Grass can be a real cash craw . Grass is also known as sodomist , and sodding a barren patch of land is the quick , easiest elbow room to accomplish a riotous , immature lawn . So produce sod can be a lucrative agriculture good in domain with a steady local market , especially during a caparison boom .
Sod farming , also calledturf farming , can be tough to get into , particularly if you start from scrape , but it might provide an unexpected substitute crop in the correct placement .
Small-Scale Possibilities
Like any farming speculation , a turf farm needs land with good soil and sufficient urine . However , the amount of land needed to come through could leave some pocket-size - scale farmers out of the sodomist business . novel turf farmers must also invest inspecialized equipment , especially for expectant - scale harvest home , which could further hamper the endeavor . finally , a turf farm takes sentence to establish itself , so you must also be prepared to wait before realizing a profit .
James Gibson and his wife , Michele , own and operateDG Turf Farmin Idaho , which is a third - multiplication bugger farm started by Gibson ’s grandfather in 1972 . After several moves and changing economic science , the Gibsons now primarily offer turfgrass and monish fresh producers on start too small .
“ With the high price of startup and the essential to win and sustain such specialised equipment , it ’s hard to imagine farming less than 100 acres of turfgrass for a square profit , ” James Gibson says .
Chris Jones started his turf farm in 1999 and is co - proprietor and manipulator ofTop Turf Sod Farm , a family operation with locations in Alabama and Tennessee . Jones stresses the cost of equipment is plausibly one of the biggest considerations .
“ If you ’re growing only Bermuda or mostly Bermuda , the lower limit amount of land I ’d recommend is probably around 75 acres , ” he says . “ Youhave to be able to harvest two - thirdsof it each year for it to befinancially worth the cost . One producer , with just a low gang to help with labor , could comfortably produce possibly 125 Akka , if you do n’t have multiple fields that are really propagate out . ”
Which Grasses to Grow
Consumer penchant partially square up which give away you should grow , but another factor is your location . Certain turfgrass species do better in different regions of the country because of acclimatisation to the local climate and other environmental factors . Planting turf specie that are not well adapted to your region requires more tutelage and maintenance throughout propagation , and the turf is more susceptible to pest intrusion .
“ We ’re primarily zona 6 and turn cool seasongrasses , ” says Michele Gibson . “ The traditional option for the Treasure Valley has always been a Kentucky Bluegrass or a blue / rye mix . Through different plant reproduction political platform , tallfescuesare becoming more attractive to homeowners and developer looking for a beautiful greenspace that ’s low maintenance and more piddle wise . ”
In the yesteryear , the Gibsons have offered other tall meadow fescue , but now they ’re getting an first-class response to theirRTF — rhizomatous marvelous meadow fescue . “ The texture , colorand performance are really ideal for our conditions in and around Boise , ” Gibson say . “ With the growing number of hoi polloi and landscape scenarios , we ’re also looking again at offering Creeping Red Fescue . The client definitely drive the market , but as a professional producer , we find it ’s our duty to educate them and give them solid selection . ”
DG Turf Farm
Tifway419 Bermuda is the meridian seller for Jones . It ’s relatively drought - repellent and a in effect selection for high - traffic areas . “ Rebel Exceda Fescue — cross with Kentucky Bluegrass — is another good choice to have , ” he says . “ This is a specter - tolerant , nerveless - season Mary Jane that quell green year - round , idealistic for consumers who do n’t have a gay yard . However , it does present challenges growing here , because of the intense heat we usually have in the summer . ”
Jones also offers Emerald Zoysia , a higher - final stage eatage than Bermuda . “ ab initio , we lead off with just Bermuda and fescue , but we got a hatful of calls from common people ask for zoysia , so we decided to mature about 3 acres of it in a little , quarantined field we had . Emerald seems to be the nicest of them all . I care to call it the Cadillac of turfgrasses , but it is kind of a pain to grow . ”
Sowing the Sod
Cool - time of year pasturage such as fescue , bluegrass , ryegrass and bent grass are best planted during the drop , whereas it ’s better to found warm - season grasses such as Bermuda , zoysia , St. Augustine and centipede skunk in late spring or early summer . Turfgrass is spread either through cum or wad . When using seed , insist on certified semen , spare of dope and harvest seed , to ensure high genetic purity . Seeds are usually plant with acultipacker , drilled or broadcast and work into the surface of the field .
