Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

Seed or Sod a Lawn? What's Involved?

Preparation
Seeding a lawn
Laying sod
Maintenance
Patch, patch, patch

To produce a lawn you can grow it from seed or lay down sod. There are pros and cons for both, cost being a key factor. A roll of sod is more expensive initially than grass seed and while it requires more work to install, it does produce an instant lawn. Seed, on the other hand, requires a continued effort to maintain and nurture. Both require considerable amounts of water which can be costly depending on the water rates in your area.

In general warm-season grasses grow in Southern states and cool-season grasses are adapted for Northern climates. Warm-season grasses grow during the summer months and cold-season grasses grow in the spring and fall when temperatures are cool. If you're uncertain about the types of grass that grows well in your area ask at your local nursery or garden center where they'll suggest not only the type of grass but what is suitable for the conditions around your house.

Preparation

This is the grueling part of creating a lawn because it's the most labor-intensive. It goes without saying that the extent of work depends on how much property you have to seed or sod. For large areas consider renting power equipment, smaller patch jobs can be done using hand tools.

If you're seeding or sodding the lawn of a newly built house you'll probably need topsoil and grading. This is a job to hire out because it involves dump trucks full of soil that need to be spread evenly across the property. Check to see that the soil is graded or graded at a slight slope away from the house so rain and snow will drain away from the foundation.

Before you begin preparation of the soil its a good idea to test the soil to see if it needs amendments. For lawns you soil should have a neutral pH level which is around 6.5. To raise the pH level add lime and to lower it add sulphur. The results of a soil test spell out exactly how much material should be added to your particular soil.

Since you're working outdoors it's obvious that the milder the weather conditions, the better. Remove any plants, rocks, roots, weeds, sod, whatever is taking up space where your new lawn is planned. Use a shovel, hoe or spade to turn over the soil and hand pick what you have to remove. For a large expanse of lawn rent a rototiller from a rental center to help you push and move the soil around. A wheelbarrow comes in handy to haul away debris.

When the soil is cleared add granular nutrients and amendments indicated in your soil test using a drop or broadcast spreader. Go back over the area and check for any low spots. Give the area a final raking to break up any remaining clumps of soil and then water the area to bring down the dust and work the materials into the soil so they don't blow away.

Seeding a lawn

In general a planting rate of 3 lbs. of grass seed per 1000 sq. ft. will yield a nice lawn and not break your bank account. Be sure to follow the recommendations on minimum coverage printed on the package of grass seed because some grass mixtures should be applied at higher rates.

Use a drop spreader to dispense the seeds over a large area because it is more accurate than a hand held broadcast spreader. In some areas like a tight corner you may have to spread the seed by hand, or use a hand held broadcast type spreader.

Use a rake to gently push the seed into the soil. Be careful not to bury the seed too deeply. Sow the seed no more than 1/-4 in. deep in the soil. Then use a lawn roller (available at a rental center) to roll the seeded area.

Next you have to protect the seed with a very thin layer of mulch to prevent the seed from being blown away and to help contain moisture in the soil. Water the soil by soaking it down to a good 1/2 foot and continue watering with a fine spray mist until the seeds germinate. Some seeds take as long as three weeks to germinate so continue watering at least once a day. After the seeds germinate and begin to sprout you can use a standard sprinkler to water.

Laying sod

Laying down sod is often compared to installing wall-to-wall carpeting but we don't see any similarities. Sod is a lot heavier and usually it covers a much larger area than carpeting.

To determine how much sod is needed measure the area for the new lawn. Sod is often sold in 2-foot wide strips of varying lengths. Check with the nursery or sod farm where you plant to purchase sod to find out the exact dimensions of their rolls. For example, many sod rolls are 3-feet long so each roll covers 6 square feet. If you are putting in a 1000 square foot lawn then you will need about 170 rolls of sod.

This material will weigh over a ton so don't even consider transporting it yourself. Have the sod delivered to your house preferably a day before you can lay it. This is especially important during hot weather when the sod rolls dry out when they are left standing in the sun. Water the soil the day before you plan to lay the sod.

Begin laying the sod along a driveway or sidewalk so you can work from a straight edge. Arrange the individual rolls end to end butting their ends together so the seam is nearly invisible. Gently press the ends together. If the sod rolls don't unroll and lie flat it may be necessary to sprinkle them with water to soften the soil. This will also help the end joints go together.

After laying one row and while beginning the next stand back to get an overview of the joints so you can plan the layout of the next row. Think of the pieces of sod as if they were bricks and stagger them so the joint of the next row doesn't line up with the joint of the first. Begin the next row with a shorter piece so it creates an offset joint without any telltale line. You can easily cut the sod rolls with an old kitchen knife. To trim off pieces of sod along a walkway or other hard surface use a spade.

Maintenance

When the sod is in place or at least as much as you can lay in a day, soak the sod with water. Don't move the sprinkler until you can lift up a piece of sod and see that the soil beneath it is wet. You'll see that the edges sometimes roll or curl up because they dry quickly so make sure they get plenty of water. Continue watering and avoid walking on your new lawn until the sod has firmly established roots in its new soil which depends on rainfall and good growing conditions.

Ideally a light gentle rain will frequently fall on your newly planted seed or sod but most likely you'll have to plan on watering on a regular basis to nurture your new lawn.

Patch, patch, patch

Both grass seed and sod can fill in bare spots in lawns. If you have a special problem shady area where grass doesn't thrive consider a specialty grass seed created specifically for that situation. There are many more varieties of grass seed than sod. On the other hand, if a bare spot or area has heavy foot traffic choose to lay down sod which gives you a more instant lawn covering than seed.

If you're seeding over an area rake it thoroughly to remove any build up of thatch and scarify or make light cuts in the soil where the existing grass grows. You need to stir up the soil so the new seed can make contact with the soil.

written by Gene and Katie Hamilton

Back to Home Improvement Preview Lawn And Garden Preview Home Decorating Shopping Center