Meet the Homeowner
Billy Spurlock lives in Moreland, Georgia on 24 acres with his wife and three sons. Although Billy makes his living at Delta Airlines in flight control, his yard became a part time job last year when the family decided to have a pool installed by pros but to do the landscaping themselves.
About the Project
After they built the pool, there was a pretty big drop off behind it,” Spurlock remembered. “I’ve got a tractor, so I used all the dirt that was excavated for the pool to level out the whole back yard. I moved the dirt in winter and spring, and a few weeks before it started greening up, I started laying sod.”
About the Grass
“I researched some grass types, and from all my research, Zoysia seemed to be the best.” Spurlock said. “I like the thicker grass, plus I’ve got some shaded areas, so Zoysia was the best option.” With three active boys, the wear resistance and low maintenance of Zoysia will also benefit Spurlock.
Lessons Learned
As a DIYer who had no sod laying experience, Spurlock learned some valuable lessons along the way. ‘There were some spots I didn’t level out as well as I should have, so there’s a couple of low spots. This spring my big project’s going to be spreading sand to level the ground.”
He also discovered the importance of removing all vegetation before laying the sod. “I put some of the sod on top of the existing grass that wasn’t real thick. I got some weeds in spots where the pieces of sod lay side by side that I have to go after just because I didn’t kill all those beforehand.”
Why NG Turf
Spurlock is a seasoned DIYer, and has put out grass seed for small projects in the past. “This was bigger than just throwing down seed,” Spurlock said. “I asked around the office, and they suggested I go to NG Turf.”
In addition to a source for sod, Spurlock says that NG Turf was a resource for information. “We built a relationship over time. We’d talk about the project, and I had some round dead spots pop up. It may have been a result of me putting the sod over existing grass—as it deteriorated the fungus had a place to grow. I’d take pictures in there and say, ‘What is this?’ They seemed to always know. They’ve got so much experience there, and they’re always super helpful.”
