How is sod harvested?

Cultivating sod for our clients requires patience, time, and attention to detail. B & B Hoffman crews work tirelessly to grow turf that is healthy, robust, and free from weeds so when planted in its final destination it compliments any home, workplace, or recreation area.

With several farms located in central Minnesota locations, we help ensure a fruitful season by offering a variety of terrain and temperature. Our Kentucky Bluegrass is fertilized regularly and mowed every other day to produce thick, full turf. Sod is harvested 12-16 months after planting when the ground is not frozen (in our case, typically April through November).

Sod is harvested in the morning while the temperature is low, therefore increasing the shelf life of the product. Our specially designed sod harvesting machine lifts strips of sod out of the earth like long rolls of carpet, removing both the sod and roots and some of the underlying soil so the root system stays in place. It is rolled into two sizes for purchase at our Elk River location, or available for delivery throughout the Midwest.

To see more photos and videos, or learn more about the products B&B Hoffman Sod Farms offers, visit us online at bbhoffmansod.com/gallery/, or call 763-434- 6572.

 

 

5 Reasons to Choose Sod over Seed

If you’re dealing with a yard that is dirt or a lawn on its last legs, you might be weighing the pros and cons of sodding versus seeding. You may already know that seeding will save you money in the short term but the fact is, it will cost you extra time while potentially not saving you as much money as you expect. It is very labor-intensive and can go sideways easily if you’re not diligent. 

Five main reasons you should choose sod over seed:

Rapid Growth. Overseeding takes a full growing season to establish, but sod establishes within a couple of weeks and doesn’t have to deal with some of the pitfalls over overseeding. 

Instant Lawn. One of the best aspects of sod is that it provides an instant lush green lawn. Within a few hours, turfgrass sod transforms a yard from bare soil to a living carpet of grass with mature density and a solid root system that looks great instantly.

Environment Friendly. Turf grass sod cleans the air and helps recharge our groundwater supply. Grass blades take in carbon dioxide and the worst atmospheric pollutants and gives back pure oxygen making it one of nature’s finest, least expensive filters, working to improve the environment.

Resistant to Weeds. Sod is excellent at outcompeting weeds due to being pre-established and carefully managed. The grass grown at B&B Hoffman Sod Farm is fertilized regularly and irrigated as necessary to produce beautiful, strong grass that withstands unsightly problems such as weeds.

Weather Resistant. The other main problem with overseeding is that it is vulnerable to inclement weather. High winds and heavy rains can completely destroy your freshly-laid seed before it has a chance to begin establishing, wasting your time and money in the blink of an eye. Because sod is fully mature the day it’s installed, it can immediately control erosion and flooding even on steeply sloped areas, as it sinks down roots rapidly.

If you have a yard renovation on your mind or sod need for 2022, give B&B Hoffman Sod Farm a call for a quote on high-quality Kentucky Bluegrass Sod. Each piece is grown in uniform thickness and bred to be dark green, soft, and durable to withstand harsh climates. We are proud to grow about 600 acres of natural grass every year, available for delivery or pick up, in big and small rolls for any size job.

Invest in Our Sod for Your Commercial Projects

We love connecting with Landscape Business Owners at home and garden expos, as well as maintaining our long-standing relationships over coffee, while planning for the upcoming season. If you are planning large projects or investing in a new commercial operation, consider these three reasons when choosing B&B Hoffman Sod for your landscaping supplier needs.

Soil Consistency. As a family-run company deeply rooted in the natural grass growing business, we are committed to producing the best Kentucky Bluegrass turf in Minnesota. Our natural grass is grown in several areas within the north/northwest metro area of Minnesota, offering a slight variation in temperature and terrain to ensure a fruitful season. Upon delivery, you will notice about an inch of consistent, well-textured soil, to help the roots stay strong as they are transplanted in your lawn or commercial property. A strong base of consistent soil will allow the grass enough root support to keep them in place and continue to thrive.

Regular Maintenance. Everyone enjoys a lush, emerald green lawn! Our natural grass is fertilized regularly and irrigated as necessary to produce beautiful, strong grass. Our sod is produced to withstand drought conditions and avoid wilting, browning, or unsightly problems such as crabgrass. Our technicians take great pride in mowing every field, every other day. It is one of the most important parts of the growing process, as mowing stimulates root growth. After each field is mowed, we follow up with a roller to compact the soil and counteract any tire marks.

Proper Harvesting. Our natural grass is planted in late summer and harvested about 12-16 months after planting to ensure a hardy root structure. Sod is harvested at the peak of maturity when the ground isn’t frozen–usually April to November. We prefer to harvest in the morning, so the ground temperature (and therefore the sod temperature) is lower, increasing the shelf life of the product. You will notice our natural grass holds moisture at the roots and is a bright, consistent color, indicating a high-quality sod.

We are proud to grow about 600 acres of natural grass every year, available for delivery or pick up, in big and small rolls for any size job. To learn more about  B&B Hoffman Sod Farms and our family business, visit us online at bbhoffmansod.com or call 763-434- 6572.

Planning a Backyard Wedding but Your Lawn isn’t Ready?

Tis’ the season of holiday engagements and wedding planning! Even though we are just entering Minnesota’s long winter, we know plans for summer celebrations are already underway. If you’re thinking about hosting a wedding in your yard or maybe a graduation party, but your lawn isn’t ready to be shown off, let B&B Hoffman Sod help you out.

Here are a few tips to avoid problems while still enjoying a beautiful backyard wedding:

Lay sod down: Most homeowners would agree that they want a lush green lawn to greet guests. But we know that goal means endless time spent fertilizing, weeding, and watering your grass. However, you could simply order sod and get immediate results that will be sure to wow your guests. Sod will also save you time, reducing pre-wedding stress!

