Sunny Sod and Sodding Services
Sod Delivery and Installation
Each project, whether residential or commercial, has unique properties that determine what type of sod is best for the area. Below is a list of the sod that we offer and basic descriptions of each.
Centipede
Centipede grass is medium in texture. The common type is what’s normally found. All are salt
sensitive and exhibit fair shade tolerance. This grass has a moderate growth and requires less maintenance except for ample irrigation during dry periods. Its sward is medium dense, and seed heads are inconspicuous. Common Centipede can be
seeded, but it must be done only on a sandy soil that won’t crust. Seed is expensive and stands are often slow to start, sparse and uneven. Generally it is stripped, plugged or solid sodded. Centipede is presently very popular with homeowners.
St. Augustine
St. Augustine has been the most popular grass in Louisiana although its popularity is decreasing. This grass has the coarsest varieties of lawn grasses. The turf is medium in density, and seed heads are short, thick and inconspicuous. It is not seeded. Maintenance is moderate to high, and some varieties have problems with chinch bugs, brown patch fungus and SAD (decline virus). A moderately coarse variety called Raleigh shows resistance to cold and SAD.
Bermuda Tifway 419
Bermudagrass (wiregrass, couchgrass) makes a fine textured lawn. This grass makes a tough, dense turf with some short and fine seed heads. It requires full sun, fairly high maintenance and fertility or it will thin and become weedy. It is somewhat drought and salt tolerant. A Bermuda lawn should be cut with a reel mower, especially if cut below 1 inch. Hybrid Bermudas are fine textured and make a much better turf. They must be sodded, plugged, sprigged or stolonized. For hybrids, choose Tifsport, MS Pride, MS Choice, Tifway 419 (a sturdy variety) or Celebration. All hybrid Bermudas are high
maintenance grasses.
Zoysia
Zoysiagrasses are fine to medium fine in texture and make the highest quality lawns. They grow slowly and are slow to establish, but they are extremely aggressive and will invade other grass areas. The tendency of this grass to thatch (build up a dead, spongy base) is much greater than that of St. Augustine and Bermuda. The thatching problem often requires replacement of this type of grass after five to seven years because homeowners do not dethatch and maintain a low thatching culture. This is especially true for Zoysia lawns in south Louisiana. Those who grow Zoysia should not grow it in total full sun or under high fertility. It is a high maintenance turf. Homeowners who plant Zoysia should plan on having a reel mower that will catch grass clippings and rent a vertical mower (dethatcher) once a year. This grass may be a little more practical in extreme north Louisiana where generally lower temperatures will help limit growth.
