It is important to be sure the blades on your mower are sharp. Maintaining sharp mower blades guarantees a clean cut. You will be mowing at least once per week throughout the season. Never cut more than 1/3 of the length of the grass blade. For example, if the blades are six inches high, cut no more than two inches.

PRO TIP: For new sod, wait to mow for three weeks to be sure that the grass has taken root.

WEED CONTROL

Starting in April through the summer grow season, your lawn will need to be sprayed a couple times to combat broad leaf weeds. Spraying it well the first time will wipe it out initally, but you do need to follow up a second and a third time at 45 day intervals. Early April, mid May, late June. You’re going to use a 2,4D product or hire a professional lawn company to come spray your lawn. This is what we recommend.

The fall feeding is like a big dinner which should take place in September. September is the beginning of the growth cycle for cool season grass. Fescue and Bluegrass come to life and grow vigorously this time of year and need energy. You’re looking for a high nitrogen fertilizer such as 30-10-10 or 20-1010. We use agriculture grade fertilizer.

Around 45 days later, we’re starting to think about winter, and we need a midnight snack. In winter your grass isn’t growing, but the root system is growing underground. This time you want fertilizer with higher nitrogen and higher potassium which could look like 20-10-20. This gives energy to the root system to grow and strengthen.

PEST CONTROL & DISEASE PREVENTION

Late spring and summer lawn fungi can run rampant. We have a wet spring and the temperatures soar. Experiencing large brown patches is common; Brown Patch Fungi is the most common followed by Summer Patch. Applying a fungicide will help prevent and cure this. We also have grubs, insects, and other pests. We suggest visiting the hardware store to get grub killer and insecticide.

WATER WATER WATER AND WATER MORE

WATERING YOUR SOD

Give your new lawn at least a full inch of water within fifteen minutes of installation. Water daily in the mornings, every day, keeping sod moist until it is firmly rooted (the first two weeks). After the first two weeks, less frequent and deeper watering should begin. Once established, weather conditions will dictate the amount and frequency of watering. Be certain that your new lawn has enough moisture to survive hot, dry, or windy periods. Water areas near buildings and pools more often where reflected sun and heat dries the turf.

SEASONAL LAWN RENOVATION

With these step by step instructions, you can take your current lawn to the next level with a seasonal lawn renovation. This is best done in early spring when the weather is just beginning to warm up.

1) Mow the lawn short (1/2”-1”)

2) Power rake

3) Clean off debris

4) Seed

5) Fertilize

6) Cover seed with straw; be sure to maintain mulch cover on bare patches

7) Water generously the first day, then every morning until grass is up. Once grass is up, continue watering depending on the weather, but at least every 5-7 days.

If your lawn still has bare patches or you still don’t love it, give us a call at 270-769-1005. We can help with fresh sod. Small orders may be picked up at the office Monday through Friday, and for larger orders, delivery and installation are available.

LIME

Gound Limestone

Granular Lime

1st application of regular fertilizer

10-10-10 or 12-12-12

Combination (with or Mildew

Leafspot

Melting

Bluegrass can be grown on any kind of soil, if not too sandy. The only exception is soil that is too acidic. Liming should be done every year.

2nd application of regular fertilizer

10-10-10 or 12-12-12

Combination Crabgrass Control without fertilizer)

Combination Crabgrass Control

Chickweed / Henbit: Use liquid Chickweed Killer

Dandelions & Broad Lead Weeds: Use Liquid Weed Killer

LIME

Gound Limestone

Granular Lime

3rd application of high nitrogen fertilizer

30-10-10 or 20-10-10

4th application of high nitrogen + high potassium 20-10-20

Mildew Leafspot

White/Grub Control Sod/Web Worm Control Apply sprays at two week intervals Appy dry materials at one month intervals

Mow 3.5” high. Best mowing practices never cut more than 1/3 length of the blade, 1/2-3/4” per mowing.

1) Sow seed on freshly raked ground.

2) Rake in lightly.

3) Do not attempt to cover all of the seed.

Water 1” per week as weather dictates. Water before soil becomes dry.

Kentucky Bluegrass Tall Fescue & Fine Fescue