Characteristics |
Planting method |
|
Seeding |
Hydroseeding |
Sodding |
Sprigging,
stolonizing,
or plugging |
| Species |
All cool-season and some warm-season
grasses |
All cool-season and some warm-season
grasses |
Most grass species |
Many warm-season grasses that
cannot be established from seed |
| Time of planting |
Early fall for
cool-season grasses; late spring for warm-season grasses |
Early fall for
cool-season grasses; late spring for warm-season grasses |
Virtually any time
of year |
Mid-spring - summer |
| Relative
cost |
Cheapest method |
More expensive than seeding |
Most expensive method |
Cheaper than planting by sod |
| Establishment |
May take 10 - 15 weeks before
turf can handle traffic; could take up to 1 year to handle normal use |
May take 10 - 15 weeks before
turf can handle traffic; could take up to 1 year to handle normal use |
Instant lawn, can handle traffic
within 2 - 3 weeks of planting |
May take up to a year to establish
lawn with no spaces |
| Comments |
- Susceptible to weed invasions, vertebrate pests, seedling diseases
- Seed may get washed away by rain
- May take a while to establish uniform coverage; not all seeds germinate
at the same time or rate
- Requires high maintenance with water needs and weed control
|
- Susceptible to weed invasions, vertebrate pests, seedling diseases
- May take a while to establish uniform coverage; not all seeds germinate
at the same time or rate
- Better than hand-seeding on slopes or other hard-to-reach areas
- Water needs are not quite as high as for seeding
|
- Gives the best quality turf of all methods
- Fewer weed invasions than with other methods
- Good uniformity
- Less frequent irrigation required
- Less maintenance than other methods
- Can stop soil erosion
- Good for slopes and other hard-to-reach areas
|
- Susceptible to weed invasions
|
