Central Florida is an amazing place to live – warm weather, stunning lakes and short distances to gorgeous beaches. But that warm weather makes it difficult for natural grass to flourish, leaving sod as one of the best options for your business or home to have a manicured lawn.

Sod is grass and part of the soil beneath it that is cultivated on special sod farms, such as Lake Jem Farms, and is quickly installed into its new location. It’s commonly used on golf course and residential yards.

Sod is often easier to use than seed, which can be blown by the wind, eaten by birds, or die in a drought. It is also fully functional within about 30 days of installation and has your lawn immediately looking fantastic.

Here are two Orlando sod varieties that are strong and beautiful in the Central Florida heat:

St. Augustine

St. Augustine has a blue-green shade that grows in a coarse, dense manner with wide, long leaf blades. As with any grass, St. Augustine requires regular care and upkeep. However, some of the St. Augustine varieties such as Bitterblue, palmetto and Seville sod are better for shaded areas.

EMPIRE Zoysia

This turfgrass is often considered one of most beautiful options for your lawn because it offers a softer touch with finer textured grass blades. It’s more like grasses found in the north than the common crab grasses of the south.

This grass is not only attractive, but Empire Zoysia is also drought tolerant, chinch bug resistant, and requires less maintenance than other varieties.