Sod or grass seed: which is better for a Windsor lawn?

How fast you get a lawn

Sod is a finished lawn the day it goes down, and it's ready for normal use once it roots, usually after a couple of weeks. Seed takes a couple of weeks just to sprout, and a full season or more to fill in thick.

Up-front cost

Seed is cheaper to buy and spread. Sod costs more up front because you're paying for grass that has already been grown for you.

Weeds, rain and bare soil

Until seed fills in, the soil is bare. Weeds move in, birds eat the seed, and a heavy rain can wash it into patches, especially on Windsor's clay. Sod covers the soil right away, so weeds and washouts have nowhere to start.

Watering

Seed has to stay damp at the surface while it sprouts, which can mean light watering a few times a day. New sod needs a good daily soak for the first couple of weeks, then less often once it roots.

Timing

Seed does best in late summer and early fall, and struggles in summer heat. Sod can go down any time the ground isn't frozen, as long as it gets the water it needs.

When seed makes sense

Overseeding is a good fix for a lawn that is thin but still alive. Raking seed into thin spots in the fall can thicken it back up without starting over.

Our take

For a new build, a front yard or a lawn that's mostly dead, sod is usually the better choice: you get a finished lawn right away and skip the weeds and washouts. For a lawn that's only thin, overseeding may be all it needs. We'll tell you which at the free estimate.