It should be harvested the Same Day You Will Install it.

You can buy your sod from a big box store that stores pallets of sod drying in the sun for days at a time. Buying from a big box store may be very convenient, but you give up quality. Why risk installing stressed grass that won’t look as good. Our advice… Always buy your sod from a sod farm.

You should purchase your sod, farm direct. By buying from your local sod farm, you will get fresh sod, harvested the same day you want to install it.

Buying sod from your local Vancouver, WA sod farm, Far West Turf couldn’t be easier if you live in Portland, Oregon or South West Washington. Simply call us and let us know how much you need and make a payment on your credit card.

We will harvest your sod the day you will use it to give you absolutely the freshest best quality sod. We can deliver or you can pick-up. More on ordering sod

Start by making sure the ground has been prepared well including rototilling the soil, raking the area smooth and then compacting the soil with a half filled water filled roller. Water the soil to help settle it and then repeat the smoothing and rolling. Your grade should be ¾” below any adjacent concrete.

Have your sod delivered in the morning of installation day from your local sod farm.

1. Water the area to be sodded the day before so that it is moist to a depth of about 6 inches.
2. Apply 16-16-16 fertilizer (1 pound per 100 sf) on top of your rolled finished grade.
3. Apply lime at 5-8 pounds per 100 sf.
4. Install your sod beginning against the longest straight edge and work toward any irregular boundary.
5. Try not to use small pieces of sod, they won’t take root as well as larger ones.
6. Fit the pieces together snugly. Stagger pieces so the sod seams don’t line up.
7. When working around trees or garden areas, use a very sharp knife to cut the sod into shape.
8. As you install the sod, keep the ground and sod moist with light periodic watering.
9. Roll the sod with a half full water filled roller to flatten all seams and better help the sod to take root.
10. Water your new lawn regularly to keep from drying out.
11. It should be ready for its first mowing in 7-10 days.

Homeowners looking to install their own lawn should look to their local sod farm. This will give the lowest price and the freshest sod. For those looking for Vancouver, WA sod or Portland, Oregon sod should look to Far West Turf Farm. They offer both U-Haul and delivered sod that is cut fresh and pelleted that morning.

How to measure

Measure your future lawn area in length x width in feet. Multiply the two numbers to get square feet. If you have an irregular shaped lawn, break it down into manageable squares and measure each separately. Add up your lawn areas and add 10-15% to make sure you have enough and to allow for trimming as you install.

Why use sod?

Sod is only slightly more expensive than seed and it gives an instant lawn the very day you lay it down. More on sod installation.

Maintain your lawn using eco friendly ingredients. Try these as a substitute for the commercially available chemicals.

Organic Lawn Fertilizer: Mix 4 parts fish meal with 1 part dolomite lime, 1 part rock phosphate and 1 part kelp meal.

Kill Dandelions with a natural weed killer: Mixing up a teaspoon of liquid dish detergent with one cup of white vinegar gives you a spray that adheres to the unwanted plant, burning the foliage.

Use these formulations for a natural pest control.

Oil mixture for plants: Mix 1 cup of canola oil and a tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap. Dilute to 1 gallon with water. Spray on leaves of plants every few days.

Garlic and pepper for lawn: Combine ½ cup of hot peppers, ½ cup of garlic cloves and 1 pint of water. Allow to step for 24 hours in full sun. Strain and spray the liquid to infected areas of your lawn.

How can you apply organic and natural lawn care tips to perfecting your lush green lawn? You can use some basic organic gardening methods and still get a great looking lawn. Jodi Torpey has a great article entitled Six Tips for Organic Lawn Care. Please click through to her article to see more details.

1. Loosen the soil by core aerating your lawn to let air and water in.
2. Use organic fertilizers that come from natural sources.
3. Add a thin layer of compost after aeration for a supply of nutrients.
4. Use earth friendly weed control.
5. Leave the clippings on the lawn to naturally mulch your lawn.
6. Push mowers: Get some exercise and move away from a gas powered lawn mower.

