How to Mow Your Lawn Less (Yes, Really!)

Summer brings beautiful weather, fun outdoor activities, and… yardwork! Are you tired of spending your limited summer free time mowing your lawn instead of sitting by a pool or enjoying lunch on a patio with friends? Maybe you have kids in sports that take most of your free time and your lawn looks overgrown. We have some good news for you: Being smart about yard care can help you maintain a beautiful, healthy lawn with less effort. B&B Hoffman Sod has put together a guide to help you spend less time mowing and more time enjoying your summer!

Choose the Right Grass Variety

Selecting a grass type that is well-suited to your climate can reduce the amount of mowing required. B&B Hoffman Sod’s premium Kentucky Bluegrass is an ideal choice for our erratic Midwest climate!

Mow High

Keeping your lawn mower blades set higher (around 3 inches) allows the grass to grow thicker, which shades the soil and reduces weed growth. Taller grass also holds moisture better, reducing the need for frequent mowing.

Use a Mulching Mower

Mulching mowers produce clippings that decompose quickly and return nutrients to the soil. This reduces the amount of waste to dispose of and helps your lawn grow more heartily – potentially reducing the need for frequent mowing.

Regular Aeration

Aerating your lawn helps to alleviate soil compaction, improve water and nutrient absorption, and encourage deeper root growth. Healthier grass can grow more evenly and require less frequent mowing.

Water Wisely

Watering deeply and less frequently encourages deeper root growth and a more resilient lawn. Shallow watering can lead to shallow roots and a lawn that grows more quickly and needs more frequent mowing.

Fertilize Right

Fertilizing your lawn is a must, but did you know that over-fertilizing can lead to rapid growth and more mowing? Use a fertilizer with slow-release nutrients to keep growth steady and manageable. 

Watch the Weather

Avoid watering during the hottest parts of the day to minimize evaporation. High temps also make it hard for your lawn to absorb the nutrients in the fertilizer so save the 90º days for the pool, not for fertilizing your lawn. 

 

Following these tips can help you maintain a beautiful, healthy lawn with less effort. If you decide you still don’t want to spend the few free hours you have out in the yard, there’s no shame in outsourcing! Hire a lawn care service, find an entrepreneurial teenaged neighbor, or invest in a robotic lawn mower to minimize your time doing yardwork and maximize your time doing something fun. 

If your lawn is looking patchy and bare call 763-434-6572 or email sales@bbhoffmansod.com to see how our premium Kentucky Bluegrass seed or sod can make all the difference in your yard!



Get Your Yard Ready To Host Summer Events!

Get your yard ready for summer events with B&B Hoffman Sod Farms

Minnesota summers are perfect for hosting outdoor gatherings like weddings, graduation parties, birthday parties, and family reunions. When you host an event in your backyard, it becomes the backdrop where memories are created and treasured. If your lawn is looking patchy or bare, laying sod is a great way to quickly establish a lush, green backdrop for an outdoor event. If you’re unsure about when you should start or what you need to do to get your lawn ready, B&B Hoffman Sod is here to help make your yard the ideal backdrop for hosting. Here are the most important things to consider for making your outdoor space the best it can be on the big day:

Timing

Ideally, you should lay sod at least 2-3 weeks before the event. Allowing enough time before your gathering allows the sod roots to establish themselves in the soil, giving it a better chance to withstand foot traffic and activities during the event.

 

Preparation 

Before laying sod, prepare the soil thoroughly by leveling it, removing any debris, and adding any necessary soil amendments or fertilizers. Ensure the soil is moist but not overly soggy.

 

Weather 

Aim to lay sod during mild weather conditions, typically in spring or early fall when temperatures are cooler. Avoid laying sod during extreme heat or cold, as these conditions can stress the sod and affect its establishment.

 

Watering 

Immediately after laying sod, it’s crucial to water it thoroughly to help it settle and initiate root growth. Keep the sod consistently moist in the following weeks, adjusting watering frequency based on weather conditions.

