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About a decade later, he ripped out all of the sod from the front lawn and replaced it with rocks. Nearly 30 years later, that decision has him stuck between all those tiny rocks and a hard place.

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In May, a code enforcement officer with the city of Fort Lauderdale posted a notice on Cardott’s door, warning him that he was in violation of a city ordinance.

According to the ordinance, “decorative stone, or gravel may be utilized up to a maximum of 10 percent of the total landscape area.”

The notice gave Cardott 30 days to remove the rocks and replace them with “living ground cover” or grass.

Cardott said no one ever contacted him about his rocky landscape before.

“Nobody ever complained,” he said.

Before pebble No.1 even hit the ground, Cardott said he went to City Hall.

“I asked three people that were inspectors if it was OK, and do I need a permit to put the rocks down, and they said, ‘No,'” Cardott said. “[The] next time I ever ask anything, I’m going to say, ‘Put it in writing.'”

A city spokesperson told the LITL team the rule was adopted in 1997. Before then, using stone and rocks in the landscape was prohibited.

We asked the city spokesperson if this was a lack of enforcement that spanned 30 years. We’re still waiting for an answer.

The LITL team also learned Cardott’s rocks aren’t the only ones that have been tagged by the city’s code enforcement officers.

Seven other addresses have been cited for violating the same ordinance within the past year.  At some of those addresses, it appeared the violations had been corrected. Gravel had been replaced with grass or living ground cover. At others, the hardscapes remained.

The LITL team spotted other properties in Cardott’s neighborhood with front yards full of rocks, but those addresses were not on the list the city spokesperson provided.

“I don’t think they’re being fair at all,” Cardott said.

At 69, Cardott said he’s only getting older, he’s not in the best of health and mowing a lawn is the last thing he wants to do.

He said he plans to plead his case before a special magistrate or code compliance board to see if he can keep his rocks.

In a statement, the city spokesman said the “primary goal is working with our neighbors to achieve and maintain voluntary compliance. To that end, we will continue to communicate with the property owner in a good faith effort to help bring the property into compliance. While we are working to achieve a solution, no fines will be assessed.”

If you have a problem, send an email to the Leave it to Layron team at Layron@Local10.com.

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I think one of the most common questions we receive is how hard is it to lay a sod lawn? The answer is not really hard at all. In the grand scheme of home improvement, this project probably ranks on the lower end of skill level, and certainly on the lower end of the potential disaster. For one thing, sod prices, are really pretty inexpensive when tackling a small backyard or front yard project. That in itself makes sod installation a perfect do it yourself project.

Probably more than anything I want you to consider the environment in which you are about to install sod. Do you have at least four hours of sunlight? That is really an important question. Study the trees in your yard. Make sure that analysis is done when there is a full canopy of leaves on the trees. Finally, who is using this space? Do you have two golden retrievers who love to run? Hmmm. The point is sod installation is not hard, and not terribly expensive, but let’s not waste your hard earned money.

So, on to the purpose of this post. Like any good home improvement, project preparation is important. When laying sod, making sure old grass, debris, and stones are free from the area is worth the time it takes to remove them. The site does not have to be perfect but remembers you are trying to get new sod to attach to your soil. Why would you have obstructions in the way of that? Also, the old grass you leave in place will take nutrients from the soil to decompose.

Once you have removed the old grass think about how level the area should be. This is usually a good time to think about topsoil. Topsoil (I will write a whole separate entry on this) should be used to level the area, if necessary. If you think adding topsoil is going to bring a nutrient-rich sub-base for your new lawn, you are only guessing. There is no way to know what the nutrient breakdown or the soil make up is of the “topsoil” you are ordering. Remember topsoil from a screener at a supply yard is not the same topsoil defined in your ecology textbook.

Finally, if you have the area clean and level, it’s time to lay sod. This may the easiest part of the entire project. To some, rolling the sod out is enough. We always try to add some form the to the process. For example, staggering your joints. Like the bricks on your house, staggering the seams of the sod helps to establish a stand of grass free of lines a bit quicker. It does feel like more of an aesthetic choice or an old wives tale sometimes but we are committed. Probably most important, making sure the joints are butted to one another tightly. No overlap, no gaps, just tight to one another. This is really all it takes. Roll the sod if you have a roller available. If no roller, just make sure you do a good job with the above steps. Voila, a new lawn. Don’t forget to water your new sod. (Hint: keep sod muddy underneath for a few weeks, you or mother nature or both)

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The thing to keep in mind when using a product that prevents crabgrass is that really it is only a barrier for about 100 days. So the earlier you apply the product the earlier it expires. The secret is to make the application as close to germination of the awful weed as possible without actually being too late. While there is a bit of post-emergence control in most products, its like playing with fire. Anyways check out this video and if you have more questions just give a call.

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http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/comerica-park-set-to-get-all-new-grass/24923784

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Spring Newsletter

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Contact us today and find out about deep discounts we offer Do-It-Yourselfers.

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Contact us today to learn how we can save you HUNDREDS on your lawn project just in time for Spring.  We can improve the look of your property and give your family a lawn that you can enjoy for generations.

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Stay warm and thanks for choosing Hillcrest Sod for your lawn needs!

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