Hey, Nice Grass: Establishing a Great Lawn
When preparing to establish a new lawn, the options can be
overwhelming. "Should I seed or sod? What is the difference
between a spring and a plug, and why in the world would I
use them? How did Mr. Lawn Guru up the street get such a
thick lawn? I just want some grass!" Don't let all these
pressing questions drive you to distraction; get in control
of your lawn dilemma and learn which lawn establishment
method will work the best for you, your budget, and your
sanity.
There are a variety of options to choose from when you are
planning to establish a lawn. While each selection has it's
pros and cons, there is no ultimate 'best option;'' it all
depends on your individual wants and needs for your
property. There are four general forms that turfgrass are
available in: seed, springs, plugs, and sod. To best
determine which option is most fitting for your landscape,
do a bit of research on the different types and then
evaluate your lawn based on the information you have
learned.
Using seed to establish a lawn is a popular option because
of it's easiness and lower cost compared with other options.
However, if not done correctly, you can end up spending much
more money than needed. Check the seed container label for
the ratings. Do not buy the seed if it contains more than
10% weed seed. Also check the germination rate, which you
would like to be around 85%. If you end up choosing a seed
with a lower quality rate because it is cheaper, you might
end up having to buy more of the seed to fully establish
your lawn, which will cost you more money in the end. By
choosing a quality seed from a reputable company, you will
be able to establish a grand lawn.
Another bit of information to remember about seed is it is
produced by pollination of grass plants, which produces a
hybridized seed. Though many quality grasses are produced in
this manner, the type or variety of grass you desire might
not be able to be produced by seed. Some popular grass
varieties are sterile and can only be reproduced by
sprigging, plugging, or sodding. Check the variety of grass
you are considering to see if it is available through seed.
The other lawn options all involve vegetative reproduction,
which means the grass you use to establish your lawn will
look just like the parent grass it was cut from. Many grass
varieties are bred for a certain trait like shade or drought
tolerance, and vegetative reproduction will prevent those
traits from being lost. Using sprigs or plugs of grass,
while usually more expensive than seeding, is cheaper than
establishing your lawn with sod. Sprigs are stems or runners
of grass that include two to four nodes, which the actual
grass blades originate from. You can either find them
commercially (where they are sold by the bushel) or you can
pull them from sod yourself.
Sprigging is the least expensive of the vegetative
reproduction method, but it also is the longest to establish
a thick lawn. However, with sprigging you are able to
establish a lawn with the sterile varieties of grass that
you are unable to grow through seed. This is what makes
sprigging a viable option for those who desire a nice
variety of turf.
Plugging involves establishing a lawn using small cuts of
sod, which are about two to four inches in diameter and are
two to three inches deep, which includes some soil and roots
as well as grass blades and stems. This option will help
create a full lawn faster than by sprigging without
requiring as much sod as a fully sodded yard. Plugs are
seldom available in the trade, but you can cut your own
plugs from purchased sod. This is a viable option for
spreading grasses, but it does not work well at all for the
clumping grasses like fescue.
The last method of establishing a lawn is by sodding. Sod is
basically turfgrass that is harvested, cut into manageable
pieces, and transplanted to a new location, where it is laid
down on a prepared surface end to end to create an instant
lawn. The main feature of this method is that 'instant lawn'
creation; there is no waiting for seeds to grow or sprigs or
plugs to fill in bare areas. Sodding is also more effective
in preventing runoff and erosion on a site than a lawn that
was established by seeds, sprigs, or plugs up to three years
after establishment. The downside to sod is the initial
cost, which is the most of all the establishing methods.
However, if it is in your budget, creating your lawn through
sodding is the fastest, most aesthetically pleasing way to
create a lawn on your property.
Whether you choose to create your prefect lawn using seed,
sprigs, plugs, or sod, make sure you prepare the site well
to get the best results. You will save both your time and
your money by taking some time to do your homework and
decide which method will work the best for you. However, be
forewarned: once you have a gorgeous sweep of lawn, all your
friends and neighbors will be coming to you, the new Lawn
Guru, with the very same questions you were tormenting
yourself with earlier. Use your newfound celebrity with
responsibility . . . oh, and send me an autograph.
Carrie P. Williams is a professional landscape designer with
Turf Tamer, Inc. She has written many informative
landscaping articles for Turf Tamer's Tip of the Week
program. Want to learn more landscaping tips and
tricks? Go to HYPERLINK
"
http://www.turftamerinc.com/tip.shtm"
http://www.turftamerinc.com/tip.shtm
to sign up for the 'Tip of the Week' and learn more tips!
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (
http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.574 / Virus Database: 364 - Release Date: 1/29/2004
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
