Southland Sod Selection Helper
General Variety Descriptions
 (click here to view page with images)

Evergreen Varieties

Marathon Sod

 100% improved tall fescue. Easy care. Slightly coarser, more fibrous than bluegrass. Most rapid growing, rugged and durable of the Marathon family. Stays green year round and adapts well to varying Southern California climates and soils.

Marathon II

 Deeper green and greater density for a more well manicured look. Lower mowing height and slightly finer texture. Stays green year round and adapts well to varying Southern California climates and soils.

Marathon III

 Denser, darker green, finer leafed and slower growing than previous generations. It can be mowed shorter resulting in a more compact carpet-like appearance. Stays green year round and adapts well to varying Southern California climates and soils.

Prueblue

 Improved elite bluegrass blend. Dense, elegant appearance. Medium-fine texture. Requires regular care to maintain refined appearance. Does best in moderate coastal areas; avoid inland valleys and warm, arid regions. Requires well-drained soils and cannot tolerate salinity. Green year-round.

Ryeblue

 80% Pureblue and 20% Perennial Rye. Very similar to Pureblue. The minor subtle differences (slightly lighter color, overall glossier appearance) are not readily apparent.

Slightly higher disease resistance than Pureblue. Also green year-round.

Dichondra

 A specialty lawn with a distinctive, round-leaved texture. A low-growing ground cover, popularly used with stepping stones or in oriental garden settings to create an elegant effect. Good for use in partial shade or where mowing is difficult. Not recommended for traffic areas or salinity. Requires well-drained soils and constant care. Green year round.

Winter Dormant Varieties

St. Augustine

 Very coarse thick stemmed runners. Used primarily where shade tolerance is the top priority. Native to the southern United States where humid conditions do not permit cool-season lawn varieties to flourish. Considerable thatching. Requires concrete borders for containment. Dormant in winter.

SoLow Dwarf St. Augustine

 Much shorter blades and closer node spacing than common St. Augustine. Darker green, denser and longer growing for a more attractive appearance. Slower to establish and repair itself. Stems become reddish in color when semi-dormant. Other characteristics (including shade tolerance, thatching, concrete border containment and winter dormancy) are the same as common St. Augustine.

Tifgreen

 Hybrid Bermuda. Excellent as athletic field or recreational turf. Often used on golf course putting greens. Very dense, low-growing, fine textured. With consistent care and trimming will create an attactive "manicured" look. Develops thatch. Requires concrete borders for containment. Becomes dormant in winter.

El Toro Zoysia

 A dense creeping grass similar to Tifgreen with a taller mowing height (1" to 2"). Texture is medium fine. Color is comparatively light green. Develops thatch and requires concrete borders for containment. Subject to a longer winter dormancy than Tifgreen or St. Augustine.

Zoysia Tenufolia

 An ornamental grass with a unique, rolling appearance typically used in oriental garden settings or as ground cover. Usually left unmowed for a freeform, natural look. Extremely slow growing, and fine textured. Dormant in winter.