Suburbia was built on sod.
The post-World War II housing boom in California saw row after row of tract homes pop up with lawns in front and back. This is a region of the country where you need your lawn mowed every week, where grass feels cool under your feet in August, and where it’s always been a cheap way to fill a yard.
Not anymore.
As Gov. Jerry Brown ordered 25 percent water reductions, Californians are responding by pulling out their grass, especially since there are rebates of $2 to $3 per square foot for doing so.
It’s a sod story for those who grow turf, sell it and mow it.