Grass Seed vs. Sod: Which is Better for Your New England Home

If you need to repair or replace areas of a lawn, you have options. You can use sod or grass seed to restore a lawn. But like any choice, there are pros and cons to each option that should be considered.

In this article, we will compare sod vs. seed so that you can make an educated decision on what’s best for your lawn. Ultimately, it may come down to your personal preference - however Seacoast Turf Care believes that a stronger lawn starts with grass seed and continues with regular lawn care.

Table of Contents

What is Sod?
Is Sod Better Than Seed?
Avoiding Bare Spots in the First Place
Choosing Lawn Care in Southern NH, Northeastern Massachusetts, and Southern Maine

What is Sod?

Sod is sometimes referred to as an “instant lawn,” and for good reason. Sod is squares (or rolls) of pre-grown, mature grass. It gets placed or rolled out on your lawn in prepared, bare spots. From there, the root system just needs to establish itself in your ground over time (and with some water).

Whereas with seed, you need to wait for grass to grow, sod truly does give you an “instant lawn.” But there are pros and cons of sod that need to be considered.

Is Sod Better Than Seed?

If you’re looking for instant results, then you could argue that sod is better than seed. However, let’s look at the pros and cons of sod as well as the pros and cons of seed.

Sod Pros

Sod will give you immediate results. You can literally go from having bare spots to a new lawn instantaneously.

Because you get an instant lawn, you get the instant benefits of having a lawn like erosion control and reduced weed growth. It’s easier for weeds to creep into bare spots and compete with grass seed than it is with established grass.

Sod Cons

The cost of sod is probably the biggest downside and barrier for most people. In the comparison of grass seed vs. sod, it’s much more expensive to sod your lawn (especially if it’s large areas) due to increased labor and material costs.

With sod, you also have to provide a lot of TLC to ensure the roots become established. When you are talking about a big investment like sod, there is some risk involved in the roots taking hold. Sod is particularly difficult to establish in shady areas.

You will also have fewer options for grass variety with sod than you would with seed.

Seeding Pros

As you probably guessed, in the comparison of grass seed vs. sod, it’s much less expensive to opt for seeding.

With seeding, you also have more options when it comes to grass varieties. At Seacoast Turf Care, we prefer to seed with a Rye Grass Blend that is native to the region.

You still need to give seed TLC, including proper watering, but because it’s a more cost-effective option, people tend to be a little less stressed about this.

As seed becomes established, it has the chance to develop a deeper root system, growing directly into your ground. A strong and deep root system can make your lawn more resilient.

Seeding Cons

What people usually consider the biggest downside when choosing between sod vs. seed is the time involved in establishing a lawn from seed. It is certainly not going to happen instantly (as with sod). It can take months for your lawn to mature.

You won’t get the instant benefits of a mature lawn (like talked about above). There can be more weed invasion in the early stages of seeded lawn growth and some risk of erosion in those bare spots.

Avoiding Bare Spots in the First Place

If you’re reading this article, it’s most likely because you already have some bare spots in your lawn and you’re weighing your options for filling them in. But ideally, you want to take steps to prevent bare spots in the future.

The best way to do this is by keeping up with regular lawn care. Services like lawn fertilization and weed control can go a long way in growing a thick and healthy lawn that won’t require sod. Disease and pests are also responsible for creating bare spots, but a lawn care professional can help you address these issues as well.

We do recommend annual lawn aeration and overseeding to continually fill in thin areas and hopefully prevent bare spots. We seed with better grass seed varieties that are more resilient to problems and help you grow a stronger lawn.

Keep in mind that when we’re talking about seeding, there’s typically a big difference between a professional seeding service and what you can do on your own.

People don’t always realize that many of the bags of seed sold at local hardware stores or big box stores are actually filled with quite a bit of “filler" that isn't actual grass seed. This might not only be a waste of your money (after all, you’re paying for something that isn’t going to grow into healthy grass), but it can actually introduce more problems into your lawn.

If you want to get the most out of seeding, this is best performed by a professional lawn care company that invests in high-quality seed.

Choosing Lawn Care in Southern NH, Northeastern Massachusetts, and Southern Maine

As you compare different lawn care companies, you’ll probably see that there are some differences between what they offer and also what they charge.

One of the reasons that some companies might charge a little more than others is that they’re investing in higher quality products and materials, including better grass seed.

This is important as it directly translates into better results. The type of grass that you’re growing and the quality of that seed is definitely going to make a difference in the health of your lawn. If you’re going to choose to seed your lawn (as opposed to sodding), you want to make sure that it’s done with a high-quality seed.

In addition, you also want to make sure that you’re paying for the best lawn care services so that you can establish and maintain a healthy lawn for the long haul.

When you choose Seacoast Turf Care, you can gain confidence and peace of mind that your lawn is getting what it needs. We’re committed to offering both the best results and the best service. We want you to be able to hand over your lawn care worries and get back to simply enjoying your time outside.

Want to learn more about what makes us a great choice for your lawn care needs? At Seacoast Turf Care, we service NH towns near Stratham, North Hampton, Exeter and many more. Get lawn care pricing for your Southern NH, Southern Maine, or Northeastern Massachusetts property. 

Image Sources: sod roll, sodded lawn, sprinklers