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Instant landscape! Dirt today— tomorrow, lush greensward. That is the promise of sod. And if everything goes just right it could work out. But sod can be an expensive trade-off for traditional seeding or hydroseeding. The advantage of a sodded landscape is obvious—instantaneous, mature grass. In some cases nothing can equal its convenience. Ask a developer eager to open his model homes if he wants to wait for the grass to grow.

"That's the beauty of it, Charlie. Yesterday we sold sod, but now that it's hardened up we can sell it for brick.

What's Under the Rug?
The fallacy of sod is that it can just go off the truck and onto the ground— line up the edges like kitchen floor tile, wet it down and then it's Miller time. The reality is far different. Unless the soil under the instant carpet of green is properly prepared—the same as it has to be for seeding—the roots of the grass will not take hold.
Consider that the sod is grown (from seed) in fields that have been cleared, leveled, tilled and amended to achieve a healthy stand of grass. Then sod cutting machines, set to a minimum depth to avoid taking too much soil, slice the grass away from its root system. The plants, which are in shock, are then subjected to handling. The sod "tiles" are folded and stacked on pallets awaiting installation. Hours or days may pass before the grass comes in contact with soil, nutrients or water.
Sod could be installed on a wooden-floored basketball court and remain green for a time, but eventually it will become nothing more than dry grass. For sod to be successful the soil must be able to immediately nurture the grass and bring it back to health. When this vital step is overlooked by the client and the contractor both are sure to end up unhappy when the sod dies out—an expensive omission.
Healthy sod on nutrient-poor, packed or rough soil, such as on engineered slopes creates a "perched" water interface. This doesn't allow drainage of top-applied water down through the soil or upward movement of water and nutrients to what little root structure is left on the sod. Water trapped in this interface can bring on fungus and prevent the sod from establishing deeper roots.
It is the very ability of sod to remain green for weeks or even months that masks sprinkler problems too. By the time it is obvious that sprinkler coverage is inadequate, the sod is dead in that area. Seeded turf will make such deficiencies obvious early on by stunted growth or simply failing to germinate. Modifications or repairs to the irrigation system can be effected and the area reseeded within days.

The Cost Difference
Typically, sod can run up to 35 cents a square foot—and more—plus installation costs. Traditional seeding will run 1/2 to 3-1/2 cents a square foot and hydroseeding about 15 cents for the same coverage—including labor. Material costs to drill-seed and fertilize an acre, versus sodding, translates to under $225 for seed and more than $15,000 for sod. If the sod fails, it is a significant loss necessitating removal and starting over.
Sodding is labor intensive, taking many work hours. And while just 7,500 square feet of sod would have to be delivered on a pair of ten-ton flatbed trucks, seed for the same area fits in a car trunk.
Sod has been known to transfer soilborne pathogens and nematodes—root parasites that steal nutrients from the already-stressed plants.

A Matter of Choice
Because sod is a perishable, living product that represents a significant investment for suppliers, only the most popular grass varieties in limited mixes of cultivars are available. Seed mixes, conversely, can be formulated to meet the special requirements of a particular soil or microclimate. The low cost, variety and manageability of seeded turf make it the smart choice in all but a few applications.
Sod or seed? The answer's easy when you think about when and where you want your green—today or tomorrow—on the ground or in your pocket. It's your choice.

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