Tips 'n Info Sod Maintenance | Tree Care SOD MAINTENANCE (return to top) Your new sod increases your property value significantly. With proper care, it will remain a great

asset, providing beauty, a clean playing surface and an improved environment. The following are some basic tips to encourage a dense, healthy lawn.

Watering
Give your lawn at least 2 to 3 cm (1 inch) of water as soon as the turf has be laid. Water daily, or more often, keeping turf moist until it is firmly rooted (about 2 weeks). Then less frequent and deeper watering should begin.

During hot and windy conditions you may need to water twice a day. If allowed to dry out, the sod pieces will contract and gaps will be left along the joints. Indicators that your lawn needs to be watered include:

• Footprints remain while walking across the lawn
• Colour changes slightly to dark blue/green
• Grass blades fold inwards

Water areas near buildings more often where reflected heat dries the turf. To avoid causing indentations or air pockets avoid walking or kneeling on the turf just after watering.

Enough water should be applied to wet the entire area to a depth of 10 to 20 cm or about 4 to 8 inches. You can measure the amount of water applied by placing a straight-sided can or jar into the are being watered. Approximately 2.5 to 4 cm of water in the container corresponds to an adequate irrigation. Infrequent, thorough watering is better than frequent, light sprinkling for maintaining a healthy turf. If your area is heavily sloped, keep in mind it will need twice as much water for penetration.

Mowing
During the first three weeks, avoid heavy or concentrated use of your new lawn. This gives the roots an opportunity to firmly knit with soil, and ensures that the turf will remain smooth.

Mow often, generally removing no more than 1/3 of the grass height at a mowing. Repeated scalping of the turf weakens the root system, directly affecting the ability of the turf to obtain water and nutrients.

Fertilizer
The three main nutrients required by turfgrass are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Nitrogen promotes dark green colour, leaf and blade development and density of the turf. Phosphorous is important for root development and potassium contributes to the plants vigor and promotes water and drought tolerance.

The following is a recommended fertilizer program for your established lawn developed for our Southern Alberta growing conditions.

TREE CARE (return to top) In order to keep your tree(s) alive and healthy, there is some maintenance involved. For the first year or two years, your tree(s) will require water and nutrients that you will be responsible to supply. Although every tree is different and therefore they have different needs, we will give you a few basic tips to encourage the successful life of your tree(s).

Depending on the size and species of your tree, you should be watering 2 - 3 times a week with exception of Evergreens which once established do not require specific watering and prefer to be dry. If you have a 'tree well' established around your tree, fill it with water and let it drain into the roots of the tree. If you do not have a tree well and your tree is planted at grade, place a garden hose a few feet away from the truck (where you presume the roots are) and leave it on a slow trickle for 15 - 20 minutes. Almost 90% of the problems incurred with new trees are due to watering mishaps (either too much or not enough). Whenever in doubt, wait a couple of days after watering and dig down a foot beside the rootball of your tree. The soil should be kept moist. If it is hard and dry, you may need to INCREASE the amount of water your tree is receiving. Trees such as Birch and Willows will require more water than others. Trees such as Amur Cherrys, Maydays, Mountain Ash and Evergreens are partially drought tolerant and therefore do not require as much water.

If you have a newly installed irrigation system or have new sod on your property that you are frequently watering, keep an eye on your trees as this is how drowning occurs!

Fertilizing is HIGHLY recommended in the spring. We advise to use a 10-52-10 root starter fertilizer for any newly installed tree or shrub. NOTE: All fertilizers are different. Be sure to read the instructions before applying.

In the fall it will be normal for newly installed deciduous trees to turn their fall color and drop their leaves a little prematurely. It is also normal for Evergreen trees to experience some fall needle shed (this is when the needles close to the trunk will turn yellow and drop). For the first year of a newly planted tree, it is extremely important to water the tree right through to the end of fall. Fall watering does not have to be done as frequently as you would in summer. Once a week should be sufficient. This continues until the ground is frozen. Pretty much the last time you can use your garden hose is when you should give your tree that final soaking (30 minute drip of water to the roots) to freeze it in for the winter. What you are trying to accomplish is to freeze the rootball and the ground around the tree in order to ensure that the ground will not thaw out during a Chinook. This should be the end of your watering routine until spring. Watering in the winter is not advisable as cold water is still warmer than frozen ground and may actually thaw out the rootball of your tree(s) which is precisely what you are trying to avoid.