Do I choose sod or grass seed?

To obtain a beautiful lawn, you have the choice between sod (grass mats), grass seed and artificial grass. In this article, we will focus on the first two possibilities and their advantages and disadvantages.

Grass sod

✔️ You immediately have a beautiful lawn
✔️ After three weeks, the lawn can already be played on
✔️ The grass does not contain any weeds. Because the soil is completely covered, weeds cannot nestle between open spaces. After installation, weeds can of course grow because birds drop weed seeds.
✔️ Grass sod can be laid almost all year round, with the exception of very warm and dry periods or wintry weather

❌ Sod is more expensive than grass seed
❌ You have much less choice between different grass varieties (e.g. Water saver). Grass turf is only a solution when you want a standard playing lawn
❌ You can lay the sod yourself, but to obtain a good result it is advisable to call in a professional. They will make sure that the surface on which the lawn is to be laid is flat and perfectly prepared, and guarantee a beautiful finish. Using a garden contractor also increases the bill

Grass seed

✔️ Sowing your own turf is up to 5 times cheaper than having it installed
✔️ You have a wider choice of grass varieties, and can also adapt them to your needs and type of soil (e.g. Water saver for a dry soil, Mow saver for a slow growing and easy to maintain lawn, Patch magic for a damaged lawn with dog urine spots...
✔️ Are you sowing in the autumn? Then the chance of weeds growing is small! With the SOS grass seed you can also continue to sow in the winter (from 5°C).

❌ No instant results so you will have to be patient
❌ Getting started yourself is more than just sowing the grass; it requires good preparation! First of all, you have to stir up the soil and fertilise it. Do this 1 week before sowing so that the fertiliser can penetrate the soil properly. Choose an organic fertiliser such as Recovery from Viano. For larger areas it is advisable to use a cultivator. Before sowing, also add soil improver to create an airy and nutrient-rich soil. This will ensure that the seeds germinate better and faster, and stimulates the root growth of the grass. At this stage you can also add some extra, such as perlite to make a heavy soil lighter or bentonite to weigh down a sandy soil. Then you can start sowing. Always do this crosswise (first widthwise and then lengthwise) so that the seed is distributed nicely and evenly. Water sufficiently afterwards, especially during dry periods.

Our advice?

Of course, the choice between grass seed or turf is a personal one. For small gardens, we recommend turf because the price difference with sowing grass is relatively small and you can enjoy a beautiful lawn instantly. For a large garden, it is much cheaper to sow yourself but we recommend doing this in the autumn so that you have less weed growth.

Tip from Marcel

Do you choose to sow yourself? Then do it in the autumn!

In the autumn the grass does not come up as quickly but the weeds also go dormant. This way you will have less chance of overgrowth between the newly sown lawn. Do you sow in the spring? Then the weeds will grow faster than the grass seed, so you have to pull them out immediately. Prevent weeds by mowing the lawn at least once a week (or even twice a week). This will exhaust the weeds and make them less likely to develop.

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