 

Mowing and Maintenance 

Avoid cutting more than one-third of the grass blade at a time to prevent stress on the newly established sod.

 

High-Traffic Areas 

If possible, restrict heavy foot traffic on newly laid sod until it has firmly rooted into the soil. Consider using temporary pathways or stepping stones to minimize damage in high-traffic areas.

 

If you’re planning to host an outdoor event and unsure about the timing or process of laying your sod, reach out to us at B&B Hoffman Sod Farms! We can provide the guidance you need to ensure your lawn is perfect for your event. Our beautiful Kentucky Blue Grass and expert knowledge will make your lawn a stunning backdrop for your special occasion.


Springtime Sod in Minnesota

Minnesotans were lucky to experience a warm and mostly dry winter over the last few months rather than the bitter cold and snow we are used to. Now that spring is here, many of us are realizing that our lawns weren’t as happy as we were with the warmer temps and lack of snow. If your lawn is looking bare or patchy, consider laying new sod or reseeding the bare spots.

If your lawn is only bare in a few small areas, B&B Hoffman Sod Farm has high-quality fertilizer and seed available for our customers. This is the same seed and fertilizer we use on our premium sod fields, so you can be assured that your new grass will look beautiful as it comes in.

Larger bare areas may be harder to seed. Wind, heavy rain, children, and pets can blow away or damage freshly laid seed and fertilizer. If you need to grow large areas of grass, you should skip the seed this spring and contact B&B Hoffman Sod Farm for a quote on high-quality Kentucky Bluegrass Sod. Our sod is bred to be dark green, soft, and durable to withstand harsh climates. 

An added bonus to installing sod – freeing up your weekends! Weeds love to grow in areas where grass is thin or sparse. The sod grown at B&B Hoffman Sod Farm is carefully managed, fertilized regularly, and watered as necessary to produce grass that is resistant to weeds. Less weeds = less yardwork time!

Now is the perfect time to seed or sod your lawn. Contact B&B Hoffman Sod Farm to ask about our seed, fertilizer, or sod. Our beautiful grass is available for delivery or pick up, in big and small rolls for any size job.

Tips on How to Plan Your Dream Lawn

This Minnesota snow has me daydreaming of days spent outside soaking up the summer sun. But, since there is still snow on the ground it is a great time to start daydreaming and planning your ideal lawn.

Designing a lawn is like designing any part of your landscape. You will need to consider how you plan to use the space and what your needs are. Here are a few tips for designing your perfect lawn.

Using the space: ‘how do you use the lawn?’ If you have kids, they’re going to want a large open, grassy area to kick the ball or play catch. While, if you’re an older couple, you may prefer just enough grass to provide an open, clean look to occasionally entertain on.

Initial installation: In comparison to planter beds or patios, a lawn can be inexpensive to install. That being said, a larger lawn will require more resources which has an impact on price. If you are debating on what to start your lawn with check out this resource on sod vs. seed.

Proximity to your home: Lawn can double as a great pathway or entertaining area, it is nice to have lush green grass just off your patio or back door to expand the usable space in your landscape.

Maintenance: A beautiful lawn requires mowing, edging, fertilizing, aeration, and occasional weed control to keep it looking lush. If you start your lawn out by laying sod, you will have an instant lawn with mature density and a solid root system. While a lawn that is started with seed can take two to three years of dedicated work to mature. 

Drainage: Sod or seed won’t grow in an area that is constantly pooling with water. If you have an area of your property that is known to have bad drainage be sure to create a drainage system first.

Highlight your garden: A carpet of green lawn looks beautiful surrounding a garden. The openness of a grassy area makes a good visual contrast to the varied shapes and colors of trees and shrubs.

The Minnesota winter is a great time to start planning your dream yard. Follow these tips and head to Pinterest for some inspiration. 

