Council Growers at 813.633.8665

About us and our farm:

The Council Family has been farming in the Tampa Bay area for four generations in the Ruskin area, and in the sod business since the early 1980's. Council Growers continues that tradition under owners Pat, Jean and Travis Council. When you call our company, you speak with us, the owners. Not managers, not salespeople, not office staff. You are buying direct-from-the-farm.









Ornamental Perrenial Peanut and Seashore Paspalum Coming soon!

We service the entire state of Florida out of one of our 3 locations- in Pasco County (Dade City), Manatee County (Parrish), and our original Hillsborough County (Wimauma) farm. We are not new to the sod business, we are NOT a fly-by-night operation, and we don't operate with a lot of fanfare. What we DO is grow our own grasses in sand based soils that match yours. We understand the time and effort, care and pride you put into maintaining a perfect, beautiful lawn because we put the same time, care, effort and pride into the products we bring you. All of our grasses are certified through the SSCA (Southern Seed Certification Association) located in Auburn, Alabama. We can supply anything from a few pallets for your yard; sprigs for your golf course, 42” or 48” big rolls for your community park you name it. We offer pick-up at the fields, delivery to your location, and can arrange installation if needed.

CGI can supply your company with 42”or 48” big rolls. With our Bucyrus Magnum big roll harvester we can cover open ground in a hurry, and by the same token offer you sprigs for the less time sensitive grow in. Remember you can pick them up, we’ll deliver them, or arrange install your choice.

Offering only certified grasses from the standard Tifway 419 Bermuda to the popular Celebration Bermuda, and don’t forget EMPIRE turf and Sapphire St. Augustine. We also supply many grasses that we don’t grow to complete your project. Just call for references of projects that have used our turf.

Tifway 419- developed out of the University of Ga., this grass has stood the test of time. This is what you see on any golf course or athletic field that has been in place for a long period of time. Since ours is certified, you truly know what you are getting versus noncertified. Great for all those patch jobs that everyone experiences.

Celebration- this grass is becoming just as popular as 419 and then some. An excellent choice for a heavily played soccer field or golf tee. Drought tolerance and wear recovery are our biggest advantages to this grass. Rated the number one grass for drought in the San Antonio water trial. We will send you copies of the trials if you wish to see. The difference between it and other Bermudas in wear is speed of recovery. Truly lasts longer in front of those goals and between the hash marks.

Unlike some of our larger competitors, we can handle the small jobs that come along too. We offer pick-up and delivery and can arrange installation on these as well. Our company understands that not everyone is building a 20 acre park or a golf course and we’ll be glad to supply sprigs in bulk bags for your renovation. Pallets as small as 200 square feet, and we will even cut your rolls a custom length different than the standard to accommodate your needs. Whatever it takes, we can help. Offering Tifway 419, Celebration, Empire, and Sapphire and if those are not what the job calls for, we also supply many grasses that we don’t grow.

OK, you’re tired of Floratam, St. Augustine dying on you. In Florida we face many challenges to have a nice looking landscape, and none of these are a perfect solution. Today’s yards are smaller, so why not invest in a better sod for your outside oasis?

We offer three alternatives- EMPIRE, Celebration , and Sapphire:

• EMPIRE Turf- our favorite choice. This grass is known for three things in our opinion- drought tolerance, chinch bug resistance, and a finer- bladed texture. If you’re looking for a grass that can truly withstand less water, this is your choice. Unlike Floratam which is green, green, dead during a drought. EMPIRE goes dormant and loses color, but once the rain or the sprinklers hit it, the color comes back. This grass is not impervious to insects, but unlike most St. Augustine you are not treating once a month for chinch bugs, and we all agree the less chemicals, the better! People tell us all the time, “ I don’t want that crabgrass- looking grass in my yard." (St. Augustine). EMPIRE offers a soft to the touch finer feel, more like the cool season grasses found further north. EMPIRE is a finer bladed grass, yet not too fine for the traditional lawn mower. This is a grass that your kids, your grandkids, maybe even you, can really roll around on. Other advantages include moderate shade tolerance and less mowing. Yes! Really!

• Celebration Bermuda- the first Bermuda that we would recommend for a home. This grass will truly touch-off a beautifully- landscaped home. There is a misconception that Bermuda requires more care. With the proper mower, this grass can be less care than most grasses. Once again, drought tolerance is a key reason to consider this grass. This grass is great for a backyard putting green, playground, or to set-off a fine English garden.

• If you really like St. Augustine or you are in a neighborhood that requires it, Sapphire has great color. It grows a little denser than other Augustines. It is an attractive turfgrass with fast horizontal growth, a long leaf blade that has a fine leaf appearance. It is a pleasing blue-green color with excellent color retention. Sapphire is hard wearing in our demanding climate. It will tolerate salt, shade, and drought, performing well with less maintenance, fertilization and water. Sapphire is definitely a superior homeowner’s grass, due to improved wear recovery and reduced weed problems.

So, now that you've graduated from Turf Grass 101, give us a call. If you still have questions, we'll answer them. If you want to place an order, we'll fill it. And best of all, you'll feel great about your experience, and your new beautiful lawn!