Starting fresh with sandy soil & sod

12 years ago

Thanks for the help and advice.

I have been reading a bit on the forums and here is my plan. Pls let me know if I am on the right path.

I have 99% sandy soil. I am about 1/3 of the mile from the Magothy River. The backyard is not level and has ripples. I have shade due to tall trees/fence. My backyard is my main focus ~2800 sqft. I live in zone 7b.

1. I have raked up all the leaves/sticks/stones.

2. I will use Round Up and let it set for a week. I plan on doing this tomorrow.

3. I plan on getting some topsoil (7 cyd) to level out the yard and give about an 1".

4. I plan on raking in the topsoil to the sandy yard. After reading a few posts, tilling does not look like I should do with sandy soil. Should I aerate the yard first?

5. I plan on getting an irrigation system put in.

6. I plan on having sod delivered from Central Sod, and I will install it in early Apr.

7. I will roll the sod to ensure good contact. How soon should I roll it?

Thank you again for the help.

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Comments (4)

garycinchicago
12 years ago
>" I am about 1/3 of the mile from the Magothy River

That means what? Never heard of of it. Major cities, we have heard of.

>"5. I plan on getting an irrigation system put in.

Do that first, before you bring in soil and re-grade the area.

Same day it is laid.
mdgdmerle
Original Author
12 years ago
@Garyinchicago

Thanks for the information. Sorry about not being clear on my location, near Annapolis, MD.

My thought about #4 topsoil and #5 irrigation system - was that I may change the grade level while putting down the topsoil. This may affect my sprinkler heights. The last thing I want is to have the sprinklers too high/low.
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dchall_san_antonio
12 years ago
Why are your bringing in more soil? Was this area washed out or something? Before you do that, I'd have some local expert landscapers suggest it. Usually people will bring in soil and change the drainage such that their basements start flooding. Drainage is the most important element in landscaping.

Rototilling in the past is likely the reason your soil is bumpy now. When rototilled soil settles, it settles unevenly. It is best to leave your original grading alone and level at the surface like you are planning to do.

Having said that, sand never needs to be rototilled and ... sand never needs to be aerated. Golf courses aerate their sandy soils because those soils get walked on every single day, wet or dry. Assuming yours is not a golf course, you should never need to aerate it. Secondly, I LOVE sand as a surface. I live in San Antonio and have a limestone rubble soil. I have a choice of topsoil and sand to bring in. I've done both and the sand areas are much nicer. Furthermore, there is nothing harder to work with than cloddy topsoil - well, maybe rocks, but sand it excellent to work with. Once I discovered that, I have used nothing but sand. And yes, the top 6 inches of my soil was washed away before we bought the house. We had exposed tree roots and drop-offs from the sidewalk.

Gary what is your reasoning for doing the sprinkler first? My thought would be that you'd clip the heads off the sprinkler with the tractor (if you were doing it right).
mdgdmerle
Original Author
12 years ago
dchall_san_antonio

I appreciate your insight and post. My thought process on bringing in the topsoil was mainly to give the soil more organic material to feed the grass. I was going to get DuraBlend Tall Fescue sod.

As of now, I have 2 low spots, the main one is due to my drain line not be extended past my fenceline. I will ensure this is extended 1-2' beyond my fence to ensure proper drainage. The other area is due the ripples, I can rake that one out.

The other question is how often do you roll the grass/sod after installation? Meaning, is this tool worth buying or just renting?

Thanks.

Starting fresh with sandy soil & sod

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garycinchicago

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Starting fresh with sandy soil & sod

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garycinchicago

mdgdmerleOriginal Author

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