When people think back on the olden days, everybody pictures the log cabins that appear as part of America’s history in some of the oldest photos available. While it’s true that trees did serve as the home retreat for many settlers during our country’s infancy, another of Mother Nature’s materials was also widely used among pioneer families to make homes: Sod.

Bark and branches were fantastic when they were available, but not every part of our country had access to ample amounts of trees. In fact, there were areas where people could go for miles upon miles without spotting a single tree. As settlers traveled across the plains and prairies of the central and western United States, they were forced to get a bit more creative with their natural resources. In these barren lands where the idea of forests was purely fictional, homesteaders turned to the ground beneath their feet to build roofs over their heads.

How Sod Homes Were Made

It all started with the strong, intricate root systems of plains grass. Holding the earth beneath them in their tight, compact grip, the roots served as a starting point for what would later become sod bricks. When the earth was soft and moist, particularly after a good rain in the summer or a spring thaw of melting snow, settlers would use ox-drawn sod cutters to plow the land and break up the earth. These sod cutters were particularly designed to cut the clumps of dirt into long and narrow pieces. From this point, the settlers used axes to chop the strips into brick-sized pieces. Just as you would expect, these sod bricks were then stacked vertically, one by one, side by side, forming the walls of settlers’ sod homes.

Once the walls were constructed, the structures were usually topped with roofs made from interlaced twigs, hay, thin branches, or other readily-available natural resources. The final touch often included another layer of sod atop the twigs and branches as a finishing touch. It wasn’t uncommon to see sod homes built into the sides of hills or banks. This saves the settlers time and energy, as they could dig away the earth at the side of the incline, using the dug-outs to serve as portions of the homes’ walls and roofs.

Why Sod Homes Worked

For starters, any shelter is better than no shelter at all. Prairie grass and the surrounding sod was readily available in certain parts of the country, and it served its purpose in providing walls and a roof to those who needed them. Because sod was available in ample supply, these houses were cheap to make. Their earthen construction also worked well in accordance with seasonal temperature changes; they were often warm in the winter, and they usually stayed cool in the summer months.

Why Sod Homes Didn’t Work

Alas, you’re not likely to look around and see tons of sod homes as you’re driving to and from work these days. As it turns out, sod homes had some significant deficits, despite doing their best to keep settlers warm, safe, and dry. Of course, being that these homes were made completely of grass and dirt, snakes, mice, and other critters saw no problem calling these houses their homes. Rattlesnakes were known to move in and become unwelcome roommates, and there wasn’t much the settlers could do about it.

These earthen structures were also susceptible to the elements. Leaky roofs were quite common, if not completely expected. Once water found its way into the homes, the dirt floors became muddy messes. Naturally, the sod that comprised the roofs, when wet, became quite heavy as well. Collapses and cave-ins were common in the days after big rains, as the layers of earth took days to dry out, and the structures weren’t often sturdy enough to withstand the heavy sod tops.

All in all, sod homes did their duties until something better was able to be built. Although they certainly weren’t meant to last for lifetimes, America’s early settlers learned to love sod in their own rights and rely on this great material that our Arizona Turf team prides itself on today.

Did our story about sod houses and settlers teach you something new about our country’s history? We’d love to hear your thoughts at our Evergreen Turf Facebook page!

You can have a lush green yard and still make it eco-friendly. Here are some tips on creating an eco-friendly yard in Arizona.

Things to Avoid

While pesticides and herbicides are a quick, effective approach to lawn maintenance, you may be interested in methods that are a bit kinder to the environment, and to the family pets who explore the outside world with their noses and mouths. Instead, opt for:

• Pulling weeds manually. It doesn’t have to be a hassle if you commit to a regular schedule. As an added bonus, you’ll get a great workout!
• Natural herbicides like hot water, table salt, vinegar, or essential oils like cinnamon, clove or citrus. Simply pour or spray over unsightly weeds.
• Take the garlic and onion from your garden and return it to the Earth as a pesticide. Pulse one whole onion and one clove of garlic in a food processor then add one quart of water. Use the diffused water as a plant spray. (Note: dogs should not eat onions. They are toxic to them.)

Taking the First Step

There’s no need to feel overwhelmed when restructuring your lawn to be more environmentally friendly. Implement one or two easy changes and build upon your eco-friendly yard from there.

