Video:How to Choose Sod for Your Lawn

Transcript:How to Choose Sod for Your Lawn

Hi I'm Eric King, landscape architect with About.com, and I'm here to talk to you today about choosing the right sod for your yard.

What Is Sod for Your Lawn?

What is sod? Well, sod is any grass that's been grown and cut into layers about an inch thick and then its either rolled up or cut in to squares and delivered on a palette to your home. The most common types of sod are divided into two categories. There are warm season grasses and cool season grasses. Of the warm season grasses there's Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede and St. Augustine. Of the cool season grasses there's Fescue and Blue Grass.

Consider Budget When Choosing Sod for Your Lawn

To choose the right sod for you, you need to think about several things. The first is budget, cause they come in different prices, next is what part of the country do you live in and what sod is right not only for your region but your yard. Is it full sun is it shade is it an area that tends to stay more wet or gets really dry.

Consider Use When Choosing Sod for Your Lawn

The last consideration is how are you going to use it? Are you going to play sports on it? Is it for recreational? Do you have active children or dogs so the turf would need to hold up to a real beating? Or is it just aesthetics? Something you're just going to look out on from your home.

Prepare the Soil When Choosing Sod for Your Lawn

There's a couple of things you want to do to avoid mistakes. First, you have to have chosen the right sod so look at your yard and know whether sun or shade and pick the appropriate sod. The next is you have to prepare the soil well. It takes a lot longer to prepare it, rake it, roll it than it does to lay it but put that time in and get it smooth. Then, the laying goes pretty fast.

Water Sod for Your Lawn Well

Last, make sure you've watered it well. Not only when you first establish it, but over time as it grows keep water on it until its deeply rooted. If you do that, you'll have beautiful lawn sod. Thanks for watching. This is Eric King for About.com on how to choose and lay beautiful sod for your yard.