We all want the best-looking lawn in the neighborhood, but there are many factors to consider when installing your lawn. Aesthetics are important, of course, but location and environment (Does your lawn get sun or shade?) and lawn traffic (Are there children and pets running on it?) are essential considerations. Not to mention the time it will take to do this type of complicated work. Here’s a breakdown of three different types of lawn installation, including the pros and cons of each.
Hydro-Seeding
Hydro-seeding is a practice of combining seeds, fiber mulch, fertilizer and water to promote vegetation in your lawn. To begin the process, your lawn must be graded to break up the top layer of soil. The hydro-seeding mixture is then sprayed directly onto the ground, where it breaks down and becomes part of the soil. The significant benefit of this process is that you can install hydro-seeding on almost any grade, whether it is even, sloped or uneven. In fact, if done correctly, hydro-seeding will improve the overall quality of the soil, thereby ensuring that your lawn is full and healthy.
Once the hydro-seeding process is complete, you must water your lawn consistently, especially for the first two weeks. Hydro-seeding is also most beneficial to bare turf and new construction, for establishing a lush, healthy lawn which may take one to two years. All told, hydro-seeding is a complicated process that requires expert knowledge of landscape planning and grass growth. But while hydro-seeding does require considerable attention to detail, and high levels of patience, your lush yard will most certainly be worth the effort.
Slice-Seeding
Slice-seeding is a cost-effective solution for areas that need over-seeding, or areas suffering from drought or disease. In fact, slice-seeding is the perfect option for dry regions since the process improves the quality of the soil by helping the existing ground breathe and absorb nutrients.
This process requires the use of a slice-seeding machine, which slices into your soil and drops new grass seeds into the freshly-made openings. Slice-seeding will provide excellent results without the expense of removing the old lawn, adding topsoil and seed. Combined with aeration, slice-seeding makes your lawn healthier by improving air exchange between the soil and atmosphere, while increasing the turf density. Once you’ve planted the seeds, your lawn will need to be watered daily for at least three weeks. You should also only consider slice-seeding if your yard gets plenty of sunlight, as the seeds will need plentiful sun to grow.
Sodding
Sod is typically sold in sections made of grass and soil, held together by roots, so sod is essentially a blanket of grass. Once the sod is has been laid, it only takes a few weeks for your new lawn to form, which is why sod is often referred to as an “instant lawn.”
To begin the process, it is essential to make your lawn as level as possible. This means raking your yard to remove any rocks or debris and removing all weeds. Once you’ve properly prepared your yard, it’s important to install the sod quickly by unrolling it in your yard and then watering it regularly. The first time you water it, you need to make sure that you soak the ground thoroughly. After that, you should water your lawn twice a day for a week, then once a day for the next few weeks. Once your “instant lawn” is fully formed, you can water the lawn regularly.
Sodding is a complicated process, and an expensive one to do yourself. Because it is necessary to remove all weeds and debris from the lawn before the sod is installed, it may be best to hire a contractor to complete the sodding process for you.
Which Type of Lawn is Best?
Deciding which type of lawn to install is a complicated decision. Thankfully, hydro-seeding, slice-seeding, and sodding will all work for Virginia temperatures, so the choice comes down to time and money. Hydro-seeding is efficient and relatively inexpensive to install, but it requires a lot of patience before seeing results. Sodding is more expensive, but it ensures that your lush lawn will arrive quickly. Ultimately, each method requires careful planning, knowledge of landscaping equipment, and a thorough understanding of all necessary resources involved. Because installing a lawn is complicated, we recommend choosing Epling to do the job for you.
If you aren’t sure which type of lawn installation which will benefit your yard most, call us today to schedule an estimate. Epling Landscaping and Lawn Service will not only help you decide which lawn is right for your yard; we will help make your vision a reality. Call us today to learn more.
