Forum
« Pee-Stained Floors - Follow-Up ? Bay Ridge Restaurant »
February 24, 2009
Seed or sod that is the question
Hey all: I am about to enter my first spring in my new house and am hoping to hear some suggestions for how to get the best grass for the summer. My back yard is 20x60. It already has some patchy grass growing but I think I will have to till it all up and reseed. I am wondering whether anyone has any suggestions as to whether it is better both from a cost perspective and from a long term lawn perspective to try to seed it myself or to get sod put down. any feedback greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Comments
Hopefully you have a really sunny backyard or it will all just go away with time, no matter what you do.
Posted by: Schultz at February 24, 2009 12:26 PM
I have a pretty sunny yard, at least in the afternoon...
Posted by: wasder at February 24, 2009 12:29 PM
We put sod down several years in a row. Our yard is north facing and it just didn't make it, but I loved it while it lasted.
Posted by: Schultz at February 24, 2009 12:46 PM
Wasder - I just had to take a double take as my status update on FB was word for word your forum post title! A couple of friends wrote in to mention some eco-friendly, permeable "fake" grass (not sure I am down with that, but it does save water) and a few people mentioned some "groundcovers" which I gather are like little clover-y type things that cover the ground so you can walk around barefoot and the kids can play, etc. Grass is apparently pretty challenging in Bklyn, the one friend I have who has been successful gets full sun and did sod with a seed overlay and he works on it constantly. Good luck - I'll post more if I get any more info.
Posted by: WTbound at February 24, 2009 1:12 PM
Unless you have a green thumb, a strong back (1200 sf is a lot of work!), and patience to literally watch the grass grow...I'd go with the sod.
Price wise the sod is more expensive, however instant gratification is priceless!
Here's a link to a thread I thought might be helpful in locating a the sod in Brooklyn.
http://ny.gardenweb.com/forums/load/nygarden/msg0618072010081.html
Good Luck
Posted by: NYCBuilder at February 24, 2009 1:13 PM
schultz--how long did it last before dying? My yard is west facing and gets excellent afternoon sun. I wonder if that would make a difference. I don't want to waste a bunch of money on sod if it is just going to die. Is there anything left of your sod schultz?
WTbound--that's funny. not sure I am down with fake grass either but I guess if I run into how hard it is to make real grass grow I might change my mind.
NYCbuilder---thanks. Will check out the link.
Posted by: wasder at February 24, 2009 1:18 PM
Seed. Grass will grow in Brooklyn but you have to get the right seed or the right combination of seeds for your location. It's probably best to hire a local landscaper to do it for you but it will still require work on your part because you will have to water it everyday during the first growing season.
Posted by: Chaka at February 24, 2009 1:52 PM
True, sod is nice for instant gratification. But you have a much, much higher chance of it dying off. And it's expensive. But if you want a lush lawn THIS summer (pending it living!) you're better off with the sod action.
Seed, while more work, is hands on fun and has a much better chance of taking root and living! You just need to do some decent soil prep, spend time getting dirty, be vigilent in watering it and have plenty of patience. Prime seeding time was fall but you'd be seeing results wthin a month when seeding in spring. Again, it won't be lush layabout grass for a few months.
Either way, your best bet is to understand the true amount of sun your yard gets and going with a varietal (sod or seed) that 'fits' your light.
Posted by: MAT at February 24, 2009 1:53 PM
MAT--great advice. Thanks.
Posted by: wasder at February 24, 2009 2:30 PM
wasder, if you are willing to do a little prep work as MAT suggests, and ideally mix a little fresh topsoil and manure in, seed is quick, easy, and cheap. Suggest the Rhizome mix at gardensalive.com and the seed starter mats to cover the seed while it germinates. within a couple of weeks you will have a nice lawn and can taper off the watering schedule. Spring is the best time to plant - once temps get into the 60's. The right seed gives you better drought tolerance than sod. Also, most sod is grown with heavy doses of synth. fertilizer, and sometimes goes through withdrawal (as any junkie will). Better to start fresh and keep it organic. Anyone posting that growing grass is "hard" probably either hasn't tried, didn't do any prep work or watering to get germination going, or doesn't have any sun in their back yard.
Posted by: wyckoff at February 24, 2009 2:52 PM
wyckoff--thanks. So in your opinion I should disregard the grass already growing (patchy) and till it up to start fresh?
Posted by: wasder at February 24, 2009 3:00 PM
Hi Wasder, My husband and I installed sod last spring for our new home. There are two important tips that I would like to add. 1. Make sure that the sod you buy is fresh. We got ours from Dragonetti Landscaping after reading a review on this site. Some places may sell you old sod which has already begun to die. Obviously, if the rolled sod is starting to go yellow then it is dying. 2. Water the sod every day for at least the first two weeks and then perhaps every other day for the next couple of months or at least until you are sure that it is established. Don't saturate it with water, but definitely don't let it dry out.
Our sod has gone a bit patchy, but this is due to two large trees which overshadow our yard so it doen't get as much direct sunlight as we would like. My husband fills up the patchy bits with shade resistant grass seed. We are eager to see how much of the grass will continue to grow this spring, or if we will be back to the drawing board.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at February 24, 2009 3:17 PM
Wasder - we had the sod installed the first time by a landscaper. It did last for several years and we watered religiously. I will not discount the advice of others about soil prep and it has been awhile, so I can't be sure what we did that in that department. I believe what sealed the grass' demise is trees grew and filled in the yard with shade. Give it a shot, you'll at least get several summers out of it and you can figure out if it is worth it to you to do the maintenance for your yard. I still wistfully look at pictures of our yard with grass.
