Lawn Installation · Yakima
Sod Installation & Seeding in Yakima
Tilled, graded and rolled, then fresh sod or seed laid in, from bare backyards to gravel front yards.
Chapter 01
Why sod laid on bad ground fails
New sod looks perfect for about a week. After that it only stays green if the ground under it is right. Roll turf out over hard-packed soil, builder rubble or old patchy grass, and the roots have nowhere to go. You get brown seams, soft spots, and corners that lift at the first mow.
Seed has its own version of the problem. Scatter it on untilled ground and birds, wind and the first heavy watering decide where it ends up. In Yakima, where summers are hot and dry and soil ranges from clay to sand, the bed you prepare matters more than the product you put on top of it.
Two-up photo of a crew tilling a bare backyard and the same yard in fresh sod
Till, grade, roll, then lay or seed
The crew works in that order every time. They till the yard so the top layer is loose and open to roots. They grade it so water runs off the house and does not pond, and they roll it so the surface is firm and even. Only then does the sod go down, tight at the seams and cut clean at the edges, or the seed go on over a bed ready for it.
You can see that sequence in the photos below: a crew member working a bare, patchy backyard, and the same yard in fresh turf. The crew has done it on dirt backyards, side yards, and a gravel front yard that went to sod with the Abel's & Sons trucks parked at the curb.
Chapter 03
Watering it in, and when to call us
New turf needs steady water while it roots, and the first few weeks decide how it turns out. Keep foot traffic off it, keep the mower away until it holds firm, and do not let it dry out in the afternoon heat. If a seam is browning or a patch refuses to knit down, call early.
Ready for a new lawn in Yakima, Moxee or Naches? Call (509) 985-4603 for a free estimate. Once the lawn is in, the same crew can mow it, and the sprinkler systems page covers keeping it watered.
“Abel and Sons have taken care of our lawn for 3 years. They do a great job and are reliable and professional.” Teresa Hanses, Google review, 5 stars.
Before
AfterA bare, patchy backyard with the crew tilling it, then the same yard in new sod. See the rest of their before and afters on the work page, or ask for a free estimate.