When you’re ready to chat about starting your lawn out with sod reach out to B&B Hoffman Sod, we would love to help! Turfgrass sod creates a soft, clean, and safe playing surface for children and pets, provides a great environment for lawn games, and improves family entertaining.

Early Autumn Lawn Care Tips

As temperatures begin to cool and leaves fall, autumn brings ideal conditions to care for your lawn. Before thinking about dusting off that snowblower, here are a few tips to ensure your lawn will be beautiful next spring.

Lay Sod. If you’ve been waiting to lay sod, now is the time to do so. Cool temperatures and regular rainfall allows sod to retain moisture and root quickly. Since we are experiencing a rather hot fall so far, plan to install sod on an overcast day to avoid stress on the plant. Prepare your soil by removing debris on the surface and filling in any small holes. Use a rake to loosen the soil and add any topsoil you may need. Apply the sod in a brick-like pattern, using a utility knife to fit the sod together tightly. Once the sod is in place water it immediately. Typically, it takes sod 2-3 weeks to root completely; avoid mowing until roots are strong, approximately 14 days after installation.

Let your soil breathe. Aerate your existing lawns in the cooler fall season to reap the benefits year round. Aeration creates small holes into the soil, either by using a spike or a machine to remove a core of grass and soil from the lawn. Benefits of aerating are: stronger grass roots, reduced water runoff, improved air exchange between the soil, and less susceptibility to disease. Increase root growth by allowing your grass to breath and minimizing thatch build up by aerating prior to applying a fall fertilizer.

Apply fall fertilizer. While many homeowners may think fertilizer should be applied in the spring, fall is an ideal time to refresh your lawn before going dormant in the winter. Fall fertilization will assist in storing food and ensuring strong roots throughout the winter, and greener grass after the spring thaw. Apply fertilizer around the first week in October for best results.

Purchase sod and winterizing fertilizer from B&B Hoffman Sod Farms in Elk River. To learn more about us and products we offer, visit us online or call 763-434-6572.

Everything to Know about Kentucky Bluegrass

Kentucky Bluegrass is one of the most beautiful varieties of lawn grass out there. When given its preferred growing conditions, this grass produces a dense, lush, green lawn that lives up to its reputation. KBG is known as one of the more durable varieties on the market, making it a perfect choice for yards with high traffic, pets, or kids. Here is a guide on what to expect when choosing Kentucky Bluegrass sod for your lawn.

Physical properties of Kentucky Bluegrass. KBG is a cool-season lawn grass that is a great fit for northern climates with warm to hot summers but cold winters. It is a premier sod choice for Minnesota homeowners due to these properties. The easiest method of identifying KBG is to look at the tip of the blade of grass. Each KBG blade resembles the shape of a canoe boat, where it is tapered off at the top and bottom.

Kentucky Bluegrass Maintenance. 

  • Watering and drought tolerance: Bluegrass has the natural ability to survive several weeks or longer of drought. KBG has a shallow root system, so if it doesn’t rain, it will need to be watered a couple of times a week during the summer to keep it green.
  •  Fertilization: Use a blend of fertilizer similar to 5-14-42 during the summer (every 6 weeks after sod is installed), and when you winterize your yard use 20-10-10.
  • Mowing: Start mowing your sod 7-10 days after installation at 2-2 1/2 inches.
  • Weed prevention: Spray with a weed killer as you see fit. If you see weeds starting, take care of them as soon as possible to prevent spreading.

Have more questions? Reach out. We are available to help answer your questions regarding Kentucky Bluegrass or sod! Just give us a call or send us a message. We are committed to growing a superior product at a low price, and we pride ourselves on impeccable customer service.

How to Get Your Yard in Shape Before Summer’s Outdoor Activities

Spring is the perfect time to get your yard back in shape after the long winter. As we turn our attention to lawn care, rather than snow removal, it is time to patch dead grass areas, de-thatch, and fertilize. Check out our easy pro tips on improving the appearance of your yard.

