Austin Sod Installation Companies

Sod Installation in Austin

Sod Installation in Austin Texas – Choosing the Right Warm Season Grass

Which type of grass is best suited for the climate in Austin, Texas?

Austin’s climate is hot and humid, making it essential to choose the right grass for your lawn. You need to be looking for “warm season” grasses that are a fit for the climate zone here in Central Texas.

Here’s a brief rundown of the most common varieties of grass used in residential settings by austin sod installers as well as commercially throughout the Austin area.

Bermuda Grass

It is a warm-season grass known for its robust growth. Bermuda grass spreads aggressively and has a fine texture. It is drought-tolerant, can handle heavy foot traffic, and establishes quickly. Works great for your backyard, as well as sports fields and golf courses due to its durability

Buffalo Grass

Another warm season grass with a fine texture and a blue-green color. It’s drought-tolerant and needs minimal maintenance. Unlike most lawn grasses, buffalo grass is dioecious, meaning it has separate male and female plants. It doesn’t hold up well to foot traffic nearly as well as Bermuda grass, but it does thrive in many more different types of shade / sun exposure areas.

Centipede Grass (Lazy Man’s Grass)

Also a warm-season grass with a coarse texture and light green color. It’s slow-growing, low-maintenance (which is why it is called Lazy Man’s grass), and has a creeping growth habit. It prefers slightly acidic soils.

St. Augustine Grass

Broad blades and dark green It establishes quickly and has a creeping growth habit. St. Augustine is known for its shade tolerance but requires regular watering.

Zoysia Grass

Fine to medium texture, dense growth, and tolerance to foot traffic. It has a slow growth rate and turns brown during dormancy but greens up in late spring. It works great for lawns as it does for golf courses. Very durable.

The Sod Installation Process

The sod installation process generally involves the following steps:

Site Prep

Once you’ve identified the area where you want to install sod, the site will need to be properly prepared for sod installation.  The process starts by clearing the area of weeds, debris, and any existing grass. 

Roots, rocks and other obstructions then need to be removed so that the soil can be tilled to around a half foot deep.  This gives the roots of the sod grass a chance to effectively establish roots.

The soil should be leveled to make it smooth and a slight grade will be incorporated into the grass for proper drainage to allow excess water to drain safely away from the house and not pool in your yard.  

Next the soil is fortified with compost or fertilizer to improve soil quality.  The soil is then lightly compacted with a lawn roller to eliminate air pockets and provide a firm base for the sod.

Once the Backbreaking Work of Soil Prep is Completed, it is Time to Lay the Sod.

Laying the Sod

The process starts by laying fresh sod along a straight edge, such as a driveway or sidewalk. Sod pieces are laid end to end, staggering the joints in a brick-like pattern to avoid continuous seams. Edges of the sod pieces are placed together tightly without overlapping them to prevent gaps and edges from drying out. A sharp knife or sod cutter is used to trim the sod around obstacles, edges, and at the end of rows.

After Laying the Sod

Once all the sod is laid it is time to break out the lawn roller.  The entire area of the sod is rolled with a lawn roller to ensure good contact between the sod roots and the soil beneath, eliminating air pockets.  Again, the goal is a level base, not to extremely compact the grass or underlying soil.

Watering

The sod is then watered immediately after installation to promote root growth. The sod should be kept moist for the first couple of weeks until the roots have established. 

Post Sod Install Activities

The sod should be watered regularly according to the instructions provided with the sod.  Don’t walk on the new sod for at least a week – this is a stressful time for the sod and it needs to properly establish roots and grow.  Don’t mow the sod until it reaches a substantial height of 3-4”.

A Brief Overview Prepping for and Installing Sod

What is the best time of year to lay sod in Austin?

In Austin, Texas, the ideal time for sod installation varies depending on the grass type. Early fall or mid-fall is a suitable season for laying sod as temperatures are cooler and more precipitation occurs. This helps the sod root well before summer heat sets in.

For St. Augustine grass, a popular choice in Austin, the best time to lay sod is from February through September. This provides ample time for the sod to establish itself before extreme weather conditions arrive. Other grass varieties, such as Zoysia, should be planted during spring and fall for optimal growth.

Installing sod during winter is also possible in Texas, thanks to its mild winters and rare freezes. Laying sod in the winter allows the grass to grow and take root before hot weather begins. This is particularly helpful in having a lawn ready by spring.

Sod Pricing Details

Sod prices are generally charged by the square foot.  The size of your yard that you’ll be installing the sod dictates the cost.

The price per square foot is based on the type of grass, quality of the sod, the quantity purchased and current market conditions.  Labor costs factor into sod costs as well.

According to Bob Vila, the cost to install sod in a yard averages around $2,000 on a National basis.

Landscaper vs Sod Farm for Sod Installation

Either a landscaping company or a sod farm / sod installer is capable of installing sod in your yard.  

Sod Farms

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, and you only need sod, a local sod farm can meet your needs.  With many sod farms, you can bring up a truck and collect the sod that you need and transport the sod back to your house for a DIY installation.  

Most sod farms will deliver the sod to your house and drop it off.  Many sod farms also act as a sod installation company and offer a sod installation service in addition to the sod itself.

Landscapers

If you need sod as part of a larger renovation of comprehensive landscape installation, a landscaper may be a better bet for your needs.  They will be able to take care of the entire sod installation process as well as other landscaping services – including ongoing lawn care services to maintain your new sod install.