How to Choose the Right Type of Sod
By ProMatcher Staff
A successful lawn begins by choosing the right type of sod. There are several things to consider, mainly sunlight, climate, rainfall, use and maintenance.
Sunlight. Most grasses need as least four to six hours of full sunlight a day during the growing season in order to thrive. If you have sunlight limitations, you should consider one of the following varieties of sod:
Red Creeping Fescue or Creeping Red Fescue
Velvet Bentgrass
St. Augustine Grass
Poa Bluegrass
Tall Fescue and Hard Fescue
Rough Bluegrasses
Zoysia
Centipede Grass and Carpet Grass
Perennial Ryegrass
Climate. Average summer and winter temperatures are critical in the selection of sod. Be sure to know the seasonal limits of the variety of turf grass you choose.
Cool season grasses are most actively growing in the spring and fall when the soil temperatures are 65 degrees or lower. They include the following varieties of sod:
Kentucky Blue Grass
Perennial Ryegrass
Tall and Fine Fescue
Warm season grasses are of tropical origin and thrive during the scorching summer heat. They include the following varieties of sod:
Bermuda Grass
Centipede Grass
St. Augustine Grass
Kikuyu Grass
Zoysia Grass
Rainfall. Be sure to know the water requirements of the type of sod you are considering. Although you can water a lawn during a drought, you may not be able to avoid excessive rain, so proper drainage is a must.
Drought-resistant grasses include:
Zoysia Grass
Bermuda Grass
St. Augustine Grass
Buffalo Grass
Bahia Grass
Fescues
Flood-tolerant types of sod include:
Bermuda Grass
Zoysia Grass
Buffalo Grass
Use. Identify the use of your lawn. Are you looking for a recreational surface, or simply a turf grass that is resilient to foot traffic? The following varieties of sod are resilient to heavy traffic:
Kentucky Bluegrass
Perennial Ryegrass
Bermuda Grass
Zoysia Grass
Maintenance. Determine the amount of mowing, watering, and fertilization requirements of the various types of sod. Also, consider how prone the grass is to disease and weeds, how often you need to dethatch or aerate it and how easily the grass is to install or patch. Stick to the following sod varieties if you are looking for a low maintenance lawn:
Zoysia Grass
Bermuda Grass
St. Augustine Grass
Buffalo Grass
Bahia Grass
Fescues
About the Author
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| ProMatcher Staff, ProMatcher
Orlando, FL 32803
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