1. Harvest rainwater to naturally hydrate your plants. Because rainwater contains less salt and more nitrogen, it’s a healthier choice than tap water. Create a basin to allow for collection and optimal saturation.
2. Be a smarter waterer. Take the time to learn the specific water needs of each plant in your yard as they’re not all created equal. Use a soaker hose rather than a sprinkler to cut water usage up to 50%. Water earlier in the day to minimize evaporation.
3. Create a compost bin to nourish your garden, aerate soil, and decrease your contribution to local landfills. Fill the compost with items such as: fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds and used filters, tissues, paper towels, egg shells, and shredded paper.

Choose Plants Wisely

Even if you keep your lawn in immaculate condition, the fact is some plants are better than others in terms of maintenance and the environmental impact made by watering and fertilizing.

• Indigenous trees and flowers require less care than plants that aren’t native to Arizona. Find the right plants for your yard and you’ll see them thrive without much work on your part.
• Utilize companion planting as a way to optimize small garden space and promote healthy growth. Companion plants also create healthy soil and discourage unwanted pests from settling in the area. Some examples of companion plants are:
  • Roses and garlic to act as a natural pest repellent.
  • Carrots and leeks due to the smells of each.
  • Chives and tomatoes—the former protects the latter.
  • Cucumbers, radishes, and dill keep cucumber beetles away from the whole bunch.
  • Carrots and spring onions—a mutually beneficial match.
• Attract pollinators with specific flower species.
  • Butterflies love bright hues of yellow, red, orange and purple along with flowers with flat blossoms. They also flock to fallen fruit, so don’t be afraid to leave it on the ground—it’s great butterfly food and a natural compost.
  • Bees are attracted to the natural pollen and nectar of wildflowers and bright flowers that grow singly rather than together.

If you need sod in Phoenix or Tucson, or surrounding areas of Arizona, contact us today.

Lawn care isn’t just about regular watering and the occasional weekend mow. Many frustrated homeowners would even argue it’s a science. Arizona lawns in particular must be properly maintained due to extreme summer temperatures. Keep your lawn looking just as nice as the day you laid sod with these maintenance tips for your backyard.

Summer Watering Tips

• Avoid watering daily as over-watering robs the root system of oxygen
• Don’t be afraid of under-watering—the reverse is far more damaging. Water thoroughly but infrequently and always follow the guidelines for your particular grass
• On average, ten inches of water below the soil provides enough depth to sufficiently water the grass. Pro tip: Test with a screwdriver one hour after watering.
• Program your automatic sprinklers to activate 1-2 hours before sunrise to take advantage of cooler temperatures and minimal evaporation.

Preparing for the Cold

• Understand that the dormancy period of your Arizona sod is standard and necessary for the life cycles of your grass.
• If you can’t live without a beautiful green lawn in the winter, go ahead and overseed your warm-season grass with cool-season reinforcement.
• Give Bermuda grass a rest every few years as overseeding can prove stressful to overworked roots.

Know How to Mow

Here’s the thing with mowing—it’s not only important to do it, it’s important to do it right. When overgrown, long blades provide too much shade preventing the shorter ones from growing. This leads to shaggy grass with tons of space for—you guessed it—weeds. If you mow your grass too short, it sucks up too much water. Note: If your yard is particularly shady, add about 25% more height based on the following guide:

• Bermuda/Perennial/Annual Rye: 1.5 – 2 inches
• Hybrid Bermuda: 0.5 – 1 inch

Arizona Soil: 101

Did you know Arizona soil is comprised of surface, subsurface, and subsoil layers? This is important to know because it affects how your grass will grow. Subsoil is the finest of the three and contains less organic matter which is what essentially determines the condition of your lawn. In order to prepare your soil for optimal growth:

• Alter its chemical makeup by adding organic matter such as manure to help deliver water and nutrients to your Arizona sod grass.
• Aerate your Bermuda grass in May or June in order to give the soil better access to water and oxygen. You can also do this the day after a good monsoon rain when the soil is easy to break up.

Caring for Flowers and Other Plants

What Arizona backyard is complete without desert plants like succulents and groundcovers? Be sure you understand the needs of each type of plant that complements your lawn. For example, cacti need little water to survive, so you wouldn’t want your automatic sprinkler heads to douse them or nearby succulents. Take note of perennial grow schedules to ensure you’re caring for your grass and flowers at the right times. Lastly, make sure you know how much space you’ll need for a mature garden or shrub. You don’t want to provide too much shade to sun-dependent grass or create an obstruction of walkways.

Caring for your Arizona lawn doesn’t have to be an arduous task so long as you stay on schedule. If you don’t have time or patience to maintain your Arizona sod grass, give us a call at 480-456-1199 to discuss re-sod options. You don’t want to wait until your annual end of summer BBQ to try and take on a dead patches or overgrown weeds.

