Eco-friendly netting and methods of growing and harvesting sod using the same

A method of growing sod using an eco-friendly netting, said method comprising the steps of:

• (i) providing an eco-friendly netting, which includes:
• a netting body portion having a plurality of fibers or yarns forming a pattern of netting apertures, said netting body portion being formed from a material that is at least partially biodegradable, each of said netting apertures passing completely through said eco-friendly netting, each of said netting apertures being present in said eco-friendly netting prior to said eco-friendly netting being used for growing and/or harvesting, and at least one of said netting apertures having an opening size of at least 8.0 millimeters by at least 8.0 millimeters;
• (ii) loosening a top portion of a soil bed to prepare said soil bed for a planting of seeds;
• (iii) applying a plurality of seeds to said soil bed such that said plurality of seeds are embedded in said soil bed;
• (iv) unrolling and arranging a plurality of strips of said eco-friendly netting on a top of said soil bed in an overlapping manner;
• (v) anchoring a plurality of outer edges of said plurality of said netting strips into the ground so as to retain said eco-friendly netting in place;
• (vi) irrigating said plurality of seeds in said soil bed so that grass grows in said soil bed and roots of said grass intertwine with said material of said eco-friendly netting;
• and
• (vii) harvesting sod when said grass develops into a mature state.

A method of harvesting sod using an eco-friendly netting, said method comprising the steps of:

• (i) providing an eco-friendly netting, which includes:
• a netting body portion having a plurality of fibers or yarns forming a pattern of netting apertures, said netting body portion being formed from a material that is at least partially biodegradable, each of said netting apertures passing completely through said eco-friendly netting, each of said netting apertures being present in said eco-friendly netting prior to said eco-friendly netting being used for growing and/or harvesting, and at least one of said netting apertures having an opening size of at least 8.0 millimeters by at least 8.0 millimeters;
• (ii) installing a netting roll of said eco-friendly netting in a mechanical harvester;
• (iii) dispensing said eco-friendly netting from said netting roll, and supporting an underside of sod cut and extracted by said mechanical harvester prior to said sod being wound onto a core;
• (iv) when a sod roll formed by the winding of said sod onto said core reaches a predetermined diameter, cutting said sod and wrapping said eco-friendly netting around said sod roll a predetermined number of times so as to secure said sod roll;
• and
• (v) cutting said eco-friendly netting with a device on said harvester.