Marathon Lite is a hydroponically grown soil-less dwarf tall fescue sod. It weighs slightly more than half as much as field-grown sod and the pieces are approx. 60% larger (2 ft. x 4 ft.). It starts as a mixture of seed, composted green waste, and bark chips spread about 1/2 inch thick on a plastic barrier sheet.

As the sod grows, the roots are forced laterally by the barrier to form a naturally interwoven mat. When mature, the sod is simply cut into sections and lifted off the plastic sheet. All of the roots remain intact, thereby avoiding any harvest set-back.

Because the sod is grown hydroponically, Southland Sod is able to control the growth media, water, and nutrients very precisely to achieve optimum levels. This ideal environment results in a much higher plant density than field-grown sod production. The effect is to significantly enhance the sod's beauty by creating a much denser, lower, finer-textured appearance, even though the variety (Hubbard 87 Baja) is the same used in Marathon field-grown sod.