What does Certified variety mean?
The Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association in cooperation with Oklahoma State University is the official seed and sod certifying agency for Oklahoma. Sod certification is a program that involves verification and purity of specific varieties produced by the sod grower. It certifies to the purchaser that a particular variety is what the grower says it is. Before a variety is certified the field has to be pre-inspected to insure that no other foreign grasses are present to contaminate the variety being planted. The sprigs or stolons then have to originate from a Foundation or Registered source to insure purity. Then the field has to be re-examined by the Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association for final certification. Not all varieties of turfgrass are available for the certification process.

How do you measure how much sod is needed to cover an area?
See area calculations.

What is the measurement of a roll of sod? How much sod is on a pallet? How much does it weigh?
Click here for information on roll size. A normal pallet of sod holds 500 square feet and weighs about 1,800 lbs..

Is there a minimum order? Do I have to buy a whole pallet?
There is no minimum order when picking up your sod; we will sell whatever amount you need. There is a minimum order for deliveries and installation.

Do you have Big Roll sod? What is the measurement? How do you install it? What are the benefits of the big rolls over the small?
Yes, we have been cutting Big Roll Sod for several years. Click here for roll size. Due to the size and weight it must be installed with specialized machinery, a tractor or a forklift. We have attachments that will fit a tractor or forklift, and will gladly make those available to you at no charge with purchase. The advantage of Big Roll Sod is that it cuts down on man hours for installation. With the proper equipment 2 men can install a truckload in half a day. It would take 2 men over a day to install a truckload of small roll sod. However, since a forklift or tractor is required you need larger spaces in which to maneuver the equipment. It is not recommended for the Do It Yourselfer installing a lawn.

How long will sod last on a pallet?
On a hot day, freshly cut green sod will begin to yellow very quickly in the pallet due to the heat. After the first day it will turn a pale yellow, and turn deeper yellow the longer it stays in the pallet. In the hottest months of the summer sod should not be left on the pallet over two days. In cooler weather the sod will last longer. In the winter months, when the sod is cut dormant, it will last up to a couple of weeks.

If the sod does yellow in the pallet, will it survive?
Yes, if you get it installed quickly and water promptly. After the color turns a deep yellow it will probably have to produce new blade growth to get green again. The important thing to watch is the root growth. Sod will produce root growth even if the top is not green. Watch very tiny, thin, fuzzy white shoots to indicate the sod is growing. In the summer months, you should see this growth within 3 to 5 days with proper water.

Can you install sod in the winter months?
Yes, a great deal of sod is installed during its dormant stage. The single most important step in guaranteeing its survival is to make sure it gets watered. Never let newly installed sod dry out, especially in the winter. A dry freeze is very damaging. Moisture protects in cold temperatures.

What can I do to grow sod in shady areas?
Select the most appropriate sod for your conditions (see varieties chart). The turfgrass should be mowed 1" higher height than your grass growing in full sun to allow more grass blade to absorb sunlight. When grown under a tree, remember your turfgrass is competing with the tree for water and nutrients, higher fertilizer and watering rates may be necessary. Also, thinning out tree limbs throughout the tree and allowing more sunlight to filter through may be beneficial.

Is there a particular time of the day that is best for watering?
Yes, early morning water applications are best. Cooler temperatures and less wind provide for less evaporation and distorted sprinkler patterns. Night waterings may promote disease development in your turfgrass.

Sod or Seed?

Factors to Consider	Sod	Seed
Time of year	Sod can be installed year-round	Seeding is more limited to spring and fall months for best results
Coverage	Sod provides “instant turf”	Seeded turf grasses take time to establish.
Erosion control	Sod will withstand heavy rainfall without erosion damage	Heavy rainfall before adequate seed establishment will wash seed away and leave washouts
Water requirements	Lower water requirements; initial watering of 1” followed by lighter watering for next 2-3 weeks, covered soil retains moisture better than exposed	Higher watering requirements; exposed soil drys out quickly, daily waterings for 2-3 weeks may be necessary , ground should be kept moist until first mowing
Weed control	Minimal	Multiple applications of herbicide required; new turf grass seedlings will be in direct competition with weed seedlings
Availability for use	Quick establishment; available for use quickly	Slow establishment; not available for use for 2-4 months
Attractive lawn	Instant turf provides an immediate and attractive lawn	Bare soil, possible washouts; not attractive lawn for 4-8 weeks

What is Sprigging?
Sprigging is a method of propagating a turfgrass variety by planting sprigs.

