[00:00.00]This is the VOA Special English [00:03.31]Agriculture Report. [00:04.99]For some people, [00:06.61]the road to immediate satisfaction [00:09.77]is laid with sod. [00:11.70]A piece of sod has grass on the top [00:15.23]and soil on the bottom. [00:17.80]It can provide thick green grass [00:21.42]without the work or wait required [00:24.00]to grow a lawn from seed. [00:26.42]Some property owners are replacing grass [00:30.27]with ground covers [00:31.61]that require less care and water. [00:34.61]But others want a traditional grass lawn. [00:38.85]Sod,or turf,might not seem like a farm crop. [00:43.86]But farmers grow it around the world [00:47.59]for everything from homes to sports fields. [00:51.39]Sod farmers often grow different grasses [00:55.71]for different conditions. [00:58.07]Farmers must cut, [01:00.31]fertilize and water the sod often. [01:03.67]The crop may not be ready [01:06.74]for up to two years. [01:08.62]Farmers harvest it [01:10.75]in pieces of various lengths [01:13.07]and up to one meter wide. [01:16.12]Making the best of sod takes work. [01:20.71]Preparing the ground to lay sod is important [01:23.98]and may require soil amendments. [01:27.21]David Robson from the University [01:30.43]of Illinois Extension [01:31.85]says the best results come from moist, [01:35.72]richly organic black soil. [01:38.19]He says that is because [01:41.27]the farmer used rich soil [01:43.64]to produce the sod, [01:45.40]so it might not do well in clay soils. [01:48.51]Some gardeners prepare an area [01:51.67]by removing the existing top soil and grass. [01:56.26]This can be done with a shovel, [01:59.54]hoe or sod-cutter machine. [02:02.82]But live roots or weeds might remain [02:06.77]below the surface. [02:08.29]Another preparation method [02:10.91]is to till the ground completely. [02:13.65]Still another involves using [02:16.67]an herbicide chemical [02:18.25]to kill the existing grass. [02:20.93]Sod can also be placed over existing grass. [02:25.30]The grass will die [02:26.94]and become fertilizer for the sod. [02:29.91]After sod is in place, [02:32.66]it needs to be pressed down firmly. [02:35.94]This will remove air pockets [02:38.88]and help the sod make contact [02:41.41]with the ground and take root. [02:43.53]A water-filled drum [02:45.90]called a sod roller can be used. [02:49.34]Sod can grow at times and in places [02:53.84]where growing grass from seed is difficult. [02:57.13]But sod can also have problems, [02:59.93]especially if it was not very fresh. [03:02.81]Newly laid sod needs water lots of water. [03:07.36]It can quickly become dry. [03:09.75]It will need water two times a day [03:12.76]for at least three months. [03:14.65]Sod should also be fertilized. [03:17.70]And it should be treated with limestone [03:20.68]if the soil is acidic. [03:22.97]Sod can be cut to fit a space. [03:26.72]But small pieces should not be placed [03:29.62]along the edges of an area [03:31.39]as they can dry out more quickly. [03:34.06]You can find other advice online. [03:36.82]For example, [03:38.26]we learned that sod should not be placed [03:40.79]so that the ends of the pieces [03:42.89]are all in a line. [03:44.59]Instead it should look like [03:47.24]a brick pattern on a building. [03:49.43]And that's the VOA Special English [03:52.95]Agriculture Report, [03:54.50]written by Jerilyn Watson. [03:56.62]I'm Bob Doughty.