Nonetheless, there are situations in which homeowners feel that they need a new lawn and need it right now (for instance, when selling a home); in those cases, sod can be a great choice, and the only question that remains is what type of sod you should choose.
How to Choose the Best Sod for Your Lawn
A number of factors come into play when deciding what’s the right type of sod grass for you, including where you live, how you envision using your lawn, and your tolerance or intolerance toward challenging conditions. Where you live usually determines whether you will want a warm-season grass or a cool-season grass. Warm-season types are generally grown in the southern part of the United States. They grow actively during the warmest periods of the year, from mid-April to mid-October. Cool-season types are generally grown in the northern part of the United States. They grow actively during periods that enjoy moderate temperatures: spring and fall. Not everyone uses the lawn in precisely the same way. For example, if you are going to let your dog play on the lawn, that puts wear and tear on it. Dog urine can also damage a lawn. Human foot traffic, too can damage a lawn. Not every grass performs equally well when subjected to such stresses; pick a type that holds up relatively well under these conditions. Some types of grass are more tolerant of particular challenging conditions than others. If your grass struggles to meet those challenges successfully, that will mean more lawn maintenance for you. For example, some types tolerate drought better than others. If your grass is intolerant of drought, that will mean more watering on your part. Some grasses tolerate shade better than others. If you grow a type that is intolerant of shade in a shady area of your landscape, it may perform poorly. If you are faced with multiple challenges, you may not find a single type of grass that successfully meets each and every one of them; instead, you will have to “pick your poison” and adjust accordingly. Here are nine types of sod commonly sold. This cool-season grass has negatives both in terms of maintenance and appearance, including that it requires more water and fertilizer than many other grasses. It also forms clumps instead of spreading through stolons or rhizomes as do many other grass types, a characteristic that can lead to a patchy-looking lawn rather than a nice smooth one. But ryegrass does hold up well to human foot traffic, dog traffic and urine.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7Blade Color: Pale greenLight: Full sunSoil Needs: Well-drained ground, moist, rich, with a slightly acidic to neutral soil pHMature Size: 1 to 2 feet tall
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 6Blade Color: BluishLight: Full sun to light shadeSoil Needs: Well-drained ground, fertile, with a soil pH of 6 to 7; average water needsMature Size: 18 to 24 inches tall
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8Blade Color: Dark greenLight: Full to partial sunSoil Needs: Well-drained ground, with an acidic to neutral pH; low water needsMature Size: 4 to 12 inches tall
Fine fescue may be most valued for its tolerance to shade. But it is also drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant (making it suitable to seacoast communities). All in all, it is superb as a low-maintenance type of grass, including the fact that it does not require much fertilization. But it does not hold up to traffic, either from dogs or people, very well.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 7Blade Color: Dark greenLight: Partial shadeSoil Needs: Well-drained ground, with a neutral soil pH; average water needs, low fertility needsMature Size: 8 to 12 inches tall
Another selling point of St. Augustine grass is that you don’t have to mow it much, a quality that you will appreciate if you value low maintenance. But it certainly isn’t without maintenance altogether: It performs best with adequate irrigation and fertilization.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 12Blade Color: Bluish-greenLight: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Needs: Well-drained ground, with a soil pH of 6 to 7.5; moderately low water needsMature Size: 6 to 12 inches tall
But this warm-season grass withstands human foot traffic, dog traffic, and urine well, and it is reasonably drought-tolerant.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 10Blade Color: Medium greenLight: Full sunSoil Needs: Well-drained ground, with a soil pH of 6 to 6.5; low to medium water needs, average fertility needsMature Size: 9 inches tall
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 10Blade Color: Light greenLight: Full sunSoil Needs: Well-drained ground, with a soil pH of 5 to 6; average water needs, low fertility needsMature Size: 5 inches tall
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 10Blade Color: Medium greenLight: Full sunSoil Needs: Well-drained ground, with a soil pH of 6.5 to 8; low water needs, but requires regular feedingMature Size: 15 to 24 inches
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 11Blade Color: Vibrant greenLight: Full sunSoil Needs: Well-drained ground, that is sandy and of poor fertility, with an acidic soil pH; low water needsMature Size: 8 to 30 inches tall
