Getting ready to completely resod my backyard with St. Augustine. Can anyone recommend a good reliable place for sandy loam, preferably one located in or can deliver to southwest Austin? Anyone have any experience with King Ranch grass place on 290 West?
I don't suggest using sandy loam. Developers use it because it's cheap, not because it's a good choice to grow grass. It doesn't retain enough moisture for our climate which means your grass will dry out and get stressed between waterings. This is especially true during strict rationing. I resodded my front yard last year and removed at least several inches of sandy loam first. It was almost like digging up concrete. I brought in several inches of dillo dirt and tilled it in with the remaining sandy loam. The result has been fantastic. It doesn't dry out between waterings like it did with only sandy loam. The grass is by far the healthiest in my neighborhood. BTW, I installed Amerishade St. Augustine from King Ranch and much prefer it to the Raleigh I had previously. I only have to mow it half as often, it's a nicer green color, and it does much better in shade. Also does fine in direct sun.
Thanks, brntorng, much appreciated. Backyard is going to take approximately two loads of soil to completely cover prior to laying sod. Can you recommend a vendor for this>
A good grass contractor should till and add soil as part of the installation. Not just some yard guy with a pickup or the ultimate grass dealer. They should know enough to help you decide what to add because they should have an interest in it performing well/your satisfaction. My St. Augustine guy (not Austin) once told me that he could grow it on concrete and not to worry about the dirt underneath. His point was that sun and water were really the only issues to worry about. Ours was not successful in patches because there was too much shade or inconsistent water. Ours does well in the places that it does well. Why did your old lawn go? I would only use dirt (compost really) to level things out. Till up your old grass/surface of course, but please don't think that great soil will grow grass where it won't grow.
I think it was Advanced Organic Materials at the top of this list. But shop around since they all get it from the same source at the same price and just charge for the delivery. Depending on your relative locations, some may be more able to be competitive than others. Be sure to till it in with the soil that's there since, by itself, it's too rich. If you're on rock, have the vendor mix it with some sandy loam before delivering it. You'll need at least 4" of soil once it's settled. You'll also need to rent a lawn roller to help it settle before and after laying the sod. Good luck, it's worth it.
Guys, thanks for the tips, I really appreciate it. After triple bypass surgery 2.5 years ago and the ensuing recovery period, I just let my small (70 x 25 grass area) backyard go. The wife and I were able to clearit pretty well last week as the only thing living that remained were weeds. We are looking at that Amerishade and possibly the Del Mar, which is a little less expensive, because a third of the yard is in the shade most of the day. Based on you guys' input, I am convinced to leave the installation to those who know what they're doing as we want to do this the right way from the beginning. Again, much obliged for the help. It's been 25 years since we last put in sod.
