Sod Sacrifice

There have been times during the irrigation project that decisions have been made based on the long term success of the installation. The most recent decision took place in the form of not stripping sod prior to excavation.

The standard protocol throughout the project has been to carefully remove sod in the areas of pipe installation, to be followed by reinstalling the sod after the work has been completed. Due to the fact that we are pressed for time and now working in areas where the ground is still frozen, sod cannot literally be cut. Even though we are working in southern exposure areas, some of these are in low lying areas that drainage sheet flows across the surface. These areas become saturated during the day and then freeze solid during the evening.

Here is an example of sod being stripped before pipe installation

Rather than waiting for these small areas to thaw out and lose valuable production time we are just blowing through them. After the installation has been completed and the ground is no longer frozen, sod from our nursery will be cut and installed. So far the areas in which sod has not be cut equates to maybe 15% of the newly installed lineal footage. A small sacrifice to ensure that the overall completion date is met.