Shattuck Turf Farms 515-331-4900
You see rolls of sod at your home improvement store in the summer, but exactly how is sod made? Not many people know the nuances of growing and harvesting sod because it’s not something they see. At Shattuck Turf Farms, we know this process in and out, so let us guide you through it.
Sod, also called turf, is grass that’s grown with the intent to sell to homeowners or contractors. It gets installed in the yards of new homes, businesses, golf courses, and athletic fields — and yards that need a fresh start. Sod farms take great pride in the condition of their sod, keeping it thick, healthy, and free of weeds, in order to give you a huge leg up upon installation. We allow you to start with an amazing, lush lawn, then continue to care for it, instead of starting with grass seed and struggling to achieve the lush lawn you’re striving for.
In order to make sod at Shattuck Turf Farms, we prep our fields and seed them every year. Our preparation includes tilling, raking, and removing debris from the soil.. Next, is planting. Our seed blends are high quality, and yield a product with superior color, high resilience, and advanced disease tolerance. We only plant the best of the best for our customers.
It typically takes about 18 months after seeding for the turf to fully mature and be ready for harvest. In those 18 months we are fertilizing, watering, and mowing the grass to help it reach its full potential.
Once it’s ready to be harvested, it’s cut the same day as customer pickup to prevent it from drying out. Our sod-cutting machines make a clean cut well beneath the sod and roll it into the final product you’re accustomed to seeing.
Normally, sod is cut into slabs or rolls. At Shattuck, it’s cut into two sizes of rolls, both big and small. The big rolls require an installer. The small 2’x5’ rolls are easy to carry and install. You can pick it up at the field and haul it yourself, or we can deliver it to your home or work site — no matter the order size.
Our farms are located in Johnston and Granger, Iowa, and are open from 7 am - 3 pm, weather permitting.