Get 10% off your next purchase of sod plus free delivery (500 sq/ft minimum order) when you order online today.

There’s nothing worse than investing time and money into your dream yard only to see the grass wilt and dry out. Save yourself the frustration by learning how to properly care for your Arizona grass. With scorching summers and annual monsoons, it’s difficult to get things right the first time – but not impossible.

Commit yourself to research

Whether you’re installing fresh sod in Arizona or rehabilitating a dried out lawn inherited from prior homeowners, the first thing you should do is research the best grass and how to care for it. Take into account the soil’s pH level, shade to sunlight ratio, surrounding plant life, and your personal commitment to maintenance. Talk to neighbors whose lawns you love and ask what problems they’ve faced. A well-kept lawn does not happen by accident so it’s important to know what species is likely to thrive in your region and how much time and money you have to ensure its success.

Opt for sod over seed

Heat is a major inhibitor of healthy growth as watering can lead to nearly-instant evaporation. Seeds often require significant time to form strong roots unless you’re prepared to be diligent about watering and reseeding annually. Sod is a good choice for Arizona homeowners as its even easier to grow and maintain than starting with grass seeds for several reasons:

• Installing sod in Arizona is a “one and done” solution to a bare lawn. Simply prepare the soil and install sod the same day it arrives.
• Although seeding is less expensive than sod, that might not be the case in the long run if you’re forced to reseed annually and pay more for maintenance services.
• Sod is more resistant to weeds as there is less room for the seeds to settle and germinate.
• Sod is less likely to dry out. This is because seeds initially need to be watered several times per day to prevent dry soil. Although sod also needs moisture to become firmly rooted, the watering schedule is less demanding and decreases in frequency much earlier in the rooting process.
• Laying sod in Arizona is perhaps most advantageous for its instant curb appeal. This is appealing to both new homeowners eager to enjoy their lawn and those looking to put their home on the market quickly.

Know how to maintain sod in Arizona

Once you’ve committed to installing sod, heed the most common tips and tricks for avoiding a dry, stressed out lawn.

1. Stay off the sod. Constant foot traffic from children and pets places unnecessary strain on new grass that is trying to form a healthy root system.
2. Restrict your dog to one specific area of the yard to do his business. If you can help it, try to avoid the grass completely and train him to relieve himself on the pavement (which can easily be sprayed down) or rock landscaping.
3. Prevent over fertilization by taking the proper precautions.
4. Closely adhere to the watering schedule of your specific sod type. Remember: the dry Arizona heat speeds up evaporation, so be mindful of the frequency and depth of watering.
5. Water early with evenly spaced sprinklers to avoid midday evaporation and fungal diseases caused by wet grass that festers in cool temperatures overnight.
6. Mow only at the recommended height for your particular sod and leave the clippings throughout the yard to aid water absorption.

For an estimate to install sod in Arizona or for a professional guide to preventing dry patches, contact a sod specialist at 480-456-1199.

Over the summer many lawns in the Phoenix area can develop weeds, particularly Spurge. You might recognize this weed as close to the ground, dark in color with some forms having hairy or purple-red spotted leaves and red stems. Spurge can grow in a circular shape and create a dense mat of weeds.

As you prepare your winter lawn we want to help you get rid of these pesky weeds.

Spurge is the most common turfgrass weed in the US, and Arizona in particular due to the heat. Spurge primarily grows in the summer, but it can grow well into the fall. It is easy for this weed to grow in Arizona sod in the fall since the weather remains warm here.

Your first reaction to kill this weed would be to spray it, but we advise against doing so. If you are planning to overseed your lawn, applying weed killing chemicals could slow down the growth of your new lawn. We recommend pulling the weed up with your hands, roots and all. This method of removing Spurge weeds is better for your lawn if you are preparing it for overseeding and in general, since it isn’t as harmful to your lawn.

If your lawn in Phoenix did grow Spurge this year we hope that you were able to pull it out before any real damage was done to your winter lawn. If you feel like your lawn is already a total loss you can always order fresh sod from our Arizona sod farm, already overseeded. In any case we want to help you prevent weeds from ruining all of your hard work in maintaining your sod in the Phoenix area, as it can be a struggle given our environment. The best weed prevention is a healthy lawn!

Follow us on Facebook for the most up to date tips on Arizona sod maintenance.

See the University of Arizona PDF (Link) “Managing Spurge in the Landscape” for extra information beyond our blog post.

