When lawn replacement is necessary, which solution should you choose?
Over time lawns can become damaged or worn for a variety of reasons. Life happens, but as with all things, it’s how you choose to deal with the problem that matters.
Many homeowners labor under the misconception that seeding is less expensive than installing sod when replacing a lawn, and in some cases that may be true – but not as often as you might believe! Here at Western Turf Farms, our clients often see prices as low as $2.00 a square foot for a professional sod installation, with the added benefit of achieving a ready-to-use lawn that looks great from day one. In the Vancouver area, small lot lawns tend to be around 1,250 square feet. At $2 a square foot, homeowners can replace their entire lawn for about $2,500 once installed – and that’s an investment that should last ten years or more if properly maintained!
Here’s a look at 4 situations where we strongly encourage homeowners to sod instead of seed:
Putting it in perspective: Most hardwood floors will cost at least $12.00 per square foot to install!
Chafer Beetles Destroyed Your Lawn
Some of the most extensive lawn damage we’ve seen lately has been courtesy of the invasive chafer beetle. With grubs feeding on grass roots throughout much of the year, lawns can quickly become wilted and brown as they struggle to acquire much-needed nutrients and water. Above ground, birds and small mammals act as mini roto-tillers as they search out a meal of grubs. The end result of chafer beetle infection is often wide sections of lawn, damaged beyond repair.
When this happens, we strongly recommend that homeowners replace the damaged lawn with sod rather than seeding. Chafer beetles are attracted to patchy lawns because the open spaces allow them easy access to the soil below, meaning a newly seeded lawn will be particularly attractive during the first year while grass becomes established. Alternatively, installing sod immediately creates a dense, difficult to penetrate covering for your yard, rendering it less appealing to the chafer beetle. Once installed, homeowners can significantly reduce the risk of a second infection by promoting the long-term health of their new lawn through regular maintenance and a beneficial fertilizer regimen.
Learn more about chafer beetles and protecting your lawn by visiting our blog: How to Keep Your Vancouver Lawn Safe from the Chafer Beetle.
Weeds and Moss Took Over Your Lawn
Much like with the chafer beetle, patchy lawns are also subject to being taken over by weeds and moss. These aggressive colonizers often move in when lawns are struggling, and significantly detract from the aesthetics of your lawn. Worse still, they’re often a sign of poor soil quality – likely the reason the lawn is struggling in the first place. Unfortunately, there isn’t necessarily an easy fix, as killing the invading weeds and moss with herbicides typically results in killing the surrounding lawn as well. Aerating, overseeding, and fertilizing can be effective over long periods of time, but at the cost of a significant investment in time and materials.
Over the years, we’ve found that the most cost effective way of repairing a lawn lost to weeds and moss is by not repairing it at all. Instead, we recommend that homeowners replace the lawn entirely, starting by addressing the soil quality issues that are likely the root cause of the problem. By amending their existing soil with a quality topsoil like our ProSoil Turf Topping Soil Blend, homeowners can immediately improve the nutritional quality and structure of their soil – the better to support a beautiful lawn! By pairing healthy soil with a sod variety that performs well in their unique climate, homeowners can create a resilient, low-maintenance lawn they’ll enjoy for years to come.
Some lawns may also benefit from the addition of garden lime, as heavy concentrations of weeds and moss are one signal that your soil may be too acidic. Learn more about what garden lime is and when you should consider using before applying lime to your lawn.
“Every day a 5×5 foot area of lawn produces enough oxygen to support 1 person.” How many people does your lawn support?
Your New Lawn is Ready to Use, Immediately!
Unlike with seeding, sod can be installed at any time of year – so long as the ground isn’t frozen. By following our simple watering instructions to encourage establishment, homeowners can achieve a healthy, fully established lawn within a matter of weeks – one that looks great and is immediately ready to use from day one.
When Curb Appeal Matters
In house hunting, the first impression of a home’s exterior can make the difference between a “let’s check it out” and a “definitely not!” so it’s important for your home to put its best foot forward, starting with the lawn and landscape. It’s a well-documented fact that people are willing to pay more for a home with curb appeal, and a large part of that is the subconscious message the exterior sends. A well cared for lawn and landscape suggests that the current homeowner takes pride in maintaining their property – inside and out. Likewise, a weedy lawn may imply the opposite and leave buyers wondering what else has been neglected. For this reason, we often meet homeowners who are looking to improve their property’s curb appeal by repairing their lawn or installing a new one altogether. Having our professional crew install a new sod lawn is a cost effective way to quickly improve curb appeal, so get your home sold sooner and earn your investment in a new lawn back a few times over!
Lawn Replacement – The Takeaway
Installing a new sod lawn is often the most cost effective way to repair or replace a damaged lawn, regardless of how it came to need it. To learn more about professional sod installations or to ask questions about which sod product is right for you, give us a call! We’re here to help.
