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The weather has finally turned in Florida, replacing hot and humid weather with cooler, more comfortable temperatures. It’s a common misconception among homeowners that home improvement projects like sod installation cannot occur this time of year due to the chill in the air, but that’s far from true! In fact, fall is the perfect time of year to transform your curb appeal with new sod. There are many benefits that make it appealing to invest in sod before the holiday season. Why Is Fall a Great Time to Install Sod? Protection From Insects and Diseases Florida’s hot and humid climate encourages unwanted plant diseases, insects, and pests. If you install your shade-tolerant sod grass over the summer, you are more likely to experience problems like fungal diseases, brown patches, cutworms and chinch bugs. Sod installation is ideal during the autumn and early winter because the majority of those bugs and illnesses pose less of a threat to new grass.

As summer turns to fall, plants and grasses in northern states are busy preparing for their winter hibernation as temperatures start to cool, making sod installation a difficult task beyond September. But that’s not the case in Florida! Florida’s unique climate makes it possible to install sod nearly all year long, and growth can take place any time. In fact, the autumn and early winter are the perfect times to install new sod in your Florida yard. 3 Reasons that Fall is The Best Time to Install Sod Less Vulnerability to Insects and Diseases Florida has its fair share of plant diseases, pests, and insects. From fungal diseases and brown patches to cutworms and chinch bugs, turf grass can become vulnerable to a variety of problems. Sod installation is ideal during the autumn and early winter because the majority of those bugs and illnesses pose less of a threat to new grass.   

How long have you been fighting an uphill battle to grow healthy, green grass on the shaded parts of your property? Sod naturally loves the sun and thrives in its heat, so sustaining sod in the shade requires diligence and strategy. Choose the Best Sod For Your Shaded Lawn What Does the Shade Scale Say? The Shade Scale helps you visualize which types of sod might best match the levels of sun and shade on your property each day. Bahia sod demands the most sun and simply cannot grow without full sun exposure every morning and afternoon. Ivy, on the other hand, can be used as a ground cover that thrives in near total shade. In between Bahia and Ivy are a variety of sods that have shade-tolerant characteristics:St. Augustine Zoysia Bermuda Native Seashore Paspalum

Florida’s summers are long and hot, so when your sod starts to look dry, it’s an instinctive reaction to water it more… and more… and more. Unfortunately, too much water is just as dangerous as too little water. Learn to identify the signs so you can nourish your sod with the best amount of water and help it survive Florida’s harsh summer weather. Why Is Overwatering Dangerous? Too much water drowns grass roots and causes the soil to become waterlogged. The roots slowly drown and rot, causing blades of grass to wilt and die. This isn’t the effect you want to see! Even if you don’t drown the grass roots entirely, you will unknowingly create a shallow root system that lacks the resilience of deeply rooted systems. Ironically, overwatering your lawn can even make your sod more vulnerable to drought, insects, weeds, and disease.

If your yard’s natural grass doesn’t offer the attractive curb appeal you’ve always wanted, you aren’t stuck living with it as a fact of life. Instead, you can use sod to customize the appearance of your lawn and enjoy healthier, long-lasting ground cover.  Most Florida lawns are exposed to at least eight hours of strong sunshine per day, but if your property receives more shade than usual, certain shade tolerant sod types can still meet your needs. The Best Shade Tolerant Sods For Your Lawn

With the current sod shortage occurring in Florida, you may be wondering how to satisfy your need for a beautiful, green lawn by the summer. Fortunately, it is still available and could be the perfect solution for your property. What is Perennial Peanut? Ornamental rhizomal perennial peanut is a low maintenance grass alternative that nicely covers difficult sunny areas. Though it is not a traditional grass blade appearance, it does offer an aesthetically attractive hardy plant with green foliage and beautiful yellow-orange flowers. Which Perennial Peanut Is Best? Perennial peanut is grown in different forms, but the most popular and requested in Ecoturf. Many homeowners use Ecoturf around the sunny spots of their home that do not receive shade and need a ground cover that is extremely durable. It offers true drought tolerance, no known pests, no need for supplemental nitrogen or phosphorus fertilizer, and very little mowing! With proper care, your perennial peanut will stay about 4” in height.

A perfect storm of events has left Florida in a severe sod shortage. It began in the spring of 2017, when a robust economy created significant growth and led homeowners and business owners alike to purchase sod for their properties. This growth in demand and subsequent sod shortage continued throughout the summer due to high volume sales in the sports, golf, and residential sectors. Then, hurricane Harvey and Irma struck in Texas and Florida in the fall, triggering a major disruption to the sod business cycle, excessive rainfall, and even severe drought. Now, as the summer of 2018 approaches, how should you approach Florida’s sod shortage? These tips will help you through. Sod Shortage in Florida Order In Advance

Spring is a notoriously dry time of year in Florida, which isn’t usually good news. By hiring an irrigation company to evaluate your sod and install an efficient irrigation system in your lawn, you can ensure that your sod is always properly watered, regardless of the season. This season’s dryness is especially significant if you recently installed sod in your yard. Even if you have drought-resistant sod, it is still essential that you keep your new grass hydrated so that it can grow properly and thrive for many years to come. A Quick Introduction to Sod Irrigation Company in Florida Forget dragging hoses, watering sprinkler output in a tuna can, and setting a timer as a reminder to move the sprinkler across your yard. A professional irrigation system measures the exact amount of water used by calibrating each head to put out a specific amount of water. You can even time your irrigation schedule based on the needs of each season. Be sure to select irrigation equipment with sensors that turn off your irrigation system in the presence of rain.

Spring in Florida can be a very dry time, and this makes the proper irrigation of your Florida Sod Lawn all the more important. Dry weather doesn’t last forever, but your diligent watering efforts during this dry season will ensure that your sod stays vibrant and healthy for many, many years to come. Rather than using unreliable guesswork to water your lawn each week, remember these guidelines. Irrigating Your Florida Sod Lawn It’s All in the Timing First and foremost, be sure to schedule your irrigation at the right time of day. Experts agree that the very best time for lawn irrigation is the early morning hours. This allows your sod to absorb all of the water it needs without losing too much to excessive and rapid evaporation. On the other hand, it’s also important not to water at a time when the water will sit on your grass for too long and smother it with moisture. Expending the “dew period” of your sod will accelerate the development of disease. Stick to early morning to be safe!

If you’re determined to equip your yard with the perfect green grass, sod can be your solution in Winter. This is especially true in the south, where lush green grass doesn’t always grow naturally. Sod offers a host of benefits over other alternatives, and it can even be installed during the mid Florida winter! Many new sod owners become overly concerned when they discover that their freshly installed sod is actually brown, not green. Though it can seem counterintuitive to accept brown grass as a good thing, it is true that brown sod shouldn’t be feared. Don’t Fear Brown Sod in the Winter A Quick Introduction to Sod