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autobaun70 · 02-27-2005, 06:02 PM

a couple more things here. someone mentioned using Roundup. Ditto on that. Don't get the roundup available at Walmart or any chain retail place, these are junk and way overpriced. Go to a garden supply center or tractor supply company, and get the generic stuff, 41% glyphosate (i suck at spelling, but you get the point). The best off brand out there is called Honcho which is actually made by the same company, monsanto, that makes roundup. The patent on roundup ran out a few years ago, the cheap stuff is just as good, dont' let anyone tell you any different. Avoid any mixtures that say "fast kill" or anything of that nature. These contain Diquat, which will kill the follage, quickly, but will often times allow the roots survive. Roundup attacks an amino acid that allows the plants to translocate nutrients, it takes a little time to work, so be patient. When you lay the sod, make sure that loosen the soil and rake it smooth. Lay out the sod, talk to a local garden center about what will work best with your soil type can climate. St. Augistine sounds like a great choice for that area. When laying the sod, get the edges tight, and go over them with a sod roller, looks like an aerator without the spikes, this is important to get rid of the lines between pieces. As far as fertilizer goes, any grass in your area will be a "warm season grass". These have unique nutrient requirements. Be sure that the nitrogen used in the fertilizer is of the slow release variety. fertilizer is listed by three numbers, N-P-K, aka nitrogen-phosphorus-potasium. with warm season grasses, it is important to use a fertilizer at the onset of fall that is LOW in nitrogen and phoshorus, and high in potasium to allow for a proper transition to the slower growing time of year. Don't be afraid of chemicals, the environment hype isn't all that it's made out to be. A lot of people will try to get you to belive that organic chemicals and fertilizers are better and safer, nothing could be farther from the truth. On the safety issue, organic does not equal non toxic. On fertilizers the require nutrients can be derived much less expensivly through synthetic processes, and just as safely, if not more so.

02-27-2005, 06:02 PM	#14 (permalink)
autobaun70 Upright	a couple more things here. someone mentioned using Roundup. Ditto on that. Don't get the roundup available at Walmart or any chain retail place, these are junk and way overpriced. Go to a garden supply center or tractor supply company, and get the generic stuff, 41% glyphosate (i suck at spelling, but you get the point). The best off brand out there is called Honcho which is actually made by the same company, monsanto, that makes roundup. The patent on roundup ran out a few years ago, the cheap stuff is just as good, dont' let anyone tell you any different. Avoid any mixtures that say "fast kill" or anything of that nature. These contain Diquat, which will kill the follage, quickly, but will often times allow the roots survive. Roundup attacks an amino acid that allows the plants to translocate nutrients, it takes a little time to work, so be patient. When you lay the sod, make sure that loosen the soil and rake it smooth. Lay out the sod, talk to a local garden center about what will work best with your soil type can climate. St. Augistine sounds like a great choice for that area. When laying the sod, get the edges tight, and go over them with a sod roller, looks like an aerator without the spikes, this is important to get rid of the lines between pieces. As far as fertilizer goes, any grass in your area will be a "warm season grass". These have unique nutrient requirements. Be sure that the nitrogen used in the fertilizer is of the slow release variety. fertilizer is listed by three numbers, N-P-K, aka nitrogen-phosphorus-potasium. with warm season grasses, it is important to use a fertilizer at the onset of fall that is LOW in nitrogen and phoshorus, and high in potasium to allow for a proper transition to the slower growing time of year. Don't be afraid of chemicals, the environment hype isn't all that it's made out to be. A lot of people will try to get you to belive that organic chemicals and fertilizers are better and safer, nothing could be farther from the truth. On the safety issue, organic does not equal non toxic. On fertilizers the require nutrients can be derived much less expensivly through synthetic processes, and just as safely, if not more so.