Q: In May we installed 9,000 square feet of “blue tag certified” Meyer zoysia sod. My understanding was this would guarantee it to be weed-free. It now has a lot of broad leaf weeds. Did we get ripped off?

A: Terry Hollifield, Executive Director of the Georgia Crop Improvement Association, says “blue tag” sod is inspected by them to insure it is exactly the variety you think it is. This is good consumer protection because different grass varieties, particularly bermudagrass, look similar but perform differently.

In addition, a GCIA inspector regularly visits certified fields to insure no noxious weeds, primarily nutsedge, are present. It’s almost impossible to guarantee that sod is free of annual broadleaf weeds. If you are dissatisfied with your sod quality, contact your dealer first and then the GCIA at www.certifiedseed.org.