Lawns: Seed vs. Sod

It might seem to be an odd time of year to be discussing planting new lawns, but thanks to our mild winter weather, this is the ideal time to seed or sod new lawns. Whether it's seed or sod, our days are cooling and upcoming fall rains will aid grass. And the coming frost won't hurt newly planted grass.

Sometimes one may have to water newly planted lawns several times a day when planted in the heat of summer. This time of year, you can avoid all that hassle. Preparing an area for seed or sod is hard enough!

Whether you choose seed or sod, you should know upfront that preparing the area is the same. The advantage of sod, of course, is that you get an instant lawn. The advantage with seed is that you'll save money and also have more of a choice when it comes to what type of grass you might want.

For example, we're lucky to have The Grass Farm in Morgan Hill. You can get great quality sod close by and at a good price. Prices range from around 25 cents to 29 cents per square foot, depending on the quantity you buy. However, only two types of sod are available.

Dwarf Champion, the most popular variety, is made up of 90-percent fescue and 10 percent Kentucky Bluegrass. Prestige has the same 90 percent fescue, but includes 10 percent ryegrass. The former may look a little nicer, while the latter may be slightly hardier. The choice is really up to you.

Meanwhile, grass seed is available in many more formulas. There are special blends for sun versus shade, show versus play, etc. Again, seed will be less expensive than sod, but you also won't have to worry about a plethora of weeds sprouting up in your new lawn when it comes to laying sod.

Preparing an area for seed or sod means cultivation. Most areas should be rototilled, bringing in organic compost, peat moss, redwood conditioner or some other soil amendment. The area should be raked to remove large clumps and rocks. Of course, if you're removing an existing lawn first, this needs to be removed.

Try to slope your new lawn away from your house. A roller or large rake will come in handy. If you're planting seed, you'll need to gently rake it in and roll it to make sure the seed is in good contact with the soil.

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