Sod is a layer of pre-grown grass, including the soil and roots, that is laid out on top of the soil to plant a fresh lawn. Sod typically comes in square-foot squares or rolls. The advantage of starting a new lawn with sod over starting one from seed is how quickly you'll have the finished product.
Sod is more expensive than grass seed, so it's not for everyone. But there are some circumstances where sod is the most sensible way to plant a new lawn. Sod is essentially grass that has already been grown and is now ready to lay out. It's a much faster alternative to planting seeds and waiting for your grass to grow. Homeowners can use sod not only to start new lawns but also to repair bare patches and prevent erosion on slopes on new properties where there hasn't been time for landscaping yet. Sod also has commercial applications: Large operations like sports stadiums or golf courses can't be bothered with sowing seed to establish the vast stretches of perfectly-manicured green they need.
Benefits and Disadvantages of Sod;
Benefits of Using Sod
- Fast to establish: Sodding provides an "instant lawn," so sod is the way to go if time is at a premium. For example, if you're selling your property and the existing lawn is sub-par, it makes more sense to lay sod to replace it than to sow grass seed.
- Drainage: if water run-off is causing a problem in your yard, sodding the hillside is a practical solution. It would take longer to build a French drain to address the issue.
- Water needs: After you've sodded a lawn, there's less irrigation for you to worry about than after seeding a lawn because sod is already-established grass.
Disadvantages of Using Sod
- Cost: Sod costs a lot more than planting grass seeds.
- Installation: Laying down sod is labor-intensive. DIYers can do it, but it requires much prep work, including soil tests, clearing the space, tilling, amending the soil, and leveling the ground.
- More choices with seed: You'll have more grass seed choices than sod options.
- Dead patches: Some sod will not root properly and may need replacement.
Types of Sod: Warm-Season vs Cool-Season
Your climate largely dictates whether you will want a warm-season sod or a cool-season sod. Warm-season sods grow actively during the warmer periods of the year. Cool-season sods grow actively during the cooler times of the year (spring and fall).
Match sod type to your region; otherwise, you will have to look at brown grass for too many months out of the year. Either way, the best times to lay sod are in spring, once the ground thaws, or early fall, to give roots time to establish before frost sets in.
Warm-Season Sod
Warm-season types are popular in the South because they withstand the powerful summer heat. They will likely go dormant (turning brown) between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) can grow in zones 7 to 10. It is a popular grass in the Southeast via both stolons and rhizomes, which makes it vigorous but also problematic: It tolerates foot traffic (dog and human), is drought tolerant, and grows well along the coast because of its salt tolerance. However, it needs frequent mowing and often invades flower beds.
- Zoysia (Zoysia spp.) has newly developed cold-hardy varieties and can be grown in zones 5 to 10. It's especially popular in the South. It has qualities similar to Bermuda grass but lacks salt tolerance. Another drawback with Zoysia is that it produces a lot of thatch patches.
- Centipede (Eremochloa ophiuroides) can be grown in zones 7 to 10 and is a favorite grass in the South from the Carolinas to Texas. Like Zoysia, it's not as salt-tolerant as Bermuda grass but outperforms Bermuda grass in shade. It doesn't tolerate foot traffic but does tolerate acidic soil. It's considered low maintenance because it doesn't require much fertilization or irrigation.
- St. Augustine (Stenotaphrum secundatum) can grow in zones 7 to 12. Like Bermuda grass, it's popular in the Southeast, especially common along the coast due to its salt tolerance. Its blades are bluish-green, comprehensive, and flat. This grass has a creeping habit that allows it to form dense mats. Keep its soil evenly moist.
Cool-Season Sod
Cool-season sods are generally grown in the North because they stand up to the punishing cold of winter. They'll go dormant when summer temperatures reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Tall fescue (Festuca spp.) can be grown in zones 3 to 8 and has a clumping habit. It looks different from most other lawn grasses: It has wide, dark green blades that are coarse to the touch. It tolerates foot traffic and drought and doesn't produce much thatch, but it doesn't blend as well with other turf types in a lawn as most grasses do.
- Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) can be grown in zones 3 to 7. Valued for its bluish-green color, it has distinct pros and cons. Benefits include its foot traffic tolerance, soft texture (great for bare feet), and ability to bounce back from stress. But it's intolerant of heat, drought, and shade.
- Perennial rye (Lolium perenne) can be grown in zones 5 to 7. It forms clumps and has light green blades. It is coarse and grows in a patchy habit. It should be fertilized monthly in spring and fall, but only until six weeks before the first frost is forecasted.
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