I dont know anything about "Northern" turf, but that just looks like crap.

 

There are a number of factors that could of caused the sod to look that bad. Find out who your neighbor uses and go with them if they have somebody.

 

I dont know anything about "Northern" turf, but that just looks like crap.

I totally agree with the "it looks like crap part"

I did have a creeping red fescue/kentucky blue/rye yard when I lived in Lake George NY and that is what the parts that were ravaged by white grubs looked like.

I am sure it is not grub damage since there has not been any time to root but go out and pull a piece of the totally browned out stuff up and see if it is in fact dead or dormant. It looks dead to my eyes. I may be wrong but I don't think it would be a good idea to try to re-sod until spring. But don't let the contractor off the hook on this if it was old sod or something.

Good Luck,
Brian

 

I put mine down about 2.5 weeks ago and it looks nothing like that. I am not sure but it doesnt appear to be placed very well. What type sod is it? I will email pictures of my install tomorrow.

You might also try cutting it as long as it has rooted. It will look much better cut.

 

Thank you for your replies so far. cgaengineer, I believe the grass is kentucky blue grass (grade A). As for cutting it, I don't think that is possible as the grass has not yet rooted at all. I was thinking of having the contractor redo the sod.

 

Looks to me like the piles of sod dried out too much before it was put down and not watered as it was being installed. It should have been rolled or at least pressed down when it was installed and watered very soon to get good sod root contact to the soil. Try picking up the edges of the sod in different areas to see if any roots have started to set into the top soil. Anything that is loose I would say is gone. It needs water often to keep from drying out. What sort of time frame did the installer give you as for it starting to grow? Or for it to be replaced? Did you pay for this job or was it part of the building project? Good Luck..........

 

gene, I picked up the edges of a bunch of pieces and the roots have not started to set yet, but the ground is nice and wet and so is the sod. It rained pretty good today. The sod also smells pretty bad. I know they grow it in peet, but the smell is very strong. The installer said that it may go dormant now if it gets colder outside but will look fine in the spring. I don't really want to wait until the spring to find out. No I have not paid for the job yet. I just want to make sure that I have a valid complaint here and that this is not normal and that asking for it to be replaced is not out of line.

 

I would tell him I would pay him in the spring, when it looks fine!

 

I would tell him I would pay him in the spring, when it looks fine!

This sounds good, if you pay now he will never come back out if its dead. I like how when I moved into my house the builder tossed some fescue seed out and told me it would grow and spread...the only thing that spread was the crabgrass!

 

It almost looks like when they got the sod it sat around for awhile (day or two) the weather got hot and when they laid it it was starting to decline. If it was hot the day they laid it I'll guarentee if the sod was in this state it got smoked and dried out. This is not normal and for a contractor to tell you it will be OK is full of it. I'd be ashamed if I did work like that. I'd be asking for a refund or redoing my lawn.

 

I don't even do landscaping and can tell thats soo wrong. I wouldn't pay for it thats for sure.

 

This is a terrible job! The sod was eithier dead or dying when it was laid. It probably could have used more than 20 min. from a head. Next time get out and handwater. Don't pay for a thing!!!

 

Its just plain dead.

 

gene, I picked up the edges of a bunch of pieces and the roots have not started to set yet, but the ground is nice and wet and so is the sod. It rained pretty good today. The sod also smells pretty bad. I know they grow it in peet, but the smell is very strong. The installer said that it may go dormant now if it gets colder outside but will look fine in the spring. I don't really want to wait until the spring to find out. No I have not paid for the job yet. I just want to make sure that I have a valid complaint here and that this is not normal and that asking for it to be replaced is not out of line.

Get it replaced now so the new turf will have time to set roots. Going dormant is one thing, but if there are no roots under the sod pieces now then its dead. I'm not familuar with your area but I would still guess that your leaves are not off the trees and your neighbors grass is still growing.

 

the sod is dead. if you just had it installed, there is no way that it should look that bad. one purpose of sod is for instant impact. even when sod is dormant, it won't be completely brown.

from the picture, the prep work also looks pretty bad. was the soil level, and free of rocks and debris? roots will not grow into the soil, if there is not good contact between the base of the sod and the top of the ground.

Don't pay for anything. As others said, the sod was dead when they installed it. Once cut at the farm, you need to lay it in a day or two max. Leaving it rolled up on a pallet, its going to dry out pretty quickly. Also, if you had temps in the 80's or 90's and it was left in the sun, the sod would toast alot more quickly. As for watering, the sod needs to stay moist as well as your existing ground. You don't want puddles or standing water under the sod, but it needs to stay damp until rooted.

Did you have a contract for the work, and is there anything in there to get rid of the contractor or void the contract. The contractors work really does not seem on the up and up, and I would be very concerned if he actually believed this sod would come back.

I would get a new, reputable contractor to redo the whole project.

 

I can explain why the sod looks the way it does. If you notice the outer edges of the sod are green and the rest is brown. That occurs when left on the pallet to long. The ends of sod on the outside of the pallet stay green as they are exposed to any sun, moisture etc. The insides of the sod die as they get no exposure to sun, air or moisture. When the sod is taken off the pallet and laid you get the look you have.

 

It is possible that when the sod was cut and put on the pallet that it could have sat for several days before it was delivered. This would not be the contractors fault. I have had this happen before. You will have a heck of a time proving this but what I was told by other sod farms is that when someone places a large order and the sod is cut ....the one who placed the order sometimes cancels. The sod farm people dont want to loose this money so it may sit untill some poor contractor calls up and orders some and guess what he gets....you guessed it the ones that have been sitting. Its to bad its cooling off cause this could have been ok.

 

If the sod smells bad it meant it was sitting on palletts to long. the sod gets hot rolled up and the nitrogen form the grass starts to get depleted. If it smells than it is a goner!

 

wow, hope you haven't payed for that. Sod sat to long after being cut.
If you have paid for it hit it with a 19-19-19 fert and increase watering to twice a day for about 30-40 minutes, you might see some come back. I can't believe someone told you that its ok.

 

I put down some bermuda that was left in our subdivision that had molded and it came back. It had sat on the pallets for several weeks (The edges that had sunlight were green and the rest was slimey and molded) and the builder said take it. There is a chance that it will come back, but then again since its not bermuda I wouldnt hold my breath.

 

WOW that is one of the saddest looking sod installs I have ever seen not only does it look dead but it also looks very uneven and bumpy. I would have to agree probably sat rolled up to long.

 

That doesn't even look like sod. It looks like those little $1 cheap door mats that are woven together and thin ass paper where just thrown all over your lawn after soaking up a spill in the kitchen.

 

Thank you everyone for your help and opinions. It has really been a help and gave me the insight to deal with this situation. I have now had a chance to speak with the installer and the sod farm. It looks like the sod sat out too long last week during our 3 days of 90 degree temps. And as most of you guessed that is what did it. Also, I have not paid for the sod yet.
Anyway, I spoke with the installer this morning and he has agreed to take out the existing sod and replace it with brand new fresh sod.

 

Well that is great, too bad he didnt get the first load put down in time...what a waste!

 

Nice to see him step up and do the right thing. It looked like it had sat somewhere to long then got rolled out on a hot day. Being an x golf super we would run into these problems with people delivering sod after it's been cut and did not get to us right away. Good luck with the re-install and post a new pic.