Seed or sod?

[NNN0LHI]

Here is my experience.

When we moved into this house in 1989 it was bank owned. The previous owner must have never got the money together to do any landscaping.

The yard was dirt and weeds. Mud after it rained. About a third of an acre. Needed some grass for my kids and dogs.

Couldn't afford to have the entire lot sodded so we had half sodded and the other half seeded. Sod for half was a few grand. Seed for the other half was a few hundred ducks. The seed came from the same company the sod was grown with so it was identical. Same black dirt hauled in too. About the same amount of sun and shade too.

Well after over 20 years of caring for it I can firmly say I wish I had seeded the entire thing. The seeded area is just about maintenance free. Thick, no weeds, green, can take a drought no problem. Just cut it.

The half that was sodded is a constant pain. Browns out easily. Takes a long time to recover after winter. Twice as long as the seeded area. Something all the time going wrong with it.

Probably never need to do this again myself but I am sure others will so I hope this information helps.

Don

[Warpy]

1. You really have to prepare what goes under the sod

and then roll it so that the roots make contact with and penetrate into the soil under it. You can't just lay it, roll it once, and forget it.

Sod is great if you're selling your house and want a fast lawn. It really doesn't work well for the long haul, IMO, unless you're a golf course and have a bunch of guys who are willing to do the work to make sure it takes.

Seed is the way to go, you're right about that. I could never afford sod, so seeding is what I always did.

[NMDemDist2]

2. funny, my experience was exactly opposite

when we installed the pool in Phoenix, the yard was a mess. we had tried seeding and seeding previously but always had patchy and weedy results, never a good lawn. after the pool we decided the heck with seed, we ordered sod. we did do some prep but no tilling, just added amendments and raked and dug em in. the sod went in and was great year after year. no weeds, no patches and took much less water in the Arizona summers.

i'm in New Mexico now and am seeding and seeding, but with very poor results. since we just added a deck, patio and storage building my budget isn't ready to order in sod, but i sure wish i could!

[Kolesar]

3. You seed in the North, sod in the South

Or so I read. YMMV

[trud]

4. kolesar

Why? Any idea?

[txlibdem]

6. Have you thougth about hydromulching?

http://www.northtexashydromulching.com/hydromulching
Quoting:
"considerably cheaper than laying sod/turf and quicker than using seed."

[Po_d Mainiac]

5. That tall grass beside the road thats turning brown about now

Thats the toughest grass around...just strip the seed off by hand, rake it in a bit, and water it for a few days.

And it's cheap!