April is water awareness month in Arizona, so we want to make sure you’re Arizona sod is getting the right amount of water while not wasting any. We found some tips that are useful and can be used year round.

For the next week you can make a great impact by following some of the water awareness tips found here. Click on each day for the Water Use It Wisely special tips; we know some of the tips aren’t just for your lawn, but in the grand scheme of things we still want you to conserve water for our state.

When it comes to watering your lawn we recommend that you check the Water Use It Wisely watering guide or your local newspaper daily. If you are unable to check it daily, check it weekly to ensure that you are not only over watering your lawn, but that you aren’t wasting any water.

With summer coming right around the corner you can also refer to our irrigation/watering schedule for summer time to make sure you know how much water your Evergreen Turf lawn requires. Make it a goal to adjust your watering schedule and conserve as much water as you can!

TifGrand – Available Summer 2011

Evergreen Turf, Arizona’s premier sod producer, is the exclusive licensed seller of TifGrand bermudagrass in the Southwest. TifGrand bermudagrass is brand new to the sod market. One of the most distinctive and beneficial characteristics of the TifGrand variety is it can grow in the shade! Evergreen Turf is currently one of 18 licensed turf providers to sell this amazing new sod variety.

For Arizona residents TifGrand Bermudagrass is an excellent sod choice. Arizona residents who want shade in the heat of the summer no longer have to compromise their beautiful green lawn. If your yard contains shade tree coverage or if your home creates shade coverage over your lawn during the day, TifGrand might be the answer for you.

• Can flourish in growth in 60-70% shade coverage; is known to continue growth well in up to 90% shade levels.
• Can grow at the same capacity in full sun.
• Requires considerably less water and fertilizer.
• Has a naturally denser and darker green blade.
• Mole cricket non-preference, which means the pests will eat it, but will eat other grass varieties nearby first.
• TifGrand was developed by scientists Dr. Wayne Hanna and Dr. Kris Braman and the University of Georgia’s turfgrass breeding program.

Arizona was a testing location throughout the development process of TifGrand bermudagrass and Evergreen Turf is confident this new sod variety will be a great choice for Arizona residents. Not only is TifGrand great for Arizona homeowners, but it is also a great sod variety for golf courses, athletics fields, and stadiums.

Anywhere where turf grows and shade is present, make the change to TifGrand bermudagrass.

*Please note that all TifGrand cannot tolerate 100% shade. It will still require 4 hours or more of sunlight per day in order to thrive.

Evergreen Turf, your Arizona sod producer, is proud to be the premier supplier of MiniVerde Ultradwarf Bermudagrass in Arizona and California. MiniVerde Bermudagrass was designed specifically for high-stress golf course greens and has received praise from golf course superintendents and golfers alike.

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The 2010 FIFA World Cup culminates this weekend in South Africa. And as the World’s premier soccer stars lace up their boots for their final 90 minute battle, Evergreen Turf has set the stage for some great soccer matches to take place right here in Arizona.

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According to University of Arizona (UA) researchers, mosquitoes can breed in a pool of water as small as a paper cup. In order to avoid an infestation of mosquitoes or other insects on and around your property this summer, make sure not to over-water your lawn.

“The mosquito operates at the paper cup level,” said Paul Robbins, who is heading up the UA study, which is focused on West Nile virus and Dengue fever.

“How can we predict where the paper cups are going to be? Where is that micro-habitat that the bug favors or doesn’t favor distributed in a complex place like a city that has culverts, drains, parks, and people who are watering their lawns, like in Phoenix,” asked Robbins?

We may not be able to eliminate every breeding ground for mosquitoes, but we can take action to limit the amount of standing water on our own property.

Although it’s hotter and drier during the summer – with the exception of monsoon season – than any other time of the year in Arizona, you don’t actually need to water your lawn more than usual. In fact, it promotes better root growth and drought tolerance to water well-established lawns only two to three times a week.

Now that it’s consistently above 80 degrees during the day and night, over-watering can leave those small, paper cup sized pools of water around long enough to allow mosquitoes to successfully breed.

“In southern Arizona, what you’re seeing under some scenarios of warming is an increased length of the mosquito season,” said Robbins. “Generally you worry about them in the rainy season, but we’re seeing that expand out to fall and spring, and that makes a big difference because it provides a much longer breeding season and a longer presence for bugs to transfer disease.”

In addition to limiting the number of breeding spots for mosquitoes, setting an appropriate watering schedule for your lawn will conserve water.

For more tips on lawn maintenance during the summer months, visit our Summer Health, Lawn Care maintenance page.