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We are full swing into summer, and a lot of Florida homeowners are wondering if it’s too late to plant sod. While you can plant sod at this time of year with careful planning, preparation, nurturing, and maintenance, it is not the best time to do so. Ideally sod would be laid in late spring or early summer. Here’s why. Lower Moisture Sod needs to be watered frequently when first installed so that the roots can take hold and grow deep, but you can also give sod too much moisture. From mid- to late-summer Florida gets a lot of rain, severe storms, and even hurricanes. All of that added humidity in the air and precipitation on your lawn creates a breeding ground for disease that can kill the sod. Spring and early summer have occasional rain, but not nearly as much moisture in the air.

Investing in a new lawn can be exciting. But if you want a healthy lawn, you can’t rush the process. Especially during the height of summer, humidity and heat provide a breeding ground for fungal diseases in the new sod. While you can’t do anything about the Florida humidity, you can take measures to ensure that your new sod remains healthy until fall. Ways to Prevent Disease in Sod During High Humidity Pre-Installation Preparation Doing the proper prep work before installing fresh sod is extremely important, especially in the hot and humid summer months. You should only trust experienced professionals, such as ourselves, to handle the preparation and installation of your sod. This way you’ll be sure that all of the necessary preparation has been completed correctly.

If you’re a long-time Florida resident, the summer’s heat and humidity aren’t a surprise. But most people aren’t aware of how this humidity affects nature, and that includes your grass. If you’re planting new sod during this time of year, it is important to understand how humidity will affect your new sod and what you can do to help keep it healthy as roots develop. Higher Humidity Causes Disease Even in a well-established lawn, humidity and heat can be a breeding ground for fungal disease. New sod is especially susceptible because it does not have established roots. There isn’t really anything you can do about the level of humidity in the Tampa area, but there are some things you can do to try to protect your grass.

Are you ready to lay new sod on a Tampa area property? Florida’s tropical climate is only appropriate for certain types of grass, but there are still many varieties to choose from. For most Tampa area lawns, St. Augustine, Bermuda, or Zoysia sods are most appropriate, but your particular lawn and maintenance requirements will ultimately decide what grass variety you choose. The Best Sods for the Tampa Region There are several different brands of St. Augustine and Bermuda grasses, and we carry a few other types of sods as well. However, we do have our favorites for the Tampa region. 

While planting grass seed is unarguably more inexpensive than installing sod, there are a lot of reasons to plant sod instead. When you choose to plant sod, especially when it is grown in the area, you know that you will have a lawn that you can be proud of immediately, not in a season or two. This is the biggest appeal of planting sod. However, there are many additional reasons to consider. Why Planting Sod Is Better Than Seeding? Low Maintenance, Low Effort Sod installation also requires very little maintenance or effort on your part, while growing grass from seed takes patience, time, and a lot of maintenance. When you spread grass seed, you often have to spread more seed later on down the road, as some seed is washed away or taken by birds and other critters. You’ll also have to make sure that you water it well and frequently, as well as fertilize more aggressively.