Most of the sod we lay in Salem goes onto one of three problems, and each one needs different prep.
New-build lots in West Salem and South Salem. Builders often leave a thin skim of topsoil over compacted fill. Sod laid straight onto that browns out by the first July. We rip and regrade the fill, work in compost, and slope everything away from the foundation before a single roll goes down. The modern home lawn in South Salem started exactly like this: a narrow side yard of packed fill that now holds a dense tall-fescue lawn.
Slopes in the South Salem hills. Seed washes off Jory soil in the first heavy rain. Sod holds the slope from day one; on the steepest pitches we pin it, and we often suggest a planted bank instead of lawn where a mower can't safely go.
Tired lawns under old trees near downtown. If the canopy has closed over, new sod will thin out again. We'll tell you honestly when a mulched bed or shade planting is the better choice, and use a shade-tolerant blend where lawn still makes sense.
Our sod comes from growers in the mid-valley, cut the morning we lay it. Typical Salem installs take one day for an average front yard, two for front and back.