De-Thatch to Encourage Growth. Thatch is simply the layer of dead grass, roots, and debris that accumulates between the soil surface and the green grass blades above. It can form a thick mat that prevents water and air from reaching the soil. To prevent this, de-thatching should be done once a year in the early spring, usually in April. If your lawn gets too green and too thick, it’s too late to de-thatch. De-thatching, which can be done to smaller lawns with a special rake, allows you to get the thatch out of the grass, allowing air to get at the base of the plant and gives it a healthy start in the spring after a long winter. Those with larger lawns may choose to rent a dethatching machine, which is similar in appearance to a push lawn mower.

Replenish your lawn with fertilizer. Fertilizers are important to lawn care because they can expedite plant growth. Fertilizers make plants and crops grow more quickly and appear greener, fuller and healthier- we suggest using a blend low in nitrogen and high in potash. Most nutrients for your lawn are water-soluble and, over time through rain or irrigation, the water will carry nutrients out of your lawn and leave it nutrient deficient. An unhealthy lawn is susceptible to disease, and fertilizer can replenish those nutrients and keep your lawn healthy.

Repair or replace your lawn with sod. B&B Hoffman Sod Farms can help get your yard back in shape with its supply of fertilizer. But for new lawns, sod is an excellent option to jump-start the growing process because it gives you an immediate green lawn with mature density and a solid root system. Lawns established with turfgrass sod are an immediate joy and source of pride, while lawns started with seed, sprigs, or plugs take from 2 to 3 years of constant work to mature. In an instant, turfgrass sod creates a soft, clean, and safe playing surface for children, lawn games, and family entertainment. 

Spring is a great time to sod, allowing you to take advantage of our rainy season to help with watering. The cool temperatures also help with keeping on top of watering. B&B Hoffman Sod Farms in Elk River provides easy-to-use small rolls that make laying turfgrass yourself easy and efficient. There is no expensive machinery needed, making Small Sod Rolls the do-it-yourselfers product of choice.

To learn more about spring lawn care and the products that B&B Hoffman Sod Farms offers, visit them online at bbhoffmansodev.wpengine.com or call 763-434-6572.

Be Prepared for Leaves

Minnesota offers beautiful fall colors every year but it also means- leaves, leaves everywhere! They can be a hassle, but these tips will help you deal with them this fall.

No one enjoys the back-breaking work of raking. Here is how you can get the job over quickly:

  • Let gravity help you out by raking leaves downhill if possible.
  • Skip raking and move straight to mowing. Chopped leaves can allow for vital nutrients to return to the soil.  
  • Use a leaf blower to create piles to pick up and bag.

Homeowners want to avoid more than 10-20% of their grass to be covered in leaves when the snow falls. Excessive leaf matter going into winter may smother the grass and inhibit growth, as well as promote mold diseases, and encourage turf damage from critters like voles and mice.

Is it beneficial for your lawn to spend time raking and bagging leaves, or should you plan on mowing over everything and mulching the rest? Or simply leave them be?

Raking. Improve your arm strength by raking (or using a leaf blower) to gather a pile, then bag for disposal, or deliver to a compost site. Depending on the size of your lawn and number of trees on site, this may take an hour or a full day. In order to rake efficiently, lawns should be dry and trimmed. Additional bag fees or compost facility charges may deter people from going this route, but the excitement of jumping in a large leaf pile has its benefits too.

Mowing and mulching. Chopping grass and leaves into small pieces (also known as mulching) so they incorporate into your lawn canopy via a lawnmower benefits the soil in a number of ways. Nutrients and organic matter may add nitrogen to the lawn and assist in root growth. Some leaf types have even been shown to reduce weed germination over time. Mulching may require more frequent mowing in the fall, but specialized attachments and mulching mowers can also be purchased to make this job easier.

Leaving it be. If you have no trees and the wind blows away more than 10% of your lawn coverage, you may be off the hook for raking and mowing. Use your extra time wisely before the Minnesota winter hits!

