Landscaping your newly built home can be a lot of fun, but chances are you want a beautiful yard as quickly as possible. When it comes to growing turf grass, there are three main options on how to get it started. The following will walk you through these options so you can make the best decision for your budget and desired outcome.

Sod

Sod is the number one choice if you want a green lawn immediately. Although you will have a lawn as soon as it is installed, you will have to be careful and minimize traffic on the grass for the first week or so after laying the sod. This is so it has a chance to establish healthy roots and new growth. The main concern with sod is the expense—it is by far the most expensive option when installing a new lawn. To minimize costs, one option is to use sod in areas of high visibility, such as the front lawn, and use one of the seeding methods below for areas of less immediate concern. Another issue with sod is you may only have limited options when it comes to the variety of grass that is available as sod in your area.

Seeding

The least expensive option is standard seeding. A crew will amend and till the soil on your home's lot, then apply the seed. You must follow a very careful watering schedule and stay off the lawn for several weeks as the young grass plants establish. Seeds usually sprout within a week, but it takes two or more weeks for the turf to establish sufficiently to provide an attractive lawn. Other than cost savings, the other primary advantage is that you will have many options when it comes to grass varieties since nearly every lawn species is available in seed form.

Hydroseeding

Hydroseeding can provide the best of both sod and seed. It is relatively inexpensive, costing similar or only slightly more than regular seeding. Hydroseed is a pelleted seed, and the pellet coating is designed to provide a packet of nutrients and help retain moisture around the seed so that it germinates and establishes more quickly. This means you can have a lush lawn in half the time it would take for traditional seed to establish. Although watering is important during the establishment phase, the pellet coating means you don't have to be as strict or careful with water management as you would with plain seed.

For more help, talk to a lawn and landscape professional in your area.