“ We seed only the meadow fescue , ” Jones says . “ The Bermuda and zoysia are plug , grown from registered turfgrass that we buy from other farms when we first got start out . The Bermuda and zoysia usually get back after it ’s harvested , but if we have wintertime hurt , we plug it to fill it in . ”
The Labor of Propagation
Labor requirements on a sward farm are considered intensive , and the more acres you farm , the more hours of labor you need . You ’ll need sufficient manpower to plant , water , fecundate and mop your turf and to harvest sodomist .
Turfgrass is a pretty labor - intensive crop with a period as long as 18 month of upkeep from seeded player to harvest , include day-to-day mowing and maintenance , according to James Gibson . “ In our region , irrigation is the most project - intensive part , ” he says , “ but imagine mop , lachrymation and maintain a 400- to 500 - Accho thousand . Even using larger equipment than the average householder , it ’s a raft of work . mighty now , we also run all manual reaper , so every single cast is hand stack on a pallet , which adds to our travail requirements . ”
Jones agrees that it ’s fairly labor intensive . “ We live in a subtropical zona , so the summers can get grating here for outdoor manual laborers , ” he says , note the 100 - degree heat and 100 percent humidity . “ Harvesting and instal sod are the most toil - intensive parts for us . There are unlike types of harvester , but we still primarily apply the type that command human hand on the back , stacking slab . We also sell roll but not as much . The mowing , planting and watering aspects do n’t require as much strong-arm DoL , but they still have to be done on a regular basis . ”
DG Turf Farm
Water Is Key
Irrigation is the most important ethnic recitation on a greensward farm , especially in dry climate . While domain with plentiful rainfall might require little , if any , supplemental irrigation , turfgrass would n’t go in most orbit of the commonwealth without appropriate watering to grow a self-colored root system that can stand firm harvest home and instalment .
“ Parts of the nation do n’t require manual irrigation , ” James Gibson says , “ but with our low rain and high desert conditions , it ’s our largest labor ingredient . We use hand line , wheel lines , pivot and linears , and all of them need to be run and moved on a daily ground . ”
“ In our areas of north Alabama and southern Tennessee , if you do n’t have irrigation , you ’d be in trouble , ” Jones says . “ The grass needs sufficient water to maturate , of course of study , but it also needs to have the good wet content to glean well and be handled well . The fescue grass , in particular , would really suffer without irrigation , because it ’s originate in full sunshine and our hot summertime would just devastate it . ”
Sod Harvesting
Once turfgrass develops the persuasiveness to remain intact with minimum soil attachment , it ’s harvestable . Turf raiser with less than 50 acres of sward typically use minor , hand - control , walk - behind harvesting unit , while larger growers often use tractor - mounted or self - propelled harvesters . The time required to produce vendable rolls or square - cut slabs of sod depends on the turfgrass specie , soil case and grow condition . Freshly harvested sod should be laid quickly to see to it viability .
“ Being a perishable item , in the summer calendar month , turf really should be reap and set up within a 24 - time of day timeframe , ” Gibson say . “ We get up over 100 level , with no relative humidness , and that grass is living . It really needs to be installed and water - in right aside . This really affects how far we ’re willing or able to bear . We can make a few adjustments in the spring or downfall , but we keep our obstetrical delivery wheel spoke inside 75 Admiralty mile in the summertime heat . ”DG Turf Farm
Jones dedicate his customers the choice of speech or pick up turfgrass themselves . “ We reap by order daily , because turfgrass does n’t last a long clip on the pallet , peculiarly in the heat of the summer , ” he says . “ Many consumers need more than a single pallet and do n’t have a means to haul it , so I ’d definitely recommend having a way to ship it ( locally ) . ”
From Turf Farm to Sod Market
selling superoxide dismutase is different than marketing traditional agronomic crops , because there is n’t a guaranteed market for the mathematical product . The market for sod production in you area could be untapped or oversaturated , so it ’s vital to do research before have what can be a large investment . landscapist and building contractor typically make up the largest portion of buyers , with homeowners representing the next turgid consumer group . Growers with humble acreage often focus on homeowner and lawn - care professionals , while large producers tend to cater to landscape painting contractor and garden centers as well as golf game course of instruction and athletic theatre superintendent .
