Sodding & Seeding

A beautiful lawn does not happen on it’s own. It’s a living organism that requires regular care and the proper conditions to thrive. The first step to a beautiful lawn is establishing an expanse of grass. If you do not have an established lawn or would like to start with a clean slate, two options exist for achieving a healthy, green lawn: sodding or seeding. There are benefits to both methods, although most pros weigh heavily in favor of sod. Southern Outdoor Living can review the option that would work best for your yard and budget. Here are a some facts about both sodding and seeding.

Sodding: Installing a cultivated turf that is cut, rolled transferred.

• Allows for a lawn of instant beauty and maturity and fullness without the usual time-consuming process of seeding.
• Year-round installation, even on frozen ground if sod is available. Mid-summer installation requires extra watering and is not recommended without an irrigation system. Fall and spring are most ideal.
• Low water needs following installation - Water at installation to a depth of 6-inches, then light waterings for next 2-3 weeks. Grass will shade soil and prevent drying.
• Minimal chemical control needed
• Low traffic immediately after install. Normal, high traffic levels within 2 to 3 weeks.

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Seeding: Spreading seed over freshly tilled or aerated soil or new soil and spreading fertilizer. (Southern Outdoor Living uses NC State’s highest rated seed for our region annually and only seed guaranteed to be free of weed seed).

• Less expensive alternative to sodding, but does not give instant results.

Installation is recommended in the fall. Spring is also ideal. Not recommended in summer or winter.

• Seeding is ideal for patching up existing lawns where small barren spots exist. Rake out the old grass, loosen the soil and sprinkle seed. Keep the seed very moist with light waterings two times a day for the first two weeks.
• Seeding is also ideal following an aeration. Southern Outdoor Living offers this service in the prime growth months of September and October.
• High water needs following installation- Bare soil will dry quickly. Water lightly for 3-4 weeks, keeping surface moist, begin to apply 1-inch of water per week after mowing.
• Heavy rain storms can potentially wash seed away before germinating if the storm occurs in the two weeks following seeding. Re-seeding may be necessary. Light rain fall is fine and even desirable when an irrigation system is not present.