Cover parts of your lawn: If your sod hasn’t had a lot of time to establish roots (usually just need 10-12 days), add a layer of protection over high-traffic areas. For instance, a dance floor provides a solid surface for guests to use and will minimize high heels sinking into your lawn. We suggest you remove any coverings from your lawn as soon as possible so your new sod can continue to receive much-needed sunlight, oxygen, and water. 

Put up natural barriers: Maybe you want your guests to avoid your newly sodded yard all together! We suggest installing a well-defined pathway that guests will naturally gravitate toward. You can also use large pots of flowers or grasses to block off parts of the yard.

When Minnesota’s winter lifts and the snow melts, the first step to preparing your yard for the big day is to green up your lawn. At B&B Hoffman Sod, we provide durable low-maintenance kentucky bluegrass that creates a soft, clean, and safe surface in an instant.

Prevent Winter Damage from Moles & Voles

Moles and voles don’t hibernate over the winter, they simply dig deeper tunnels to escape the cold. The Minnesota snow cover combined with our tendency to go outside less often in the winter makes their tunnels much harder to see; giving the illusion of hibernation. You can avoid the nasty surprise of tunneled lawns in the spring and prevent winter damage from burrowing pests by taking a few precautionary steps this fall.

Signs of Mole or Vole Damage

Determining which pesty pest is tearing up your lawn will dictate which preventative measures you should take.

  • Mole Damage Signs: 
    • Mole hills: mounds of dirt that mark where a mole excavated dirt.
    • Feeding tunnels: long tracks of slightly raised earth.
  • Vole Damage Signs: 
    • Tracks of dead grass: voles will eat some grass roots, and roots from flowers and veggies.
    • Small holes in the ground: small holes about an inch across, in your yard, or at the base of shrubs indicate a surfacing vole.

Three Ways to Prevent Mole and Vole Damage During the Winter

  • Don’t mulch too early: mulch is a great tool when you’re trying to protect plants from cold weather. Mulch is also, unfortunately, popular with voles. Instead of putting mulch down in early fall, wait until the first frost to apply your mulch. Waiting a little bit may convince an interested vole to set up home somewhere else for the winter.
  • Install barriers: common barriers include lining the bottom and sides of your beds with hardware cloth to prevent moles and voles from getting in from the ground.
  • Apply repellents: Applying an effective mole and vole repellent is a safe and reliable way to prevent winter damage. You can find repellents at your local lawn and garden center. Cedar oil is also another option to drive harmful bugs away from your lawn in addition to controlling the moles and vole’s food source.

We hope these tips will help protect your lawn this winter but if spring appears and you find your grass damaged from moles or voles, reach out to B&B Hoffman sod for low-maintenance kentucky bluegrass that is resistant to disease! Whether you need to replace a small section of grass or your whole lawn, we can help!

A Sod Farm Near Me: What you Need to Look for Besides Proximity

We all do it, when we search for a product or service we look for a shop that is close. While proximity can be helpful, there are other factors to consider as well. This list will explain what to keep in mind when you are looking to purchase from a “sod farm near me.”

Proximity. The main reason to consider proximity is for freshness. Sod needs to be healthy and fresh for it to take root, grow, and stay strong. Sod that has been sitting can overheat, causing permanent damage. Using a sod farm that has healthy and fresh sod is more important than using a sod farm that is closest to you.

Sod Quality. Healthy sod is free from disease and pests. Quality also refers to the right type of grass for your area. Before purchasing sod, be sure you’re picking the right variety for your environment. 

  • Our Kentucky Bluegrass sod is grown locally in Elk River, serving many contractors and homeowners in urban and rural areas throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota Kentucky Bluegrass sod is well-known for its ability to maintain its beauty and adapt to changing temperatures and watering practices. Each piece is grown in uniform thickness and bred to be dark green, soft, and durable.

Service. After you decide where you will purchase, ensure your yard is ready for installation. You may end up wasting money if your sod isn’t installed or maintained correctly. We suggest researching and asking your provider questions before installation.

Our sod experts are available to answer your questions regarding installation, maintenance, measurements, and ordering. We take pride in our sod and want to make sure you have the facts about what it takes to have a healthy yard for your family and pets. 

B&B Hoffman Sod is local and here to provide you with the information you need for a beautiful new lawn, quickly achieved with sod. Contact us today to learn more about our sod and services, and you won’t have to worry about searching for a “sod farm near me!”

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.

B&B Hoffman Sod – June Blog

In early June, grass begins to develop seeds. Because of the way it looks, some think that it’s weeds, but it isn’t. It’s a process called seeding out and is nature taking care of itself by reproducing itself and making more grass blades. While this happens, continue to mow your lawn to 3 inches high and apply your second round of fertilizer (the first should have been done toward the end of April or in early May).

Early summer is also a good time for weed control, which helps provides a healthy, beautiful lawn. Weed control treatments control annual grassy weeds and broadleaf weeds. Proper summer lawn care fertilizing and weed control will lead to fewer weeds, thicker, greener turf and a heartier stress-resistant lawn.

Another thing to note in summer months is that healthy lawns need at least one inch of water per week. If it doesn’t rain, we suggest watering twice a week and applying a half-inch of water per session. You can use a rain gauge or empty soup can placed nearby to measure the amount of water you are applying.

B&B Hoffman Sod Farms can help get your yard back in shape with its supply of fertilizer. Or for lawns in need of serious repair, B&B Hoffman 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 summer lawn care and the products that B&B Hoffman Sod Farms offers, visit them online at bbhoffmansodev.wpengine.com or call 763-434- 6572.