When someone is planning to landscape a backyard for their house the first dilemma is choosing between seeded lawn or instant lawn and that choice depends on a lot of variables. People tend to analyze not only initial price but also long-term costs and how much effort and work they need to put into the lawn.
The costs of instant lawn can be higher when compared with seeded lawn but you can see the results much faster and maintaining them can be a lot easier.
How Much Does Instant Law Cost Exactly?
The average price of instant lawn is around $3.50 per square foot (installation included), but that price may vary depending on the type of grass, the quantity of your purchase, your soil preparation needs, and your choice of landscaper and irrigation system.
In this article, we will cover topics that will clarify your main doubts about the costs of instant lawn and why it is worth the investment.
What is roll out instant lawn?
Instant lawn is the most popular type of lawn for homeowners because it is easier to establish than seed and has instant appeal.
Instant lawn is grown on a farm, fertilized, watered, and mowed. After it’s fully grown, it’s cut by a sod harvester, transported, before it can be rolled out on your yard.
Is the cost of instant lawn worth it?
One of the most important things people consider when spending on anything is the initial cost and the investment on a lawn is no different. Buying seeds and sowing them yourself will cost much less at face value than if you buy instant lawn to cover the same area.
But that is only If you can do the work of seeding the lawn yourself.
Nevertheless, in terms of cost, you have to consider more than that. The cost of instant lawn is far more economical than many other alternatives. Additionally, it’ll add thousands to the value of your property.
As we’ve mentioned before, a professionally-installed instant lawn costs about $3.50 per square foot, but the cost of maintaining and watering is way less when compared to a seeded lawn.
How much time does it take to see the results?
It may need not be said, but seeding takes a much longer time before you see the results, which is about 6 to 8 weeks, maybe more, depending on other conditions.
On the other hand, instant lawn is… instant! As soon as you install them, you can enjoy looking at your green yard and smell that fresh grass wafting in the air. Establishing is a different story, it takes 6 to 8 weeks for the lawn to be fully established into the soil.
How to maintain?
Unlike a seeded lawn, an instant lawn does not need as much care to look beautiful, but there are some tips that will help preserve your lawn for a long time.
When you buy rolls of instant lawn, usually, they are just one type of grass, and any time you are growing a monoculture (one variety of plant in a large area), there is a greater risk for pest and disease issues because that single variety may not be able to withstand. Because of this issue, an instant lawn can require a little more pesticides to keep the pests away.
When it comes to watering, you need to water a newly laid lawn 2 to 4 times a day for several weeks. The goal of frequent watering is to keep the ground moist until the grass establishes roots in the soil. Afterward, you can water it 2 to 3 times a week, depending on the weather.
Another thing you need to do is fertilize. Depending on the type of grass, you will need to fertilize your lawn at least once a year.
How to choose the perfect instant lawn?
The perfect lawn for you and your yard depends on a lot of things, like weather, type of soil, sun, and shade. But it’s important to understand that choosing the cheaper lawn may not always be the best option. You need to ensure the variety of lawn you buy will happily grow with the amount of sun or shade your outdoor area gets and with your current soil conditions.
The price will also depend on a variety of factors: what best suits your needs, what quantity you require, and which region you need it delivered to.