Landscape contractor Jenn Nawada heads to a Rhode Island sod farm to look at some alternatives to traditional sod products to achieve the perfect lawn.
Sod Has Been the Go-To Product
Traditionally, homeowners look to sod to create a perfect green lawn. It’s cut into sheets and rolled tightly for shipping, and then unrolled and watered in, making a fast impact. But there are alternatives—especially for those who want something a bit more sustainable.
Expert Insight: Roger Cook, This Old House landscape contractor, has summed up sod’s appeal: “You’re basically buying time. You’re paying for turf that someone else has coddled for 14 to 18 months.”
Researchers have developed blends of cool- and warm-season grasses that require even less nitrogen, water, and mowing than traditional turf. Because these slow growers have different needs—and looks—from more common varieties, seeding over an existing lawn isn’t always recommended. But if you’re starting from scratch, options like no-mow fine fescue blends with interlocking root systems can crowd out weeds naturally while needing little to no mowing once established.
Wildflower Turf is Here
One of the newest experimental sod alternatives is a wildflower turf. Blended with perennials, annuals, and bi-annuals, there is almost always something in bloom. Mixed with sheep fescue, the meadow mix sod is as durable and easy to install as traditional sod, but much more pollinator-friendly.
When This Old House landscape contractor Jenn visited a Rhode Island sod farm experimenting with wildflower turf, she learned that the product has already found enthusiastic adopters. Pat, the sod farmer, noted: “We’ve had homeowners come in that have hives, and they put this around the hives that supplies them with a year-round source of food for the bees.” Universities have also installed it around buildings for the color and to reduce the maintenance of mowing traditional grass.
Pro Tip: Pat, a sod farmer in Rhode Island who has been developing wildflower turf, explains that sheep’s fescue is the key structural ingredient: “The sheep’s fescue is what helps to hold it together. So we can roll it up.” Without it, the wildflowers alone would break apart, but the fescue helps the sod knit together for easy installation.
Applications for Wildflower & Sheep Fescue Mixed Turf
There are a lot of applications for wildflower turf. Homeowners with beehives love it for around their hives, while commercial properties and universities appreciate the low-maintenance aspect. After a killing frost, a quick mowing will reseed the field, helping rejuvenate the grass for next year.
Sheep Fescue Sod
Sheep fescue sod is another attractive alternative. The blades are finer than traditional grass, and they’re suitable for homes, golf courses, and other settings. It’s also a great option for erosion control on hillsides and for use in drought-prone areas.
Resources
Plants and additional expert assistance provided by: SODCO
Wildflower mixed turf – SODCO currently sells trays of wildflower mix. They hope to develop rolls of wildflower sod in the future.
Sheep Fescue Grass–Jenn saw SODCO’s manicured fine fescue blend sod field.
