To Seed or To Sod?

A question we commonly receive from people hoping to have a luscious, green yard is: should I sod or seed?

Both are great options to consider, and both come with advantages and disadvantages. Read on as you try to decide how to give your lawn the kick it needs to be thicker, greener, and ready to enjoy.

Let’s begin with seed. If you go decide to seed your lawn, here are a few advantages:

1. Compared with laying sod, seeding is less expensive. Since you’re buying only seed, compared to large, bulky sod, the overall material cost is less. That said in order to prepare your yard for seeding, you may need to consider the cost of renting equipment like a rototiller and sod cutter.
2. There are many types of grass seeds to choose from. You can select the grass or grasses that grow best in your area or that you prefer the look of.
3. Seeding can result in a beautiful, lush yard–as long as you plant it along with the right amount of TLC.

A few disadvantages of seeding include:

1. From start to finish, the seeding process can be quite time consuming. You have to remove any existing grass and weeds, till and prepare your soil, lay the seed, and then wait for it to grow and fill in.
2. With seeds, you have a limited window of time for when you can plant them for optimal results. Spring and early summer are typically recommended for seeding your yard, although in milder climates, late summer and fall are also fine times to seed. That said, if you miss your window, you will not be able to put down seed in your yard until the following year.
3. Seeds are vulnerable to the elements. Birds are likely to see your yard as a buffet, and it is possible the wind and rain could wash away your precious seeds.

Next is sod. Here are several advantages to laying sod:

1. When you lay sod, it’s almost as if you get an instant yard. Though you have to be careful with the freshly laid sod, the turnaround time for outdoor lawn activities is much shorter than if you plant seed. If you’re looking for instant gratification, sod is the closest thing to it.
2. In milder climates, like ours in North Carolina, you can essentially put sod down anytime during the year. As long as you properly water and fertilize, there are few time constraints on when you can lay sod.
3. Though it is possible that you may get a minimal amount of unwanted weeds, you are less likely to get weeds with sod than you are if you seed.

Sodding does come with some disadvantages:

1. Sod is certainly more expensive than seeding. Because of the benefits of having a ready-made yard and no seed to lose, you pay for the pleasure of your instant lawn.
2. Laying sod also requires significant water. If you have an irrigation system, you may need to adjust it to properly water your sod.

So armed with this information, which option are you leaning toward: seeding or sodding? Both are great choices to consider if your yard is mediocre, sparse, or nonexistent. If you’re still not sure how to proceed, we can assess your property and budget and help you weigh the factors to come to the best decision. Let us know how we can help!