When Roger Swedenburg opened his sod business near Reform, Alabama, in 1990, he left little doubt as to what he expected the company’s future to look like.

Roger’s is the first “S” in the company’s name — S&S Sod Farm. Luke, just 8 years old at the time his dad started the company, is the second “S”.

“Yeah, that was definitely the plan when dad started this,” Luke said. “I don’t think there was ever much doubt about taking over the family business. That’s always been fine with me. It’s like any other farming, except I’m growing grass instead of corn or whatever. It’s an enjoyable process. I like growing grass.”

S&S Sod Farm produces four types of sod on its 50 acres — St. Augustine, Centipede and two strains of Zoysia (japonica and matrella). All four are hardy grass that grows well, are heat and traffic tolerant and easy to maintain.

“Centipede is probably the most popular,” Swedenburg said. “It’s called the poor man’s grass because you don’t have to do a lot to it after it’s planted. I’m the only guy around who grows St. Augustine. You’re getting pretty close to the northernmost range here. It’s a grass that doesn’t handle cold weather that well, so you’re kind of taking a chance that the winter isn’t going to be too cold when you put in St. Augustine in this part of the country.”

As it is with other types of farming, there is always something to do.

“My day usually starts around 7,” he said. “I’ll get started by cutting any sod that needs to be cut, mowing grass, putting out fertilizer, spaying, fixing something that might break on the equipment — typical farm work, really.”

Luke took over the family business eight years ago when his dad turned 60.

“My dad is still here to help me, and really he gets the credit for what we’ve been able to do over all these years,” Swedenburg said. “He started from scratch, with a walk-behind cutter. He had to chop it manually, put it up manually. Now all that’s automated, so I can run the operation mainly by myself with a little help from dad.”

Swedenburg said it takes about a year for sod to reach maturity and be ready to cut and sell. He plants in both the spring (Centipede and St. Augustine) and fall (Zoysia), which helps keep a steady supply of sod ready for purchase.

He said most of his sod is sold to homeowners by pallets. A pallet holds 450 square feet of sod.

“You can replant sod any time of the year, so if it’s me, I’d do it in the fall when it’s not so hot,” Swedenburg said. “It’s just like the grass in your yard. It’s dormant, but it will come right back when the weather gets warmer.”

The biggest challenge for his business is the weather.

“If it gets too cold, you lose some grass,” he said. “We lost a few acres in 2011 and lost some this past winter. The biggest challenge, though, is drought. If it’s too dry for too long, it’s a problem. I do a little irrigation, but I don’t have the best equipment, so I’m in the same boat that you are with your own yard. I need rain and warm weather.”

It’s been a good summer by those standards.

“Lots of rain and hot weather,” he said. “The grass likes it, so I like it, too.”

Given his expertise, you might imagine that Swedenburg’s own lawn is a showpiece.

Not quite, he said.

“I hate to say it, but my yard is probably the last to get cut around here,” he said. “I let somebody borrow my lawnmower a few years back, and they never brought it back. So now when I mow I have to go get a tractor from the farm, or sometimes my dad will feel sorry for me and cut my grass. I’m not the best example.”

Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].

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