Green Side Up

If you dial 701-744-5759 you will hear a pleasant voice informing you that “Green Acres Sod Farm” is able and willing to take care of your sod needs. That is the voice of Josie Riedel. She might even tell you that sod provides “instant grassification.” She does remind people, however, that you need to install sod “green side up” to have good results.

Josie’s husband Richard got into the sod business back in 1986. They were living in Flathead Valley at the time. Richard saw that “there was a need” for quality sod, so he went to the local community college school for two years to learn about grass management. They started the “Tuff Turf Sod Farm” in Columbia Falls. It was a small operation, but it did well. They were both from eastern Montana, however, so when the Sidney sod farm (run by Forrest Markle) was closing, Richard realized that it was time for him to move his family and sod farm to this area.

The “Green Acres Sod Farm” has been in operation since 1995. It is located 2 ½ miles north of Fairview on ND Highway 58. They initially grew only one acre of sod, had success, and then gradually increased their operation to the 52 acres that they now grow. It takes two years for a grass crop to be ready to cut and sell. Last year they sold about 20 acres. That’s almost 900,000 square feet of sod! And their operation provides sod for Sidney, Williston, Fairview, Glendive and Dickinson.

Running a sod farm takes a lot of work. “It’s a young man’s game,” Richard says. Fortunately he has his two sons to help him – Zyon (age 28) and Frankie (age 24). They also have a number of hired hands. They do get their winters off, though, which is when the boys work at other jobs and/or fix farm equipment.

Riedel uses 5 different varieties of Kentucky Blue Grass (KBG) to grow his sod. KBG is by far and away the country’s most popular seed for residential lawns. This type of grass requires sunlight and water to thrive. It also requires good topsoil and fertilizer. Other grass varieties might grow under less ideal situations – but they all have one disadvantage or another. Fine Fescue produces a lot of thatch. Tall Fescue has a very wide blade. Buffalograss and Bluegrama grass grow in drought conditions, but they go dormant in the early fall, so their brown appearance is not well-suited for residential settings. Canada Bluegrass looks good when you are speeding by it on the highway, but it does not look good in your backyard.

There is an age old debate as to whether sod or seed is better for establishing a new lawn. Sod is more expensive to start with, but the results are – in my mind – well worth it. The thick mesh of sod helps to prevent weed growth. Either option (sod or seed) requires preparation work, contouring of the land, fertilizer, and lots of water to get established. I have been very impressed with the quality of the “Green Acres” sod that I have installed for my “Kessler Landscaping” clients. I am, by the way, just finishing a 15,000 square foot sod job on the north side of town. See attached picture. It is gratifying to see hard work result in an immediately appealing yard.

Laying sod is not rocket science. Google “laying sod” for specific instructions. I also think it is important to use good quality sod, do plenty of ground preparation work, and plan on doing several days of hard physical labor to get the job done. If you follow Josie Riedel’s advice (“Green side up!”) then the chances are that you will be happy with the results.