Seed vs SOD

From preparing your garden beds to seed starting, there’s no shortage of things to do in the garden—but don’t forget about lawn care! If your lawn could use some TLC, you can spruce it up with grass seed or sod.

Sod is a strip of fully grown grass and soil.  In the Chicagoland suburbs, the grass is usually a blend of Kentucky bluegrass varieties.

Grass seed is available in a variety of blends, consisting of Kentucky bluegrasses, perennial rye grasses, and fescues, customized to different growing conditions, such as shady growing conditions or high-traffic areas.  All of the grass seed blends carried at Platt Hill Nursery will thrive in Chicagoland suburb lawns.

But how do you choose which is the best option for you?

Here’s a couple of things to consider:

• Sunlight: Kentucky bluegrass needs between six and eight hours of full sun to become a robust lawn.  If you have sun all day, sod is a great option.  If you have a shady lot, you may want to pass on the sod and choose a shade grass seed mix.
• Watering: Both seed and sod need to be well watered when first installed.  Kentucky bluegrass may not weather drought conditions as well as perennial ryegrasses or fescues.  If you prefer not to water your lawn during the height of summer, use a grass seed with a higher ryegrass and fescue content.
• Traffic: If you have kids or dogs, go with a grass seed with lots of hardy fescue seed in it.  Once it’s established, it will hold up to running feet and paws.  Sod may show wear quickly with its Kentucky bluegrass content.
• Time: If you need a new lawn for this weekend’s party, sod gives you an initial “finished” look as soon as it is laid, although it may take up to three weeks to root into the lawn.  Sod also is perishable, and should be installed within a day or two of it being cut.  Platt Hill Nursery gets in fresh-cut sod daily, when weather permits.   Call for availability before coming in!

Grass seed takes one to three weeks to germinate, and then several months of growth before it begins to look full and mature.

• Money: If you’re looking to stretch your gardening budget, seed is the option for you.  It is much more cost effective than sod.

Now you’re familiar with some of the key factors to whether your lawn makeover should start with seed or sod.