Spring
Sod installation & grading
Old roots and dead grass cleared, the ground graded, then fresh sod rolled out. One customer's dirt pits that sat bare for years were finished in a day.
Chapter 01
Why an old lawn stops coming back
Most yards that need sod are past patching. Around Zillah and across the Yakima Valley the story is usually the same: thin grass, bare spots that dry out and crust over, and ground that was never leveled after something came out of it. Laura L Nicholson had a front yard full of large, old roots left from a tree removal. Nikki Cook had bare spots that had been dirt pits for several years.
New grass laid over those problems carries them forward. Roots, packed dirt and low spots stay put under the lawn and show up again. Traci Rickard's play area had rubber mulch where grass should have been, and the fix there was pulling the mulch out and adding grass. On every one of these yards the first decision is what has to come out before anything goes down.
A new backyard lawn, green to the fence line after the sod went in
Clear it, grade it, then roll it out
The work starts with clearing the old grass, the roots and whatever else is in the way. Then the ground is graded so the surface is smooth and water runs away from the house instead of toward it. Grading is the part nobody sees afterward, and it decides whether the lawn lies flat for years or shows every dip.
When the yard needs a new sprinkler system, the lines and heads go in after grading and before the sod. Laura's yard went in that order: grade, place the sprinklers, then fresh sod over the top. The rolls are staged on the graded dirt, laid tight with the seams pushed together, and cut to follow sidewalks, pavers and curbing.
Sebastian and the crew work new-build lots the same way. The drone photo above shows sod going down on a graded lot beside a sidewalk, and from the air a lot with rolls running edge to edge looks very different from one still showing dirt.
Chapter 03
The first weeks on new sod
New sod lives or dies on water. Sprinkler zones get a watering time set for each one, so the lawn is kept moist while the roots knit into the ground below. Keep foot traffic and pets off it until it holds, and wait on the first mow until the grass has rooted in and stands up to the mower.
Nikki Cook's backyard came together in a single day: beds cleared, river rock and edging laid, a dying tree removed, and sod over the bare spots. Debbie Jorgensen's front yard was done on time as promised. Tell Sebastian about your yard at (509) 699-3071, and he will look at it and walk you through what the sod job needs.
“First choice Lawn care just put in new sod in our front yard. Sebastian was fast and responsive when submitting a quote.” Debbie Jorgensen, Google review, five stars.