You’re finally ready to take the plunge and commit to a new lawn. However, you’re not quite sure where to start. We’re here to clear things up and ensure that you love the grass variety you choose and it thrives at your home.
How Shady is Your Yard?
Before you start selecting your favorite turfgrass type, you need to first ask yourself, “How many hours of sunlight does my lawn get per day?”
Calculating the amount of sunlight your lawn gets is a tricky business. We explain that a little bit more in this video. The best way to determine this is by measuring it when you’re home all day during the spring and summer.
Another way to calculate shade vs. sun is with an app for iOS devices called Lumos: Sun and Moon Tracker. This allows you to track the position of the sun at any date and time in any location, while it also has the capability for measuring shadows.
Warm season grass varieties such as Centipede, Zoysia, and Bermuda all thrive in full sun, while there are select warm season varieties that can survive in as little as 4 hours of sunlight per day, such as Zeon Zoysia.
For areas with heavy shade, Elite Tall Fescue may be your best choice.
How Much Traffic Will the Lawn Get?
Consider what your lawn will be used for. Do you have kids who like to play in the backyard? Do you have large dogs who run around on a daily basis? Or is it more of a showpiece front yard that doesn’t get any traffic?
If you answered “yes” to kids and dogs, you’ll want to choose a grass with high traffic tolerance that can also be used on sports fields, such as TifTuf Bermudagrass. If you prefer to look at your lawn instead and win “lawn of the month,” traffic tolerance is probably of little concern to you.
How Much Water Can I Commit to the Lawn?
Drought tolerance plays an important role in the Southeast where drought conditions can persist for an entire summer.
We recommend 1 inch of water per week for an established lawn, and that includes the amount of water from rainfall.
However, TifTuf Bermuda is an exception with its superior drought tolerance. TifTuf requires 38% less water than Tifway 419 Bermuda and stays green during times of drought rather than going dormant. It can even stay green without additional irrigation during typical conditions. Use the water savings calculator to determine water and financial savings per year by switching to TifTuf. This Bermudagrass is an excellent choice for those without an irrigation system in place!
When considering drought tolerance, you’ll also want to factor in whether or not you have a sprinkler system or plan to install one.
What Grass Texture Do I Like?
How often have you heard, “It’s not everyone’s cup of tea”? Even if you’re unfamiliar with the phrase, you know that each individual has a preference, and the same is true with grass.
The texture of the grass may remind you of the yard where you grew up or simply affect whether or not you think the grass feels scratchy. Nonetheless, texture matters and we want you to love spending time on your lawn!
You can read about the different textures and look at pictures, but nothing compares to walking on the grass to get a feel for it. Come by a Super-Sod store to compare the textures in our sod demonstration gardens. We don’t mind if you take your shoes off for the full effect!
How Much Maintenance Will This Take?
You may love pushing or riding a lawn mower on Saturday morning, or you may dread every time you bring it out of the garage.
If you cringe when thinking of balancing fertilizer schedules, you may be a candidate for a low-maintenance grass like TifBlair Centipede. If you pride yourself on maintaining your lawn and can’t wait to measure out your fertilizer, you may not mind a grass with a higher maintenance level like Emerald Zoysia, which requires a reel lawn mower.
If you prefer ultra-low maintenance, install a robotic lawn mower to go along with your new lawn. A quiet, battery-powered robotic mower provides an always-mowed lawn, and the tiny grass clippings act as natural fertilizer.
How Much Do I Want to Spend?
Here’s the big question. New lawn projects can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, and your budget will largely be a determining factor in your grass type. Don’t worry! There are types of turf for each budget. Even if you don’t want to sod the entire yard, you can sod part of the yard and seed the remainder if you select Elite Tall Fescue, Zenith Zoysia, or TifBlair Centipede.
If you're ready to determine your lawn's perfect match we'll be happy to help! Come by a Super-Sod store or call us at 888-360-1125 so our turfgrass experts can answer all of your questions to help in choosing the best lawn for your new yard!
