You can’t have a great landscape without a great yard! Here at Kelly’s Greenscapes, we understand that the grass always needs to be a consideration. Whether we are building a new patio, or installing a completely new landscape from the ground up, there will be turf repair or installation involved, and it needs to set the stage for the rest of your beautiful landscape.

Even during the design process we are thinking about your lawn! Is there room for your new riding mower to access all areas of turf? Do we need to address any drainage issues that may be affecting the grass? Is slope creating any problem areas? Are we creating a nice, smooth border for mowing along planting beds, patios and walkways – or are we creating a trimming nightmare? We design, and install all elements of your landscape with you in mind. That is what makes Kelly’s Greenscapes your best choice for a new lawn.

A common question every homeowner faces when establishing a new lawn is whether to plant seed or lay sod. Keep in mind, both options require maintenance and care from you, the homeowner, after installation. Watering needs are a little different depending on which option you choose, but both will require regular watering and attention. When installing a new lawn, consider adding an irrigation system at the same time. Our irrigation experts can help design a system that works for your needs. At Kelly’s Greenscapes, we do offer both seed and sod options. Here are a few considerations when making your decision. Always talk to a professional about your particular site and needs before making your choice.

Sod

When you choose sod, you will have a plush lawn much more quickly than you would with grass seed. You will be able to start using and mowing your lawn more quickly, and you can install sod just about any time throughout the growing season. Sod also offers better weed resistance than seed when properly installed and maintained, especially when installing during summer or fall when weed seeds are more prevalent. Prime disadvantages of sod are the limited number of grass species included in sod mixes, which may or may not be well suited to your site, and that the initial cost is much more than seed. Sod is also established with different environmental conditions than your yard, including soil type, sun exposure and water, each of which could potentially lead to complications with establishment in your yard. When first establishing, sod will require more water than seed, as you will want to water deeply from the start to encourage deep root growth.

Seed

Seed is the least expensive way to get a nice looking lawn. This option offers the flexibility to choose from many different varieties and blends of grass seed to suit each site. Seed also gives your lawn an opportunity to establish and grow in your native soil with your unique environmental conditions. With seed, there is a longer waiting period before your lawn will be full, plush and usable. During seed germination, it is important to keep the soil moist and to keep people and pets off the new lawn areas. Even with a professional installation, seed germination may be irregular and a second seeding may be needed. Exposed soil areas also allow more opportunities for weed seeds to move in. Timing becomes important when seeding to minimize the threat of weeds and to provide optimal growing conditions for your new lawn. An irrigation system is extremely valuable when establishing expansive new turf areas with seed. Watering a new lawn started from seed can be a little more difficult than sod, as quantity and frequency of watering needs to be adjusted throughout the first growing season. During germination, grass seed requires small amounts of water more frequently, and as it establishes, it will require more water less frequently.