Resodding your lawn can be a quick and effective way to get a luscious healthy, green lawn. New sod is effectively a hard reset. You take out the old turf and lay down new healthy grass ready for foot traffic within a couple of weeks.
Many people are currently asking us if they need to resod their law, so we’ve made a quick guide to help provide answers:
Does My Lawn Need New Sod?
To determine if your lawn needs resodding, consider the following factors:
What Condition Is Your Lawn In?
If you’re asking if your lawn needs resodding, it’s probably because it’s been in better shape. But just how bad is it?
- Are there weeds?
- Are there signs of disease or fungus?
- Are there dead patches, or significant discolorations?
If you can answer “yes” to the above for at least 50% of your lawn, then it’s usually a good time to restart. An unhealthy base is never going to grow grass well, so it’ll be wise to put down new turf.
If you’ve only got small patches of damaged grass, then you might not need new sod and may be able to salvage the situation with some fertilizer and seeds.
Read Related: Florida Winter Lawn Care Tips to Keep It Looking Great in 2023!
Resodding vs Reseeding
Reseeding is a difficult task, whereas resodding your lawn is an easy fix. We recommend looking at the pros and cons to see if they align with your lawn goals:
| Resodding | Reseeding | |
| Time to Install: | Can be done in a few hours. Will take a couple of weeks to establish the roots. | It takes months to see the full results. |
| Condition and Health: | No weeds or disease. | Unreliable unless significant care is taken. |
| Ready to Use: | Ready to walk and play on within 2-3 weeks. | Within months and potentially still comes with further work to remove diseases and weeds. |
| Costs: | More expensive but has better results per buck. | Cheaper, but can become costly if things go wrong and weeding/disease needs tackling. |
| Labor: | Hard work and requires a professional sod installation team. | Simple, but difficult to do correctly. If things go wrong, you can end up missing an entire year of a good lawn. |
| Best For: | Quick, easy-fix for instant shining green lawns that are set for a healthy future. | Low-budget fixes for minor grass problems. |
When Is the Best Time of Year to Lay Sod?
In warmer southern states, like Florida, we’re lucky that pretty much any season is good for laying sod. But each comes with different results and considerations. We generally recommended the period between winter/spring for resodding your lawn:
- Laying Sod in Winter:
- Great time to replace dead, dormant grass.
- Sod will hit peak greenness in spring – it’s normal.
- Constant watering through winter is not advised to avoid dying out the roots.
- Laying Sod in Spring:
- A great time to get quick results as you begin to spend more time outdoors!
- Keep your sod moist on hot days.
- Water shadier areas less to avoid disease.
- Fertilize your sod to promote healthy growth!
- Laying Sod in Summer:
- Can be difficult to establish sod due to the heat.
- Be prepared to water your lawn often to maintain health.
- The soil needs to be damp.
- Do not overwater, or your lawn will get the disease.
- Water early in the morning to avoid it evaporating in the heat.
- Reduce watering in shaded areas to prevent disease.
- Fertilize your sod to promote healthy growth!
- Taper back watering in the shadier spots since these areas are more prone to fungus and disease pressure.
- Laying Sod in Fall:
- A great time to resod your lawn.
- The lower temperatures and increased rain can mean your lawn will be healthy and green by spring.
- Maintain a healthy watering schedule, taking into account rainfall.
- Fertilize your sod to promote healthy growth!
Read Related: Why Repairing Your Sprinkler System This Winter Could Save You Money!
Can I Install Sod Myself?
Yes, you can install sod yourself, but it requires a lot of heavy lifting so it’s usually best to hire a professional sod installation team.
You’ll need to prepare the soil, level the lawn and then lay the rows.
Sod Installation in Tampa, Florida
Contact All Phaze Irrigation today if you’re looking for new sod installation in Hillsborough County
Pinellas County and Pasco County, Florida.
As experts in sprinklers, irrigations and sod installations we can install new turf that can make for a healthy lawn for years to come.
CALL OR TEXT (727)215-7850 to get started!
