Steven wrote:
On 24 Apr 2006 14:20:13 -0700, wrote:
I think it's doubtful this sod, laid on only sand, will survive long
term. Turf needs some amount of decent topsoil and all this has is the
tiny amount that came with the sod.
Um...you may want to read the U.S.G.A. recommendations for growing
turf.
This lawn will do fine, and in fact may turn out to be the nicest in
the neighborhood.
Mine is, and it has a 6" sand base.
Are you referring to how golf course greens are constructed and
suggesting that they are built on 100% sand? I believe the soil used
is not pure sand, but in fact a mix of sand and organic material. And
that is a very special application optimized to unique requirements,
chief among them is needing it to drain very fast. To support that,
they have the ability to closely monitor it, water very frequently,
apply fertilizer frequently, chemicals at the first sign of trouble,
etc.
Here's an excerpt from Turfgrass Producers Intl, an organization that
should know something about growing turf and also of interest because
sod is what the OP put down and that's exactly what they produce:
"Grass obtains three of these four essential factors (air, water and
nutrients) from the soil, but many soils are less than ideal for
growing grass. Some soils contain too much clay and may be very
compacted... great for roads, bad for grass, because air and water
aren't available to the roots and the roots can't grow. Other soils may
have too much sand... beautiful on a beach, but difficult to grow grass
because water and nutrients won't stay in the root zone long enough for
the plant to use."