Sod Slabs for Lawn

Grass sods: planning your lawn

In Brazil grass comes as sod slabs (placas) of 0.40 m² each (40 cm x 100 cm). To work out how many you need, take the area, divide by 0.40, then tack on ~10% extra to cover cutting waste, edges and the odd piece you have to replace. Here's how that plays out for a 10 m² garden: 10 / 0.40 = 25 slabs, and 10% on top brings the order to 28. The usual species you'll run into are Esmeralda (the most popular one, likes sun, medium maintenance), Bermuda (sports fields, holds up to heavy traffic), São Carlos (handles semi-shade) and Santo Agostinho (coastal, copes with salt air). Lay the slabs in a staggered brick-like pattern, water them hard for the first 15 days, and feed with NPK 10-10-10 once they've rooted.

Applications

Landscaping projects, home gardens, the shared green areas of condominiums, sports fields, and golf courses too, where Esmeralda is the Brazilian standard for fairways. It also works well for holding slopes in place, keeping embankments from eroding, and getting quick green cover onto new building sites and event grounds.

FAQ

Why 10% extra? Corners crack, uneven edges need trimming down, and a few pieces always show up damaged. You're better off with a couple of spares than stopping the job to go buy more.

Sod or seed? Sod gets you a lawn right away and roots in 2–4 weeks. Seed costs less, but you're looking at 60–90 days, and it's an easy target for weeds and birds in the meantime.

How long does delivery last? Get the slabs down within 24–48 h of delivery. Sod left stacked heats up and yellows fast.

Best time to plant? Spring and early summer in Brazil, roughly September through December. Warm soil and rain together speed up rooting.