7 Fun Facts About Natural Grass

B&B Hoffman Sod Farm knows a healthy lawn is more than just a pretty patch of green. From cooling your neighborhood to filtering water, reducing noise, and even boosting your mood (and your home value), natural grass works hard behind the scenes every day. We’ve put together some fun facts about how your lawn is doing way more for you than you ever imagined. 

Air Purification: Natural grass is essentially nature’s version of a home air purifier. It absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen back into the air. A 2,500-square-foot lawn will release enough oxygen for a family of four! 

It’s Cool! (Literally!): Lawns are 30 degrees cooler than asphalt and 20 degrees cooler than bare soil – helping reduce urban heat. Would you rather watch your kid’s soccer game on hot turf or cool grass?

Erosion Control: Not only does sod stop soil from sneaking into your home during a rainstorm, but it also keeps dust from turning your living room into the Old West. It’s science!

Water Filtration: Grass filters rainwater and improves groundwater quality by trapping gunk like dust, debris, and pollutants before heading to the nearest stream or lake. Your grass is out there doing the hard work while you’re just grilling burgers.

Noise Reduction: All that lush green grass doesn’t just look pretty – it actually helps muffle street noise and neighborhood commotion. Your lawn is pretty much nature’s noise-canceling headphones.

Stress Relief: Feeling stressed? Your lawn might be the best therapist you never knew you had. Spending time around grass and greenery has been scientifically proven to lower stress levels and boost your mood – no couch or co-pay required. So go ahead, take a deep breath, touch some grass, and let nature be your happy place.

Curb Appeal: A lush, green lawn isn’t just aesthetically pleasing; it can also boost your home’s value by 15% – 20%! You can’t afford not to invest in your lawn.

The next time you step outside and feel that cool grass under your feet, remember: your lawn is doing more than just looking good. It’s cleaning your air, calming your mind, and even adding value to your home. B&B Hoffman Sod Farm is proud to grow the grass that keeps your world greener, healthier, and a little more peaceful. If your lawn needs a boost – whether it’s looking just a little patchy or you need to completely resod – give us a call! We’ll get you set up with the same grass seed we use to grow our beautiful sod, or we can completely transform your lawn. 

 

Waking Up Your Lawn: Spring Tips from B&B Hoffman Sod

Spring is in the air, and that means it’s almost time for backyard BBQs, outdoor games, and sunny afternoons! Spring also means the winter break from yard work is over. B&B Hoffman Sod has some springtime tips to help your grass wake from its winter nap and start looking green and healthy again. 

Start with a Gentle Rake

Once your yard has dried out a bit and isn’t wet or mushy, give it a light raking* to remove dead grass and debris. This helps get fresh air down to the roots, which encourages new growth and jumpstarts your lawn’s recovery. 

*Pro Tip: be careful not to rake too aggressively while the grass is still waking up—you want to revive it, not rip it out.

Time for Fertilizer

Give your yard a glow up! Fertilizer is a vitamin boost your yard needs to look and feel its best. Applying fertilizer every 4–6 weeks throughout the season* can make a huge difference, helping your grass grow thicker, greener, and healthier than ever. 

*Pro-Tip: April, May, and June are the prime growing months to get the most benefit from fertilizer.

Prevent Weeds With Pre-Emergent

When the ground temperature reaches a consistent 50–55°F, it’s the perfect time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide*. This helps prevent crabgrass and other pesky weeds before they have a chance to sprout. Don’t miss this timing—it’s one of the most important steps for a weed-free yard all season! 

*Pro Tip: Fertilize first, make sure to water well, and apply pre-emergent 4 days later. You can buy the same fertilizers used by B&B Hoffman Sod Farms! Contact us for details.  

Patch Up Pet Damage

Did your homeowners association give you a deadline to fix pet damage to your grass? If your furry friend wasn’t so friendly to your lawn over the winter, we’ve got you covered! We’ll be opening soon for sod pickup, so you can easily replace those worn-out patches and bring your lawn back to life. Our high-quality sod blends in beautifully and gets your yard back in shape fast (and keeps the HOA happy). 

*Pro Tip: If pet damage is minimal but you have some patchy areas that you’d like to seed, we sell the same sod-quality seed used for growing our sod!

Following these tips now will help your yard look its best all summer long! Need help or have questions? Call 763-434-6572 or email office@bbhoffmansod—we’re always happy to help you grow your best lawn yet.



Summer Lawn Care Tips for Your Minnesota Lawn

As Summer is approaching quickly, keep these Minnesota lawn care tips in mind. With a little effort your lawn can be healthy and thriving all summer!

Check out a few of these pointers to keep your lawn looking its best.

Soaking sessions. Most lawns need 1 to 1.5 inches of water every week. Since the rainfall has been sparse, we suggest watering occurs through irrigation, ensuring water soaks 5-6 inches deep into the soil. Watering for a longer duration, less often, is preferred over daily watering. This routine prepares your grass for potential or continued drought and creates a hardier grass cover.

Timing is everything. The most efficient time to water your lawn is in the early morning hours, prior to 9 a.m. At this time, there is the least amount of sunlight and wind, and the lower temperatures allow for equal water distribution. Watering at night is not recommended as the lawn then sits with no sunlight, often causing moss, different types of weeds, algae, and possibly diseases to grow and spread. Always check with local watering restrictions in your area.

Adjust your clipping. Mow your grass to its specified type height, usually around 2 ½ to 3 inches. Taller grass is a natural weed repellent and allows deeper root growth. Shorter grass drys easily, often turning brown and spreading disease.

Fine-tune your tools. To ensure an efficient irrigation routine, make sure all sprinklers are aimed at grass, not pavement or hard surfaces. Repair hoses, fittings, and nozzles as needed to eliminate leakage and save on water waste.

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

Myths About Sod Debunked

If you’re debating between buying sod or seed when redoing your lawn, there’s a lot of information out there about the pros and cons of both methods. However, some of that information is not quite accurate, so we’re here to debunk common myths about buying professionally grown sod for your lawn.

Myth #1: Sod takes more work than seed.

Since sod is already sprouted and established before it ever arrives at your property, it greatly reduces the amount of time you’ll spend caring for your lawn. In addition, you’ll get to enjoy your sodded lawn much sooner than one from seed.

Myth #2: Sod is too expensive.

While sod does require a larger up-front investment than seed, the long-term value is undeniable. Since sod is already sprouted and grown in dense patches that are weed and pest free, you’ll be ahead from day one of your sod installation versus trying to use only seed. Plus, sod has a much better chance of evenly rooting across your lawn, while seeds tend to sprout unevenly and require multiple reseeding attempts to get full coverage.

Myth #3: Sod is bad for the environment.

Rooted in the false idea that sod producers use tons of pesticides and herbicides to control pests and weeds in their sod, many mistakenly believe that the runoff of these chemicals is hurting the environment. The truth is that modern sod varieties, such as Kentucky Bluegrass, grow dense root mats, preventing weeds from breaking through the surface with minimal need for weed killers. These sod varieties are also engineered to resist common pests. As a result, reputable sod farms, like B&B Hoffman Sod in Minnesota, have less and less need to use chemicals in order to grow premium-quality sod.

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 www.bbhoffmansod.com 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.

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.