The sprigs root into the soil and eventually spread to cover the sprigged area. The length of time required to cover an area from sprigs depends on several factors. The sprigging rate, usually measured in bushels per acre, is a factor because the more sprigs per square foot, the less time is required for coverage. The variety of grass also affects the time to coverage. Patriot Bermuda offers the quickest cover with 97% coverage in just 6 weeks. Other bermudagrass varieties such as Common, Quickstand and Baby are generally quicker to cover than Tfway 419 and Midlawn. A sprigging rate of 400 bushels per acre is about the average for new fairway construction. For tee boxes, a rate of 15 bushels per 1000 square feet, (650 bushels per acre) is the average.

Prior to the sprigging operation, collect representative soil samples and have a basic soil test performed for nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K), and soil pH. Soil samples can be submitted for testing through most county extension offices or to private soil labs. Request an interpretation of the results and suggested amendments for establishing a bermudagrass turf area. Soil testing and adding amendments in the correct ratios actually saves money and stacks the odds of a successful establishment in your favor. Lime may or may not be necessary; base its addition strictly upon the results of the soil test. The surface should be smooth but soft. A pre-plant fertilizer should be applied at a rate of around 250 lbs., per acre, or use the soil test results if a soil test was taken. Sprigging machines spread the sprigs onto the soil. Some of the sprigs are crimped into the soil by disks, but some are left lying on the surface of the soil. As the watering begins, the soil will melt around the sprigs and they will root and spread.

Immediately after the sprigs are planted, you can apply a pre-emergent herbicide such as Ronstar 2G at a rate of 50 to 100 lbs. of product, per acre prior to the initial watering. See the product label for specific details. Watering is crucial on newly sprigged bermudagrass. The tiny sprigs are laying on a hot, dry surface with their roots exposed to the air. Sprigs can die in a matter of hours if permitted to dry out. The initial watering should begin immediately after the sprigs have been planted or after the pre-emergent herbicide has been applied. The first watering should saturate the soil to the point of runoff.

After the initial watering, the sprinklers should be programmed to come on for 5 or 10 minutes every hour during daylight, for about 2 weeks. Proper irrigation frequency and amount will depend on precipitation rate, temperature, wind speed and your soil type, but you will need to keep the surface wet for at least 10 days or until the sprigs root in and start to put on new growth. The leaves on the sprigs may turn brown after the sprigging operation, but the stems should remain green. New leaves will sprout from the stems if they are properly watered. I guarantee the sprigs to be fresh when they are planted, but we cannot be responsible for the watering. Monitor the water closely during the "grow in" period. After new leaves sprout on the sprigs, you can back off on the watering. Let the surface dry out enough to fertilize. Start applying a nitrate fertilizer on a weekly basis until the sprigs cover. Usually an ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate fertilizer at a rate of 100 lbs. of product per acre will be enough to push the young plants to cover rapidly. The quicker you can cover, the sooner you can open for business.

Steep slopes, fringes around greens and bunkers, and ditches where water will flow should be sodded with slab sod prior to sprigging of other areas. If you skip this step, you will probably be doing the sodding later anyway because of erosion. Save money by doing it right the first time. Also remember to sod a path to the greens for mowing accessibility. You will be living with a mud pie for the first 2 weeks. Mowing and post emergent weed control can begin after the first 2 weeks. Start your mowing at 1 Ѕ inches and take it down to target height over time. Check the labels on post emergent herbicides for newly sprigged bermudagrass rates.

When is the best time to apply herbicides for weed control?
In order to prevent germination of weeds, a pre-merge herbicide may be applied in late fall, winter and early spring. For ease of application there are many granular herbicides available that may be applied through a lawn spreader. After the weeds have germinated, there are spray-on herbicides that may be applied without injury to established turfgrass.
Contact your local OSU County Extension Office or herbicide dealer for specific recommendations.