Consult with our experts, purchase sod and find winterizing fertilizer at B&B Hoffman Sod Farms in Elk River by visiting us online or calling 763-434-6572.

Avoid These Common Fall Lawn Care Mistakes

Even though the temperatures are starting to drop, it’s important not to abandon lawn care yet! Help ensure that your lawn is healthy and beautiful this spring by avoiding these common fall lawn care mistakes. 

Leaving Fallen Leaves

Minnesota autumn brings a vibrant display of leaves in hues of red and orange that are beautiful to view. However, once these leaves fall to the ground it can set your lawn up for trouble. You may be tempted to ignore them but too much leaf cover can suffocate your grass and prevent oxygen from reaching its roots. Leaf cover can also trap moisture and prevent oxygen from reaching your lawn, creating a good environment for lawn disease to thrive. Cleaning up fallen leaves or mulching them with your mower will help promote your lawn’s health.

Watering as Usual

As the weather gets cooler and the days grow shorter, your lawn will not need as much supplemental water to survive. Cutting back on how much you water in the fall will help prevent fungal growth and prepare your lawn for winter. However, if you have just installed your sod make sure you are watering adequately. Water your new sod every day for 1 week and long enough so that when you step onto the sod it’s squishy. Then after one week, (in the fall only) you can water every other or every three days; just don’t let it dry out.  Squishy isn’t necessary.  

Forgetting to Fertilize

While many homeowners may think fertilizer should be applied in the spring, fall is an ideal time to refresh your lawn before going dormant in the winter. Fall fertilization will assist in storing food and ensuring strong roots throughout the winter, and greener grass after the spring thaw. Apply fertilizer around the first week in October for the best results. We recommend a blend of 20-10-10, which can be purchased at our shop.

DON’T Avoid Planning Ahead for Spring

If you’ve been holding off until spring to lay sod, there is still time yet this year. Cool temperatures and regular rainfall this time of year encourages our natural sod grass to retain moisture. Consult with our experts, purchase sod, and find winterizing fertilizer at B&B Hoffman Sod Farms in Elk River by visiting us online or calling 763-434-6572.

Can I Install Sod in the Fall? Learn What you Need to Do

Your time outside this summer may have you planning for how you can update your lawn for next year. If your grass is on the list for an upgrade, why not start this fall?! Due to the warm weather, it is often thought that summer is the best time to install sod, but this isn’t true! Sod can be installed at any time throughout the growing season. However, there are a couple of factors to consider when installing sod in the fall. 

Cool fall temperatures.

Fall usually brings cooler temperatures and the occasional rainfall. Not only are these cooler temperatures easier on your new grass, but it is also easier on you or the laborer laying the sod. By laying sod in fall weather, you have less risk of your sod overheating. You still have to water your lawn regularly, but you will need less water as it isn’t evaporating as quickly. You can still be successful when laying sod in the summer, however, summertime is usually busier and if you’re planning on going to the cabin every weekend, it is probably best to wait for the fall to lay sod. 

When is it too late to Install?

It’s never too late to install sod if we can harvest it in our fields. There are some things to keep in mind when it comes to watering your sod. If you are blowing out your irrigation system, you will still need a water source (think garden hose & sprinklers). If it’s JUST before winter, give it a good soaking and if it freezes it will go dormant and take off in the spring. However, if it warms up again you may need to drag out the hose/sprinklers. This usually occurs in the late October/early November timeframe. We do harvest sod up until the ground is frozen or the snow is too deep, but the rule of thumb is to try and have your project done by end of October as our Minnesota November weather is very unpredictable.

Fall is a great time to lay sod. Follow these steps when installing and caring for your sod in the fall, and don’t forget to fertilize your lawn (mid-October) with a 20-10-10. If you have any questions regarding the installation of sod feel free to contact us at 763-434-8231.