Restoring your lawn, seed vs sod

Restoring Your Lawn

So you are looking at restoring your lawn and you are not sure of the options. Let us help you with your decision.

The two main options are planting new seed or laying sod which is lawn that has been grown by a sod farmer and delivered to you in squares or rolls.

As with most things in life there are pros and cons with each option. Let’s take a deeper look at what may be the best approach for restoring your lawn.

Seeding Lawn

Advantages:

• More grass types and varieties to choose from
• Less expensive than sodding
• Deeper root system
• There is no thatch layer present which may harbor unwanted diseases or insect pests
• Over seeding by the planting of grass seed directly into existing turf, without tearing up the turf, or the soil.
• Easy to spread, and it only takes a few minutes to do it
• Better to use on yards that are hilly, sloped, or have shaded areas

Disadvantages:

• Initial establishment takes longer – maybe 2 or 3 months before the lawn can be used
• Sometimes, not all seeds germinate and you have to spread new seeds in certain areas of your lawn
• Time of seeding is limited mainly to late summer and early fall
• Moisture is critical for the young seedlings – daily watering
• Invasion of weeds into bare soil
• The area is inaccessible until seed is fully established

Sodding Lawn

Advantages:

• Instant gratification
• Relatively weed-free in the beginning
• Can be laid any time during the growing season
• Sodded lawns control soil erosion on slopes and eliminate problems with mud while the grass is becoming established.
• Instant accessibility to the area
• Sod takes root better than seed and is much more reliable
• Sod doesn’t need as much water as seed

Disadvantages:

• A lot more expensive than seed
• Less selection or control over types of grasses (shade or drought tolerance)
• Labor intensive – harder to install than it is to spread grass seed
• Sod is a crop, and it is grown in sun. When you buy sod to put in a shady area, it will have to adapt.

Contact Us for a chat. We will help you decide on the best approach based on your needs and on your Wauconda or Denver location.

Of course, don’t forget to take into account your irrigation requirements while restoring your lawn.