Of course you need to start with quality sod from your Vancouver, WA sod provider, Far West Turf Farm.

Lawns cannot produce enough Nitrogen on their own so additions of fertilizer are necessary to maintain a green and healthy lawn. A healthy lawn will be deep green in color. Yellow blades intermixed with green is a sign of Nitrogen deficiency

Too much Nitrogen and you are inviting disease and fungus to infect your lawn. Too little Nitrogen and your grass growth will slow. It will begin to yellow and die with the grass tips beginning to yellow first.

Perform a soil test and see what your lawn needs. Adjust your Nitrogen level accordingly using a high quality lawn fertilizer.

Hint: Check your lawn clippings regularly. These are the grass blade tips and will show yellowing first which is a sign of a low Nitrogen level.

Lawn care tips from Far West Turf Farm, your Vancouver, WA sod farm.

You want to keep moss out of your lawn. Moss shows up as yellow green loose tufts in your lawn. Moss will choke out a lawn creating an irregular, patchy appearance. Moss killers work, but if you don’t fix the conditions that lead to moss, it will just return.

1. Keep your lawn thick: Reseed thinning areas to keep moss out.
2. Fertilize: Your lawn needs nutrients to stay healthy and thick.
3. Shade: Thin out branches from shrubs and trees that cause deep shade.
4. Reduce wear: Redirect foot traffic or install stepping stones. Thin areas of grass are more prone to moss.
5. Drainage: Moss like areas that stay damp. Fix drainage problems and avoid over watering.
6. Moss removal: Use moss killers that contain ferrous sulfate, ferrous ammonium sulfate, or copper sulfate. These are environmentally safe but can stain concrete.

To get fresh sod for your new lawn go to your local Vancouver, WA sod farm, Far West Turf Farm

It won’t be long and the summer heat will be upon us. What steps can you take to have a lawn that will stay green all summer long? I came across a great article by Dan Ryan called Summer Lawn Care tips!

1. Water deeply and less frequently. This will encourage deeper roots that tolerate drought.
2. Raise your mower to cut your grass to be taller. It will shade itself. The height of your lawn should be at 3.5”
3. Install stepping stones in high traffic areas.
4. Stop fertilizing 30 days before the expected heat.
5. Summer heat causes weeds to go from germination to seed very quickly. Stay ahead with good weed control in spring to make summer easier.

Always start with the best quality sod from your Portland turf farm.

Each lawn will have its own unique needs that you need to be alert to. This includes amount of shade, drainage, type of grass, soil conditions and water coverage. The Portland, Oregon area has its own temperate climate that makes growing easier.

We have the “Portland mist” which brings us lush green all year long. Portland rainy seasons can be broken into thirds. We have 4 months of rain, 4 months of rain / sun and 4 relatively dry months.

The east side of the Portland area gets more rain than the west side. Sandy, Oregon gets 50% more rain than downtown Portland.

This doesn’t mean you can’t start with a generalized plan as a starting point. It means you need to be alert and prepared to create your own customized plan. Experiment and see what works and create your own lawn care plan that works for your yard.

Always start with the top quality turf grass available from your local Portland sod farm.

What does it take to get a beautiful dark green color on your lawn? This is a combination of sun, water, fertilizer and soil pH. Let’s look at the ABCs of fertilizer .

Get a balanced lawn fertilizer that contains Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorous 16-16-16. There are many quality fertilizers available both with and without weed killers.

• Nitrogen (N): Gives your grass a dark green look. Too little and your lawn is yellow green and anemic looking. Too much and you will burn it.
• Potassium (K): Helps your lawn with root development and to fight off disease and drought.
• Phosphorous (P): This also helps with root development.

Fertilizing should be done in March, April, May, June, July, September and November in the Portland, Oregon region.

Need sod? Visit our sod farm that serves Vancouver, WA and Portland, Oregon with fresh cut premium sod.