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Choosing between sod and seed depends on your budget, timeline, and maintenance preferences.

Sod:

• Pros: Provides an instant, lush lawn and immediate curb appeal. It's more resistant to weeds and erosion, can be installed any time during the growing season, and offers a consistent appearance.

• Cons: Has a higher upfront cost, typically $0.90 to $1.80 more per square foot than seed. It offers fewer grass varieties and must be installed immediately upon delivery.

Seed:

• Pros: Less expensive upfront, making it a budget-friendly option. It offers a wider variety of grass types and is easier for a DIY installation.

• Cons: Takes much longer to establish, potentially up to two years for a full lawn. It requires more maintenance, including regular weed control, and is more difficult to cultivate.

Ultimately, if you want a beautiful lawn quickly and have a larger budget, sod is an excellent choice. If you are patient, want to save money, and prefer a wider selection of grass types, seeding may be the better option.

Morning and late afternoon are the best times for watering new grass seed. The seed gets a healthy balance of water and sunlight, and the excess water evaporates. If you water the grass long after the sun goes down, the air is too cold, and there's no sun to make excess water evaporate. This keeps the grass damp for too long, increasing the chances of over-watering.

Start your search for a good lawn care company by finding some landscapers in your area; it might be a good idea to research companies that already work on your block, as they’re more likely to be able to fit you into their schedules, given your proximity. Next, conduct a search online to see if they have positive customer reviews, and try to avoid companies that have poor scores or a history of complaints with the Better Business Bureau. Finally, make sure to ask each company about pricing, contracts, scheduling, and any add-on services.

Soaking grass seeds in water before seeding is called pre-germinating. It’s not necessary but can be very helpful in some cases. Some grasses like are very slow to germinate, and basic seeding on the ground is unlikely to be effective—that’s especially true of cool season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, rye grasses, and Bermuda grass. Soaking these seeds in a bag or bin of water for one to four days beforehand can give the grass the start it needs to survive.