Question:

Did You Know This?

Measuring Sod

If you're installing new sod on a 1 acre plot of land, then you already know how many pallets you need--one hundred. One pallet of sod covers roughly 1/100th of an acre, or about 430 square feet. Some pallets will have more, some less. You may need an extra pallet or two in your order to account for piece you'll tear up to fit patios and walks, and to account for those short pallets that only have 400 or so square feet on them.

Grass: Nature's Air Conditioning

A healthy front lawn has the same cooling effect as an 8-1/2 ton air-conditioning compressor. The plants transpire (evaporate water through the leaf surface) to cool themselves, and cool the immediate area to boot. About half of the heat energy directed to a turf area is eliminated by transpiration. When the temperature of the sidewalk is 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of the adjacent turf remains near 75. This cooling may last into the night, with studies showing a 13-degree cooling at 9 p.m. (Mississippi State University).

Thirsty Grass!

A typical, suburban 5,000 square-foot lawn transpires about 3,000 gallons of water on a hot summer day. If this water is not supplied by rain, it must be applied by some other means.

See the tip on building your own "poor man's sprinkler system" under Sprinklers.

Budget Landscaping

Recent studies of real estate transactions show that a well maintained landscape adds significantly to the resale value of the home. The value added ranged from $2,000 to over $15,000 for the typical, 4-bedroom, 2-bath home.

The average annual expense for an established 5,000 square foot lawn is approximately $100. Assume that you'd lived in the home for 5 years and restored a neglected lawn through normal maintenance, and do the math to determine the rate of return on your investment.

Bermuda Grass

With adequate water, fertilization and mowing, a single square meter of Bermuda grass can grow fast enough to cover the entire land mass of North America in two years.

Sound Barrier

Turfgrass functions as a noise barrier. Studies at the Riverbank Acoustical Laboratory in Geneva, Illinois, found Kentucky bluegrass turf absorbed more sound than a heavy carpet on a felt pad.

Lawn Watering Needs

A 1,000 square foot, intensively managed stand of hybrid Bermuda needs 60 inches of combined rainfall and irrigation per year. That is the equivalent of nearly 37,000 gallons of water.