Try a Sod Grass Makeover for your Lawn

At this time of year in the Midwest I begin to miss the greenest grasses of summer. As I rest my head on the sofa, gazing out the window at the brown spots in the lawn, I begin to daydream. I'm a kid again standing in my parent's front lawn. Blades of Kentucky blue grass covered in morning dew, cool my sandaled toes while I contemplate another double cartwheel. On the count of three, hands are up, then both legs in the air, turning like spokes of a wheel. Once, twice, then I'm falling. The Kentucky blue grass catches me and I sit for a moment.

These days I cannot complete one cartwheel, let alone two, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying a lawn full of green grass all summer long. Each year in the spring, I like to plant a different type of grass in hopes of it blending in nicely with greenery of previous years. This year I'm trying something a little different. I'm planting sod grass instead of grass seed to cover brown spots that the cold midwestern winter left behind.

Sod, or turf, grass are pre-grown strips of grass purchased at a nursery to be re-planted in your lawn. Sod is grown on sod farms locally for approximately 12 to 18 months before it is cut into strips to be sold at a nursery. Sod must be re-planted within 48 hours of purchase. Planting sod grass, even as a spot lawn makeover is pricier than planting grass seed. However, it has 5 distinct advantages that, in the long run, may average out the cost difference.

One of the greatest advantages sod grass has over planting grass seed is that you don't have to have a 'green thumb', so to speak, or hire a lawn care service to have a great looking lawn. Sod grass is cut into 4 foot strips that are easy to plant for most. You do need to prep the ground where you plan to plant sod grass and measure the area that is to be planted as well. I went around my lawn and measured, with a measuring tape, the brown spots needing to be filled in and added in a few other difficult areas of the lawn that needed to be perked up a bit too. My total footage came to 24 feet. Since sod grass is cut in 4 foot strips, I decided to purchase 6 strips. The brown spots in my lawn are not 4 feet long, so I asked the nursery gardeners to cut a few of strips into quarters. I also purchased a few bags of potting soil to prep the lawn.

Sod grass is a great way to cover those difficult spots of your lawn that never seem to grow when grass seed is applied. To prepare a brown spot for sod grass just use a hoe or rack to remove any excess weeds or old grasses that might be around the area. Take off about 2 to 3 inchs of existing dirt on the patch and sprinkle potting soil in the area, mixing back sprinkles of old dirt. Next, just place your sod grass patch, gently press into place with both hands, or with a roller, and water daily. You may want to cover with hay, making sure that family and pets stay off the freshly planted sod grass.

The day after I planted my sod grass there was a great storm with 20 to 30 mile an hour winds. In the spring, this is not uncommon for the Midwest. In the mist of the storm I looked out my window to see the sod I planted still there. This is a great advantage sod grass has over grass seed. Once planted, it is able to withstand the harsh elements better. Grass seed can easily be blown away by the wind. Even when hay is placed over grass seed, a strong wind will produce some losses. When this happens, it's like throwing your time and money straight out the window.

One of the best things about spring is the return of birds and other wildlife. Awakening to the sounds of birds chirping and squires at play is delightful. But birds are not on our lawns just to entertain us, they are looking for a meal. Birds, squirrels, possums and raccoons all like to eat fresh grass seed. Birds and squirrels are more likely culprits, but if a possum or raccoon is hungry enough, they will eat a few seeds as well. Planting sod grass guards against these delightful creatures eating up your efforts for a great looking lawn, full of grass.

No doubt about it, sod grass looks great the day it is planted. With proper care, sod grass blossoms into a fully mature lawn within 30 to 60 days. In contrast, grass seed takes 1 to 2 years to fully mature, if it makes it through the initial growing stages. The way to properly care for your sod grass once planted is with water, and lots of it. Water sod grass as soon as it is planted, making sure that the water reaches under the sod and around to corners. Continue to water daily,  in the early morning helping to work with the grasses natural growing cycle. Try using a sprinkler to water your patches to provide consistent coverage. Then just sit back and enjoy your great looking lawn.