There is a bit of a trend in Victoria to replace turf with garden beds (and we’re ok with that). But, there are actually many benefits to new lawn and grass areas. A new lawn installation or laying seed to replace your tired old lawn could be the right solution for you!
The most successful grass species for turf areas in the Pacific Northwest is “perennial ryegrass.” It is well suited to our cool climate, disease resistant and moderately wear resistant to high traffic areas. New lawns can be installed using seed or sod.
Sod Installation
While sod does cost more than seed, it is still usually the first choice for residential lawn installations. The most obvious benefit of sod is the immediate results! The new lawn is often one of the final steps in a landscaping project. The contrast from bare soil to lush green lawn creates quite an impact! Sod also establishes faster than seed. It requires less water in the early stages and it can be installed just about any time of year in our climate.
Seed
A newly seeded lawn has specific temperature and moisture requirements. For full germination, perennial ryegrass needs a minimum 7 degrees celsius nighttime temperature for 2 weeks and pretty much constant moisture for 10-14 days. The main benefit of seed is that it is less costly than sod and therefore suitable for large areas. The prep work for seed and sod is generally the same: scrape out the old landscaping, place a layer of sandy soil, then rake and roll the substrate until it is optimally graded. But remember, sod will require another day or 2 of labour for a typical installation, while seed can be put down in less than an hour.
Benefits of sod & grass
A healthy lawn area in your yard has many benefits:
- Property value and curb appeal
- Controls erosion and mud
- Reduces stormwater runoff
- Keeps the yard cooler and produces oxygen!
