Sod Installation: Does Your Yard Need It?

Unless you’re a master landscaper or at least particularly interested in the subject, choosing the right installations and techniques for your lawn can be overwhelming and confusing. One of the most difficult things to do is grow lush, vibrant grass; there always seems to be at least one area that’s patchy or dry. One great solution to this problem is sod installation because it’s easier to see uniform growth. But is sod the solution for you? Read on to find out.

An Introduction to Sod Installation

How Is Sod Different From Regular Grass Seed?

Essentially, sod is grass. The only difference is that sod is made to harvest–the sod itself is transplanted along with a layer of soil entangled in the root system. If you’ve never seen sod before, it looks like rolling out a carpet of grass.

What Are The Benefits Of Sod?

There are several advantages to installing sod over regular seeding:

• Birds won’t eat the seeds: Because sod installation doesn’t require seeding, there are no available seeds for birds to eat–this is great because if birds eat the grass seed, the grass won’t grow.
• It’s an instant lawn: Once the sod is laid down, all you have to do is wait for the roots to take; but it looks like a full lawn as soon as it’s rolled out.
• You can install sod any time during the growing season: As long as the ground isn’t frozen, sod can be installed. Seed differs in that it has specific seasonal windows for optimal growth.
• Reliability and forgiveness: Regular grass seeds can blow away, wash away, dry out, or simply not germinate. But sod comes with its own root system, meaning within a few weeks, the roots will take to the soil, and you have almost guaranteed growth. Sod also tends to be quite hardy and takes root faster than seed.
• Easier maintenance: while there is a lot of watering involved in the front end of sod installation, there is much more maintenance required with regular seed, as it needs more weed pulling, monitoring, and patience.

Sod Installation And Its Uses

Different Types of Sod

There are tons of different types of sod out there, which is why it’s recommended to talk to a professional about what will work best for your yard. In Michigan, the most common kinds of sod to use are Kentucky bluegrass, Perennial ryegrass, Fine-leaf fescue, and Tall fescue. These varieties typically work best with Michigan’s climate, soil types, and yard use.

Choosing The Right Sod

That being said, there are many things to consider when choosing the most effective sod type for your space:

• Where you live: Where you live will help you decide whether your lawn requires cool-season or warm-season sod. Michigan, for example, is in the cool season sector, which is why sod types like Kentucky bluegrass work so well there. Different sod types require different temperatures for optimal growth.
• Conditions of your lawn: The conditions of your lawn are crucial–you need to note whether it gets more sun or shade if you have a history of insect or disease issues, and what procedures have been done to your lawn previously.
• Lawn use: You should also note who uses your lawn, how often, and in which ways. Sod installation requires you to keep off the grass for a few weeks, so you’ll need to plan your yard activities around that.
  Type of soil in your lawn: Similarly to geographic location, certain grasses like certain types of soil. The three main types of soil are sandy, clay, and loamy. The type of soil your yard has provides different advantages and disadvantages for different sod types, so you need to plan accordingly.
  
• Aesthetics: Of course, you need to consider what you want your grass to look like. You could look for a thicker, tropical grass, or a fine-blade grass, for example. Professional installers will be able to show you what your grass will look like.
  
• Maintenance and budget: Not all grasses are created equal. To figure out the price of the sod, you’ll need to know how much sod you need in your yard and what square foot comes on a palette. All grasses have different characteristics; some may require more mowing or water than others, so you need to decide how much maintenance you’re willing to put in.

Installing Sod Versus Seed

Cost Comparison

On the front end, seeding a lawn is usually more affordable than installing sod. However, there is much more room for error when trying to seed your own lawn, which may result in having to re-seed or having to buy more materials to correct dry and patchy grass. Sod provides an instant lawn in one go and requires less maintenance year after year because you’re starting with healthy grass that is appropriate for your lawn type.

Time & Effort

Similarly to the above information, seeding is a finicky game. Sod does require very frequent watering on the front end, and overall, it is grass, so it will eventually require about the same maintenance as a lawn that has been correctly seeded. However, sod installation tends to produce stronger, hardier grass that typically requires less re-seeding, weed-pulling, or pest control year over year.