Summer is almost over. The record heat of this summer in Atlanta and Georgia, is starting to back down a little. Believe it or not, Fall is just around the corner. Cooler daytime high temperatures are coming soon as are the refreshing cooler mornings. This is very important if you are wanting to re-sod your lawn. Do it now!!!! By September 15th, warm season lawns, (Bermuda and Zoysia), start to go dormant in the Atlanta area and north Georgia. These grasses love the hot weather and the longer daylight hours. It is best to install new Bermuda/Zoysia sod in the summer months to allow a period of time for the new grass to root in/acclimate before the Winter arrives. This helps prevent Winter damage/death to the new lawn. You can install Bermuda/Zoysia even in the Winter months while it is dormant, you just add a higher risk factor to the survivability of your new lawn. Many times, however, schedules are such that we don’t have a choice. In these situations, just know there is a gamble involved and don’t get too upset if you loose some of the new sod. The contractor may have provided you with healthy grass and installed it correctly; Winter may still take it out. So—you can’t always blame the contractor, or expect it to be replaced under warranty.
Frequently, new sod is harvested in the Winter at a farm in south Georgia or south Alabama, and then brought to the Atlanta area and installed. It was growing in a milder climate, dug up and trucked to Atlanta, and layed on top of the ground of a landscape project. Then rudely, the very next night, it is having to endure sub-freezing temperatures because a cold front blew through. OUCH! This can cause damage to your new grass. The roots can freeze solid because of the moisture in them, burst, and then become non-functional. If these roots don’t function, the leaves of the grass won’t stay alive. The new sod will die. This may not be completely visible until Spring when you expect to see your lawn greening up.
In summary—-try to install your new sod now, or wait if you can until next late Spring. If the construction schedule does not permit this, be more understanding and knowledgeable of what you are attempting to do. This should help you be happier with your new landscape. Knowledge is a good thing. We may not like the outcome, but if we understand why it happened we are more content.
As always, I hope this is informative and helps you with your landscape. If you would like a FREE consultation about your landscape, call us at ——-Pollock & Associates, Inc.———770-569-5900.
I never knew you could install sod in the fall… makes sense, though! Thanks!!