2 Billion Square Feet of TifTuf | Drought-Tolerant Lawn

For several years now, we have been promoting the benefits of TifTuf Bermuda, and it’s obvious that many customers have recognized the enhanced values of this grass variety. In only eight years since introducing TifTuf to the market in 2016, the network of TifTuf growers around the world has produced over two billion (yes, that’s billion with a “b“) square feet of TifTuf sod!

But what does two billion square feet of TifTuf really look like?

The typical sod roll measures 2 feet wide by 5 feet long for a total of 10 square feet. That means that two billion square feet is made up of 200,000,000 individual rolls!

This pallet of TifTuf Bermuda has 50 rolls . . . just need 199,999,950 more rolls to get to two billion square feet!

Those 200 million sod rolls would cover : 

• 45,913 acres
• 34,722 football fields
• Ever been stuck in traffic and wish you had a few more lanes to unclog all the congestion? How about an 11 lane interstate (five lanes in each direction with one divider lane ) from New York to Los Angeles ? Yep, you could sod that entire interstate with two billion square feet of TifTuf!
• The Great Wall of China varies in height at certain locations but on average stands approximately 26 feet tall and stretches 13,171 miles long. If we stacked 13 sod rolls measuring 2 feet wide on top of each other (so 26 feet tall) and laid out all of those 200 million sod rolls in that manner, the Great TifTuf Sod Wall would stretch 14,569 miles long – 1,398 miles longer than the Great Wall of China!
• Anyone interested in outer space? Let’s lay those 200 million sod rolls out (so 5 feet long), place them end to end, and then stand them straight up! If you can climb all the way to the top of the TifTuf ladder, you will have traveled 189,394 miles – or 80% of the way to the moon!

This new house has a beautiful, lush TifTuf lawn with seams filling in only two weeks after installation.

TifTuf is growing strong at Super-Sod

Not that we want to brag (okay, maybe just a little) but a significant amount of that 2 billion square feet of TifTuf sod was harvested at our Super-Sod farms.

For many years, even decades, Tifway 419 Bermuda was the standard bearer and the variety by which all other bermudagrass varieties were measured. But that is no longer the case. After only two years of being on the market, TifTuf Bermuda sales actually outpaced Tifway 419 sales. That was the first time in our company's history that any other Bermudagrass outpaced Tifway 419 sales. And every year since then, our TifTuf sales have increased.

In essence, Tifway 419 is an aging steam locomotive and TifTuf is a Tesla.

Take a look at the following chart:

In terms of actual volume:

• We harvested almost 60 million more square feet of TifTuf in 2023 than in 2017.
• We now harvest over 7 pallets of TifTuf for every 1 pallet of Tifway 419.
• Our TifTuf sales in 2021 were greater than our Tifway 419 sales in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 combined. Amazing! 
• If we work backwards from 12/31/2023 through 1/1/2017 (a period of 84 months), we harvested 134 million square feet of Tifway 419. If we work backwards from 12/31/2023 through 7/1/2022, we harvested 141 million square feet of TifTuf in a period of only 18 months!

TifTuf Bermuda is ready for tailgating at Mercedes Benz Stadium's backyard. This area definitely gets heavy traffic and TifTuf is up to the challenge! Photo by Super-Sod of Forest Park employee, Clark Vernon.

Simply the Best

But what has put TifTuf Bermuda on this trajectory to becoming so popular? Why do we call it a “game changer“ in the sod industry? Consider the following TifTuf facts...

• Drought tolerant - uses 38% less water than Tifway 419
• Better overall turfgrass quality and aesthetics under drought conditions than any other Bermudagrass
• Superior in color and density to Tifway 419
• Better shade tolerance than other Bermuda lawns
• Excellent resistance to traffic and recovery from wear and tear
• Quicker spring green up and better color retention into fall than other bermudagrasses for improved visual appeal

Sunrise over a field of TifTuf Bermuda at our Super-Sod farm in Fort Valley, GA. Photo by Jesse Milner, Outside Sales Manager.

Simply put, TifTuf is just a better product, and its attributes make it far more environmentally friendly and less problematic to maintain than other Bermudagrass varieties. Whether your next project includes a home lawn, athletic field, or commercial job site, choose TifTuf Bermuda – you’ll be glad you did!

The header photo was sent to us from Prestige Landscape Group, Cartersville, GA.