Making decisions is a daily task for every homeowner. From choosing the best security system to your favorite paint colors, making updates that will offer a lasting pride of ownership and a return on investment is important. With so many options, it’s essential to pick the right one for your home. Choosing the best sod type is no different.
In this article, Peak Sodding aims to demonstrate how to choose the best sod type for your yard in Holly Springs. By considering the different factors to consider—like climate, soil conditions, or irrigation—we hope to take some of the weight off your shoulders and help you make an informed decision.
This lawn required a sod type that could handle full sun and tough soil. TifTuf Bermuda is one of the best sod types for this environment.
Getting Started: Determining Your Lawn Goals
Before you choose a sod type, there are several steps to consider. For starters, is sod the best solution for your lawn goals? Do you have a good understanding of the climate in your area as well as how much shade your lawn gets? All of these questions will help answer what the best sod type is for your yard in Holly Springs.
One important thing to remember is that the unique climate of Holly Springs and the surrounding areas cannot grow all turf types. If you are more accustomed to sod types that are green year-round with little care, you are going to have some tough choices in North Carolina. Due to being in a transition growing zone, we have the freedom to choose from a wide variety of different sod types, but every sod type comes with its pros and cons.
In order to understand if sod is a better option than promoting turf directly from seed, read our comprehensive guide on whether sodding or seeding is right for you. When it comes to the other criteria, we’ll dive into that next.
Sun or Shade?
Many homeowners don’t initially take into account the amount of daily sunlight their lawns receive. For yards with heavy shade, warm-season sod types like Bermuda, Zoysia, or Centipede may not be best as they require a lot of sun (4-6+ hours of sunlight per day) to facilitate their aggressive growth.
That said, Zoysia is a grass type that can tolerate shade much better than its warm-season grass counterparts (as low as 4 hours of sunlight per day), especially the higher grade varieties. If you find yourself with a lawn with more shade than average (less than 4 hours of sunlight per day) the best sod type is Fescue due to its cool-season nature and preference for areas that are cooler with greater moisture retention.
Centipede grass, on the other hand, can thrive in areas that don’t provide constant exposure or in yards that receive full sun. For homeowners with a mix of shade and sun, centipede grass does surprisingly well. While Centipede is one of the best sod types for these conditions, soil conditions can greatly influence how effective it may be.
Zeon Zoysia is one of the best sod types for mixed shade lawns.
Consider the Soil
We previously discussed how the condition of your soil may hinder your sod installation in Holly Springs. Some of the best sod types, like Fescue, prefer a neutral soil PH which means additional topsoil may be necessary to ensure a successful sod installation. If your soil is not the proper PH, especially in a landscape with many pine trees or clay-based soil, a screened topsoil will contain the most neutral base PH allowing for an easy transition. For further maintenance, once the sod is installed, consider using granulated limestone yearly to boost the soil alkaline.
Grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia are able to tolerate a broader range on the PH scale. Even still, these sod types still prefer the ideal neutral PH as it allows them to be more receptive to the proper nutrients meaning greener, and fuller turf! That said, sod types like Centipede actually prefer acidic soil. This is a great option for those with many pine trees and loose soil.
Beyond the PH, it is also very important to consider the type of soil you have. Is it clay-based? Is it more sandy? These are incredibly important as shallow rooting sod types like Centipede struggles greatly with compacted clay soil, but thrives in loose sandy-based soils. Bermuda and Zoysia, on the other hand, can perform exceptionally well in compact soils due to their aggressive deep root system.
How Much Maintenance Does My Sod Need?
When it comes to those with an already busy lifestyle, you don’t want to spend your nights and weekends mowing and watering the lawn. The best sod type for maintenance depends upon your preferences. While many consider Fescue the best sod type for its year-round green color, it often requires far more regular mowing and watering to keep it looking its best, especially during the hot Summers.
Warm-season sod types perform better in this category. But you should consider the specific sod variety you choose. Some types of Bermuda grow exceptionally with very little water and only need to be cut once every to every other week. Others will require weekly watering to ensure hardiness. Zoysia and Centipede are very similar in this way. North Carolina State has a great resource for those who want to research exactly what your specific sod type may need: NC State Turf Files
In fact, some of the higher grade sod types like Zeon Zoysia and TifTuf Bermuda boast better-than-most cold tolerance. Meaning longer growing seasons and longer-lasting green color.
If you are fortunate enough to have an irrigation system, this will relieve much of the headache that comes with higher maintenance sod types.
Choose What Sod Type Is Best For You
While many homeowners have great conditions that are conducive to a variety of grass types, it ultimately comes down to what type of sod you want for your yard in Holly Springs. Perhaps you walk to walk barefoot on a cloud of turf, or maybe you just want something that can handle your Thanksgiving football game! No matter what, we want to make sure you get the best sod type for YOU.
So, considering your personal preference, what are the key drivers that are most important to you? Thickness? Easy maintenance? Color? Soft to the touch? It’s important to consider how often you want to invest time into maintaining it as well as the final product you’re looking for in a lawn. Finding a happy medium between ‘want’ and ‘need’ is the overall goal!
Thoughts From the Pros
Whether you’re considering the amount of foot traffic or how much you’ll need to water the lawn, one of the four staple sod types is right for your sod installation in Holly Springs. Taking into account the amount of sunlight and shade in your yard, the number of maintenance needs, and the condition of your soil, consider researching directly through one of our suppliers Carolina Turf Farms!
This isn’t an exhaustive guide on how to choose the best sod types for your yard in Holly Springs, but it’s a good starting point to begin the conversation of transforming your lawn. Our family-owned company understands the pride you take in your lawn and we’re excited to extend our knowledge and expertise to ensure the best grass type for your lawn. For more information on how we can serve you, visit us online.