Posted by: Schultz at February 24, 2009 3:32 PM
Schultz--yeah there is a tree in my yard that casts a big shadow when it has leaves. Right now, winter, my yard gets a ton of sun but I don't know if it will in summer.
Turtlejam--thanks! I have some thinking to do for sure.
Posted by: wasder at February 24, 2009 3:39 PM
According to my mom, you can't skip the soil prep. it's the make or break factor. Make sure you are getting the right seed or sod for your type of soil and/sun. Always water either early morning or when the sun begins to go down so it doesn't burn.
It's tricky, I tried really hard last year with the seed route and it all came up beautiful and then promptly died. So I turned to my mom (the greenthumb) who told me I didn't prepare the soil properly (to put it mildly after looking at our soil she told me it sucked). If I want to try again I'm going to have to rototiller in some topsoil, lime and fertilizer. I also need to get a seed that works better in shaded areas and re-apply the seed as necessary as we have a lot of birds that feast on the seeds. Frankly, I am thinking about adding more hardscaping because the whole daily tending thing I did last year was a pain in the tush!
Good Luck!
Posted by: TownhouseLady at February 24, 2009 4:03 PM
Ah, a woman who can use "tush" with confidence. Love it.
Presumably one can rent a roto-tiller. And presumably one can find the right kind of topsoil for the Asshat Hill climate. My heart says seed, but my head kind of says sod. So confused.
Posted by: wasder at February 24, 2009 4:17 PM
Hi Wasder,
We have a north facing garden and laid sod during the summer of 2006 and it's done very well. The ground was prepped and the sod was fresh (actually was cold when the gardener brought it as it was kept in a refridgerated truck to keep it from drying out before installation). We watered religiously and regularly seed during the summer if it gets patchy from kids leaving toys on it for a couple of days etc. We've been happy with it. It's all about regular water and upkeep, but being an Aussie (I think that's you or your significant other), I'd imagine you're used to a bit of gardening...
Posted by: 1842 at February 24, 2009 4:20 PM
There are a lot of groundcovers that are more interesting than grass and don't require the mowing.
Posted by: vanburenproud at February 24, 2009 4:34 PM
My best advice on this, having already tried sod and seed is presented in this thread:
http://www.brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2008/09/removing_small.php
Posted by: phripley at February 24, 2009 4:43 PM
1842--my wife is the Aussie but I do like gardening. Thanks for the feedback. Would you recommend the person who helped you?
vanburen--yeah, but at this stage with the little kids I just really want a yard where they can run around and maybe we can spread a blanket over from time to time.
Posted by: wasder at February 24, 2009 4:46 PM
He's no longer in business - it was Gardel of Gardel's Garden, formerly on S. Portland (or was it South Oxford...) b/t Lafayette and Fulton. He sold his lot where his business was located to a developer. Too bad as he did a good business and was a great guy. Worked his can off though, so I can understand selling and retiring or doing something else. I haven't used any gardeners/landscapers since then since I end up doing most of that sort of thing myself, so, I'm sorry, no helpful recommendation on a good person/outfit to supply sod if you go that route.
Posted by: 1842 at February 24, 2009 5:02 PM
My grass-growing efforts (north-facing yard, mostly shade, some afternoon sun in part) have made me envy Sisyphus, but in a couple of months I'll try again.
Immediate question: Is there a recommended seed type for shady areas in Brooklyn?
Many thanks!
Posted by: BklynJace at February 24, 2009 5:19 PM
Not trying to push groundcover on you, but here's a link that you might find interesting... a nice lawn = a surprising amount of work, and if you've got a small child the last thing you need is another chore:
Posted by: vanburenproud at February 24, 2009 5:47 PM
vanburen--thanks I will check it out. I am open to any good solution. I just want a green nice spot to hang out on with my kids. Thanks for the link.
Posted by: wasder at February 24, 2009 6:35 PM
if you plant grass go with seed.
Posted by: werner at February 25, 2009 12:20 AM
I second seed over sod (though I've admittedly never used the latter...). I've had good luck growing a small grassy patch in my backyard which also faces north. It requires maintenance, reseeding, etc, but it's oh so nice to put your toes in it! I got a shade tolerant seed mix from Home Depot and it worked just fine.
Posted by: herkimermaid at February 25, 2009 4:01 PM
I second the shade tolerant mix (fescue). We had a patchy lawn when we moved in last year and just one overseeding filled in all the gaps nicely.
Posted by: geekspice at February 25, 2009 4:23 PM
When I was much younger and living in the 'burbs I worked for a lawn care company. I'd recommend using seed (a shady fescue mix) if you only have sun in the afternoon. It may not stand up to kids and constant use, since its a finer grass. Sod really won't work too well, and is much more disease and insect-prone.
Posted by: neilw at February 25, 2009 4:23 PM
Thanks all you guys. I really appreciate this feedback!
Posted by: wasder at February 25, 2009 5:36 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.