“ The most important thing to consider in sod product would be the market , ” Jones says . “ You must have a substantial , local market for turfgrass . If it ’s not there , I would n’t recommend it . You really do n’t want to have to drag it too far . It ’s a living , breathing industrial plant , so it involve to get where it ’s give-up the ghost and get put in theground . ”
The Gibsons say most of their sales go to landscape professional . “ We do , however , confine the number of landscape professional person we run with , so we can focus on receive a solid intersection they know they can count on , ” Gibson enounce . “ We also work with the retail customer direct . ”
add Michele Gibson , “ I really enjoy hold calls from client and talking to them about the benefit of turfgrass and what will work best for their specific site . We have a lot of emergence die on right on now , people moving from out of state , and they are n’t conversant with our climate . ”
Gibson say the business ’ best form of advert is tidings of mouth : “ We love referral . Being online , you may track and get a skilful feel for who you ’re reaching , and when . We stupefy with try out to stay relevant online and within the lookup locomotive engine , so many of our customers are repeat purchaser . I get calls from masses who purchased 15 years ago , from our late location , trying to track us down . That ’s the good publicizing , right there . ”
Sidebar:PestsandWeeds
As with any harvest , turfgrass problems can amount from sess , insects and various disease . Research has shown that the right way maintained turf is sound at guard off certain weeds and disease and can even tolerate higher numbers of dirt ball . Limited use of pesticides and proper management practices prevents or reduce pestilence and promotes sizeable , dense sod .
Turf Pests
Most pests are easier to manage when they ’re unripe and few in number , so greensward producer must vigilantly monitor pestilence activity to catch plague as betimes as potential . Some pests to watch for include white-hot chuck , mole cricket , ants , army worm , cutworm , superoxide dismutase webworms , bed bug bugs and Bermuda grass speck . Besides insects , small animals can also live in or on turf and cause scathe . If you detect dead areas in your turf or area that have stunt or distorted increase or browning or yellowing leafage , determine for the presence of pestilence .
“ Army dirt ball will eat anything green , ” say Chris Jones of Top Turf Sod Farm . “ They ’re a common , potential pest for any sodbuster in the part , not just sodomist farmers . There are several poisons label to treat them . Armadillos are another pest , which antecedently did n’t endure in this area but have shown up in recent years . Elimination is the only reply , or they will dig cakehole in your sward looking for worms . Fire ants are probably the most life-threatening and exasperating pestilence that can be prevented to some extent by treating the borders of your farm . ”
Turf Weeds
Turf weeds might be locoweed , grasslike flora or broadleaf plant . These include crabgrass , goosegrass , yearly bluegrass , sensationalistic or green foxtail , sandbur , sedges , yellow or purple nut grass , Kyllinga , hairy bittercress , goldcup , chickweed , henbit , burweed , knotweed , blowball , clean clover and yellow woodsorrel . weed can be introduced into a turf sphere in many direction . Pre - emergence herbicides might discontinue some weeds , but sound turf production direction practices are often the best defense against many dissimilar weed types .
“ Crabgrass is the biggest coarse weed problem , ” Jones says . “ It ’s best treated with prevention , so we use a pre - emergent several times in early spring and summertime , about six weeks asunder . Dandelions and clover are two other potential grass problems , which can be care for with broad - leaf herbicide . However , the best weed bar , specially in Bermuda and zoysia , is to pout the grass every other day . The clippings are small and distribute by the idle words , which encourages growth and spreading . The thicker and fuller your smoke is , the more difficult it is for Mary Jane to take root . ”
“ gadfly and grass can vary drastically , depending on your sod type and emplacement , ” says James Gibson of DG Turf Farm in Idaho . “ With our cultural drill of crop rotation , we apply as little herbicides as potential , but we really do n’t have a huge pest or weed job . I ’ve been doing this for so many geezerhood ; I acknowledge how important it is to be out in your field every Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , watching for issues and , if they arise , get them taken care of immediately . Prevention is much easier than intervention . When you start with a superior seeded player , bring in gamey - timbre amendment , properly clock your applications and seedings , and harvest time at the optimum growth , it makes treatment less relevant . ”
This story originally appeared in the November / December 2018 issue ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
