From preparing the soil to choosing a grass variety, there is a lot to consider when you decide to plant a new lawn. Seed vs. sod is one of the decisions, and many homeowners choose sod because of its ability to provide an instant lawn. Another consideration is what variety of sod to plant. This decision will be based on a number of factors, such as the climate in your region, the amount of sunlight the area receives and how much maintenance you are willing to provide.
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is a cool-season grass, which means it grows during the cooler temperatures of spring and fall and goes dormant when the weather heats up. Some varieties will have a second dormancy in winter. Kentucky bluegrass is a fine-textured grass that is bright green to blue-green in color and requires more fertilizer and water than other varieties of grass sod. Kentucky bluegrass thrives in humidity and prefers full sun, although with proper watering, it will do fine in light shade; water to a depth of 6 inches. Kentucky bluegrass lawns should be mowed to 2 inches in height, with two exceptions: Allow the grass to grow taller during periods of drought and mow it completely to the ground right before winter.
Tall fescue, a medium- to coarse-bladed, cool-season grass, is the workhorse of the turfgrasses. It stands up to traffic and tolerates a variety of soil conditions. It is heat- and drought-tolerant and grows quickly. Because of its fast-growing nature, it can be a high-maintenance lawn, requiring frequent mowing---once a week to 3 inches, according to turfgrass specialists with North Carolina State University. Like most turfgrasses, tall fescue does best in full sun but it tolerates medium to light shade. Give your tall fescue lawn 1 inch of water a week and fertilize in the fall with 2 to 4 lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Water the new fescue sod lawn every two to three days, depending upon the weather, and the lawn should be rooted within three weeks.
Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is a warm-season grass that requires good drainage and lots of sunshine. Bermudagrass thrives during periods when the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit and turns brown when it goes dormant in the winter. It is a durable grass and ideal for areas that get a lot of use. Some of the hybrid varieties are cold-tolerant and finer-textured. Another fast-growing turf variety, bermudagrass requires frequent mowing during the summer months and can invade garden beds. Mow the bermudagrass lawn to 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches.