Sod – Instant Landscaping
How do you makeover your lawn in just one day? How do those new homes have perfect lawns as soon as they’re finished? Sod, a turf grown specifically to establish a lawn, is the answer, not only to these questions, but for many landscaping problems. Rather than seeding the lawn and waiting several months for adequate growth, it may make more sense to consider sod for an instant landscape makeover.
Having sod installed can cost big, the sod itself costs $0.10 - $0.55 per square foot, with the installation running in the $1-$2 per square foot range, depending on the size of the yard. Smaller yards may be within the scope of a DIY landscaping project.
Consider the advantages and disadvantages of sod to makeover your yard.
Disadvantages
- Sod dries out quickly and needs to be installed within one to two days of being cut.
- It’s usually sold in pallets, which are heavy and require delivery.
- Sodding equires special site prep.
- It costs up to 10 times the cost of grass seed.
- It equires constant watering while establishing roots.
Advantages
- Sod is virtually weed free.
- It’s not susceptible to being washed off like grass seed.
- It gives homeowners the instant gratification of a lush, green lawn with little maintenance once the roots are established.
- Sod can be installed at any time of the year, while grass seed is best done during fall or late spring.
The type of sod that will suit your yard depends on your yard characteristics and location. Local landscapers and sod farms can help in choosing the correct sod, but here’s a rundown on the types available:
Kentucky Bluegrass
Kentucky bluegrass thrives in northern climates and has a lush, dark green color. In order to keep that lush look, it does need more watering than other types. Often Kentucky Bluegrass will be blended with other types of seeds for better adaptability to the site.
Bermuda
Bermuda is a green, dense high maintenance sod. It grows well in sunny, hot climates and is not shade tolerant. Bermuda is usually sold in southern states and is perfect for high traffic areas with no shade, such as sports fields.
Tall Fescue
Tall fescue has a lighter green color than Kentucky bluegrass and requires less wattering. It grows well in moist areas, but adapts to many soil types. It adapts particularly well to areas with in-between climates where winters are too cold for warm season grasses and summers are too hot and muggy for cool season grasses. Fescue can tolerate high traffic areas and is often blended with Kentucky Bluegrass.
Zoysia
Zoysia is another sod type suited to southern climates. It grows slowly and prefers clay or sandy soil. Zoysia grows well in sun, but also performs well in the shade. In addition, Zoysia is weed resistant.
Consider sod if you need a complete yard makeover, depending on the size and slope of the yard, it may be the answer to your landscaping problems. It also may be within your landscaping budget if you’re handy enough to install sod on your own