Grass is probably one of the most widespread plants in suburban and urban areas, and it creates large green spaces on lawns in a manner that no other type of plant could. However, in order to transform a browning lawn or an empty stretch of dirt into a lush green carpet, you will need to have it sown with grass seeds. There are three main methods of sowing grass, each of which carries a distinct set of characteristics and drawbacks. Understanding the differences between each method can help you choose the best way to create your perfect lawn.
Sod
Sod is made up of several pieces of topsoil that has fully grown grass already in it, which can be simply layered over a dirt lawn and allowed to take root. The advantages of installing sod in your yard is that you won't have to worry about weeds, as there is only grass on pieces of sod, and that you basically instantly get a fully grown, lush lawn after installation. Further, sod can help reduce and prevent erosion in your yard.
However, sod can be fairly expensive, especially depending on the size of the area that it is being installed in, due to it being professionally grown. Further, sod requires a massive amount of watering and maintenance after installation to ensure that it takes root in your yard: if it does not receive this care and attention, it will quickly wither and die, leaving you exactly where you started.
Hand Sowing
Hand sowing grass seeds is a great way to spruce up your yard yourself, and it only requires purchasing a bag of grass seed at your local hardware store. Then, you can spread and water grass seeds across an aerated lawn. The main advantage of doing this is cost: you won't have to pay for professional installation and can do it yourself.
However, it is extremely labor intensive, which means that it may not be ideal for growing an entire lawn, but rather for sprucing up a small section of an existing lawn.
Hydroseeding
Hydroseeding involves spraying a mixture of seeds, mulch, fertilizer, and other additives designed to help the grass grow onto a large area. These additives will help reduce erosion, provide nutrients to the grass, and keep moisture close to the seeds, allowing for a lush and thick carpet of grass to quickly take root. The main advantage of hydroseeding is speed, since the installation process is extremely quick and the additives will help you see grass growth within days.
However, hydroseeding is an expensive process, which means that it may not be ideal for every landscaping project. Furthermore, the additives will also help any plants that are already growing in your yard, which means that you may see extreme weed growth right after installation, which will require a large amount of maintenance to have them removed.
Share30 August 2017
About a year ago, I realized that part of the reason the plants in my yard kept dying was the fact that they were planted in the wrong places. I didn't pay much attention to which plants needed certain amounts of light, and it was costing them their lives. Several of the plants were really struggling to live, and it was really hard to see. I realized that if I ever wanted to make things right, I would need to create a landscaping plan that would work well for the natural landscape of my yard. This blog is all about understanding landscaping.
