Atlanta Sod Guide: How to Select, Prep and Install the Best Grass

Categories: Gardening, Landscape Design, Sod

A healthy lawn is an extension of your home. According to the Georgia Urban Ag Council, landscaping can not only increase your property’s perceived value by 11%, but also boost your health, quality of life and the environment, as green spaces encourage community gatherings, promote exercise and are even linked to lower blood pressure and reduced stress. And that isn’t even counting the benefits of manual labor for your body. However, for homeowners with a lawn to nurture (or begin), choosing the right sod to plant can be overwhelming. We’ve broken down the process step by step, so all you’ll be seeing soon is green.

Before You Start

So, you’re dreaming of a pristine patch of turfgrass that will make your neighbors green with envy, but don’t know where to begin?

Pause for some self-reflection, and then create a checklist not only about what you want in a dream lawn, but also the realistic work you are willing to do to achieve it. Remember that there isn’t one-size-fits-all grass; rather, perfecting your patch is more like solving a puzzle. According to Hillary Thompson, an expert horticulturist and communications director at Super-Sod, there are several key questions to ask yourself before selecting sod:

• Sun Versus Shade? The top concern Thompson hears from homeowners is about shade tolerance. All grasses need sun to grow, and deep shade is a limiting factor when choosing the right grass for your yard. If necessary, consider moving low-hanging branches from trees to help let in light.

• Traffic and Wear? Think about how your lifestyle impacts your lawn. Do you have kids who play on a swingset or kick soccer balls? Do you have dogs, or do you only walk on your lawn to get your mail?

• Budget for Maintenance? While folks enjoy mowing their lawns weekly and installing irrigation systems, others may prefer something more low-maintenance and drought-tolerant. Regular landscaping services, electric battery-powered mowers or even robotic mowers are all options to help make lawn care easier, but will cost time and/or money. The good news is a landscaping investment is nearly always recovered and can help reduce the time a home is on the market, according to the Georgia Urban Ag Council.

• Evergreen or Seasonality? Are you prepared to reseed annually to stay vibrant through the winter, or are you okay with a grass that goes dormant and brown during cold winter months?

Select Your Sod

Once your checklist is complete, you can find the right type of turfgrass to match it. Here’s your cheat sheet to the species that thrive best in metro Atlanta:

• Bermuda: This warm-weather grass grows well across Georgia, since it can withstand full sun (needs a minimum of five to six hours a day), high traffic and droughts or water bans, which makes Bermuda—and specifically TifTuf Bermuda—a popular choice. But Bermuda requires frequent mowing, so it’s best for active households or those with budgets for proper care.

• Zoysia: Like Bermuda, Zoysia is a warm-weather grass, which means it stays green through the growing season, goes dormant in the cooler months and then resumes its vibrancy again in late March when temperatures rise. This grass is known for its coarser texture,

• Centipede: As the lowest-maintenance of the warm-weather grasses, Centipede is slow-growing, requires less fertilization and only needs mowing every other week—making it a strong contender for homeowners of partial or full-sun yards who prefer a more laid-back approach to lawn care.

• Tall Fescue: Unlike warm-weather grasses, Tall Fescue is planted in the cooler months (September through May) and benefits from overseeding to remain thick and verdant year-round. The fast-growing grass is also more shade-tolerant and has a wider blade that gives it a stiff feel.

• Bluegrass: Also a cool-season grass, this species gets its name from its signature blue-green color and lush, healthy appearance.

NG Turf—a premium grower and sod supplier servicing metro Atlanta, North Georgia, East Alabama and the Chattanooga region—also offers two unique options, Sunbelt Blue or Southern Blue. Created in partnership with Texas A&M, these hearty, innovative hybrids combine Texas and Kentucky bluegrass to endure weather extremes without overseeding.

Grow At Your Own Pace

Once you’ve selected your sod, the next step is installation. While sod suppliers often don’t handle planting, they can recommend a list of vetted landscapers. For those feeling strong enough to tackle the project themselves—or have rounded up friends and family to help—sod is available for pickup or delivery by the pallet, meaning you can plant your yard in pieces or all at once.

The experts at NG Turf say that one of the biggest misconceptions in installing a new yard is the expectation results will be instant. Most new lawns begin establishing within a few weeks with proper watering and noticeable improvement happens relatively quickly, but full strength and maturity take an entire growing season. In fact, the best outcomes happen when lawn installation is planned alongside other outdoor projects, not as a last step.

Regardless of which option you choose, don’t forget that the work for a picture-perfect lawn doesn’t end after the sod takes root. The old adage remains true: the greenest grass is the one you water.