Sod/Seed
When putting in a new lawn the hardest question you will have to decide will be---Should I use seed or sod? Below you will find some general information on the advantages and disadvantages of both. If you have any questions regarding this subject or any thing pertaining to gardening or landscaping, please e-mail me at oregongardeningdude.com
Cost is a factor
The big factor in this is money. Seed will run you around 2 dollars a pound. Figure 1lb covers 200 sq ft. A 5,000 sq ft lawn would cost about $40.00. Add a bag of fertilizer and you have a rough cost of putting in a seed lawn. Also figure in something to cover the seed with. Peat moss works great, it holds in the moisture and helps keep the birds out. Use just enough to cover the seed. You don't want the seed to dry out. In about 10 days you should see some grass sprouting up. Sod is a instant lawn.Sod will run you around .30 cents a sq ft. A 5,000 sq ft lawn would cost about $1500.00---plus a bag of fertilizer.
The trouble with seeding a lawn are the weeds
that will show up to compete with your grass
seed. One way to prevent weeds from overtaking
your new lawn is to wait a week after you
have rototilled your yard and spray the weeds
with Round-up and rototill again. If you
don't want to use round-up--just rototilling
will also help in keeping the weeds down.
Most likely you will have to over-seed a second
time to fill in spots where the grass seed
didn't germinate.