Seed Vs Sod for LaBelle Lawns

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Seed Vs Sod for LaBelle Lawns

Service Green • Mar 25, 2020

The Pros and Cons of Sod vs. Seed & which is better for LaBelle Lawns

You can have great looking grass on your lawn! This doesn't have to be a dream. There are a few things that you can do to make your grass look better. Lawns are typically made with either sod or seed. Here is what you need to know about both types.

How to Get Started

Look at the lawn you have now. You may want to work with what is already there, or you may want to start over. You should look at the lawn and examine it for any weeds, diseased areas, or anything that looks out of place. Lawn in the LaBelle area can be quite sandy. Also, you may have a lot of weeds or sand-spurs. If the weeds on your lawn are around 40% or less, you might want to improve what you already have and turn the lawn around. If the weeds are higher than 40% and areas of the lawn are struggling, then you might want to renovate the entire lawn and start over again.

You need to understand the challenges of your lawn soil before you decide whether or not you're going to use seed or sod. It's a good idea to test the soil. You need to understand the organic matter in the soil, the pH level, and how many nutrients you have available for the plants. By understanding the soil, you'll know its ability to support healthy grass.

Your Options

There are two main ways to gain the lawn of your dreams. Though both methods very greatly in cost and set up either method can help you establish a natural-looking and beautiful lawn. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of using sod versus seed.

The Advantages of Sod

The easiest and fastest way to establish your lawn is to use sod. The seed is already grown into sod, and once you get it, it has reached maturity. A yard that has been sodded will be ready to use in around three weeks if you take proper care of it. For a modest cost, the average size yard is installed in just a few hours. Seeding will cost you less, but there are other costs due to reseeding erosion, watering, or overseeding.

Sod immediately controls erosion because it is mature the day you install it. You can install it on slopes to stabilize them or on steep hills. Dust and dirt are filtered from the environment and mud are eliminated. The lawn will absorb carbon dioxide, and it will release oxygen. It also muffles and filters out noise.

The Disadvantages of Sod

It will cost you more to put in sod. There is more labor required. To get an effective result, you may need to hire some trained professionals to install the sod. If it is installed in an incorrect fashion, then the roots may not take properly. You may have an unsightly lawn, and you may have seams that are visible.

You will be limited to the grass varieties that the grass farmer has chosen. You may not have a lawn that matches your home or how you envision that the lawn to look. You will have to seek out farmers that have high-quality grasses. You also have a short transplanting window when you install this so that the roots properly grow. You have to spend a lot of effort and time on your part to ensure that this happens. The sod has to be laid down around 24 hours after it has been harvested.

Another disadvantage you run into is that it requires a lot of work to ensure that the sod takes root. A lot of water has to be provided for the sod in the weeks that follow the sod installation. This is so that the roots properly grow. You have to spend a lot of effort and time on your part to ensure that this happens.

The Advantages of Seed

When you seed the lawn, you become the grower. You will experience the growth cycle of the lawn, and you can influence the lawn. You can influence the lawn from the very germination of the seeds and Sue the reading of the grass. When you start a lawn from seed, there's going to be a lower when you start a lawn from seed, and there's going to be a lower initial cost. Even when you look at the cost of premium seed, this is a lot less when you compare it to sod for a lawn of the same size. You have less labor investment when you install seed. It's quite a simple process to install seed on your lawn. Seeding a lawn is also simple for beginners.

You have a lot of flexibility when you use grass as you can choose different grass seeds to match your environment in growing conditions. The seed will also blend in with the environment better. You can choose grasses that are suited to the soil, light, and the geography of the area. This translates to less maintenance in better performance. You won't have to maintain the grass as much. The grass will continue to grow in the same place that you place it. It grows healthy and deep root systems when the grass is undisturbed.

The Disadvantages of Seed

There is a window for grass seeding. It has to be seeded during the peak of growth time for the individual grass you are using. If you don't seed the lawn properly at the right time, the grass may end up being weak or not grow at all. It may also be susceptible to diseases and insects if it's not seeded at the right time.

The germination of the seeds will depend upon the grass that you use. A newly seeded lawn will require around 10-12 weeks before you can have any foot traffic on it. You may have more maintenance depending upon the weather as the weather can influence the growing speed of the seeds. To establish the seeds properly, you will need proper watering procedures. You have to pay careful attention to the seeds and monitor them as they are growing.

Grass seed can also lead to more erosion. The root system has to establish. Both the seed in the soil can wash away if there is heavy rain and destroy all of your efforts. Grass seed is also vulnerable as it faces competition from weed seeds for nutrients, light, and water. Planting in the fall can be ideal because the weeds will be less active. You need one full growing system for a newly seeded lawn before its mature and dense enough to support lawn traffic.

Soil Matters

A healthy and thriving lawn, whether you use seed or sod, needs good soil, which is often lacking in LaBelle. If you are close to the old Caloosahatchee river, you may You have to make an investment in your soil preparation. This will give you an advantage, and your odds of success are going to increase. However, without sufficient water, no great soil will make up the difference.

For grass to thrive and survive, it has to be rooted properly. Sod can fail because the soil was not prepared properly before the sod was laid down. You want to ensure that the site is prepared in the right way. You need to learn the characteristics of the soil by conducting a soil test. For growing turf, the best type of soil is going to be sandy loam. This is mostly sand that has some silt and clay.

The clay will have to be amended with organic matter like peat. You may have to grade the area and add potassium fertilizer, phosphorus, or nitrogen. This will all depend upon the results that you get from your soil test. You may have to pack or roll the soil slightly. The more time and effort you put into soil preparation to better your results are going to be. This doesn't matter whether you use sod or seed.

Other Options

There are a couple of other options that you can use to ensure that you have a great lawn. They are indicated below.

Hydroseeding - This is a mixture of fertilizer, seed, and material that will retain water. This is sprayed onto your yard. It works for large areas and slopes. You'll get quick growth and a high in germination rate. It's more expensive than seating but less expensive than sod
Sprigs and Plugs - You can start your lawn with some individual plants. This will cost you less than sodding. Sprigs are rooted pieces of sod, and they are around 3 to 6 in. They contain the grass stems but not soil. A plug is about 2 to 4 in. It's a chunk of sod, and it has soil that covers the roots. Since there is a lot of open soil with plugs and sprigs, you can't have a problem with weeds.

Conclusion

Now you know a little bit more about seed vs. sod when it comes to your lawn. It's up to you to decide which of them you want to use. You can always speak to someone at your gardening center or another professional to determine the best type to use for your yard.

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Lawn Care and Landscaping Resolutions

By Service Green • 04 Jan, 2020

The new year is coming quickly and it’s time to make your New Year’s resolutions again. Are you going to do what a lot of people do and break your resolutions within the first couple of weeks? Let’s hope not. Here are some resolutions you can make towards your lawncare!