Replaced the sod or grass

Last summer was quite dry, as there were only a few days of rainy day in the Peninsula area. I decided not to water my frontyard lawn to conserve water. Grass always grows back again once water is given, from past experience. Unfortunately my residence area falls under certain HOA guidelines. On one hand, the HOA is not responsible for the frontyard, as the monthly HOA fee is very low. On the other hand, HOA tries to maintain a consistent landscape outlook for the entire neighborhood.

Instead of flooding the lawn with water, I decided to replace the sod by myself. The tasks seem quite easy as described in handouts. I would not recommend DIY for areas larger than 300 sq ft, unless one really has lots of free time.

Regarding to the task, one set of correct steps are:

#1 use a sod cutter to remove the old/dead grass and weeds.
#2 use a rototiller to loosen up old soil, and blend with compost or topsoil
#3 level and smooth the area with a rake.
#4 Irrigate the soil. Let the soil to settle for at least 24 hours to settle the soil surface.
#5 Apply Starter soil fertilizer on top using a broadcast spreader.
#6 Install the new sod immediately upon delivery.

I changed my version slightly in #1 and #2
#1 paid a garderner to perform this step. (This is the most laborous step.)
#2 put 2 inches of premium soil on top instead




Tools can be rented or bought from Lowes or HomeDepot. Grass and soil are available from Bulk Express Service who offers discount compared to the retail price per unit weight. Delivery service is optional with extra fee $50. It has been a good exercise, and brought in satisfaction. hm... I prefer to outsource the entire work next time for large areas.