Can you put SOD on old grass?
Question:i want to put sod on my front law which has grass on it already but its patchy...will the sod roots root...or do i have to remove all the grass first
Answers:
You need to remove the old grass first. Your new sod will have to be in contact with soil or the roots will dry up and die.
If my company were to renovate your lawn we would first spray the existing grass with round up, after that has died we would scalp the dead grass, bag & rake it. Then aerate the soil, then level if needed. Then we would sod, apply a starter fert, like 10-20-10, roll the sod so it is in contact with the soil, and water.
If you cant afford that you can skip the roundup, but anything less will not have satisfactory results.
If there are patchy spots chances are you have thatch, so I would break the ground with a tiller first...
You can put sod on your grass, it will take root.
No! Laying sod over existing grass is a waste of money. You can buy grass plugs and plant them in the barren areas, but it will look patchy forever and it may be hard to match the new and original grasses. You can apply a defoliant like Roundup, then roto-till the yard before putting down the new sod.
Jeff is correct (the other two are not). If you just put sod on top of the ground without preparation or on top of old, patchy grass, there is a good chance that the sod will either die completely or only take root in certain places. I have seen poorly installed sod actually floating as the water goes through it and lays on top of the unprepared soil underneath (it was like walking on a water bed!).
To make the most of your investment (sod isn't cheap), rototill the entire area to be sodded (or turn the soil with a shovel, break up the clods), rake it smooth and as level as you want/need it, water deeply, then lay the sod down and tamp it into place. Then, lightly water the sod so that the roots start to get down into the prepared undersoil.
Watch it carefully for several weeks, watering only when needed. If there are any dead patches, it may be that the sod did not make good root contact with the soil or that particular part of the soil did not get sufficient water.
Fertilize only after the sod has had a chance to get rooted. Then, feed lightly with a balanced, organic (not chemical) fertilizer. Avoid high nitrogen chemical fertilizers like ammonium sulfate. From that point on, follow the directions for sodded lawns in most general gardening books and on line sources.
It won't work to lay sod on top of old grass. You are better off stripping the old grass out first and then till and rake the area off maintaining proper grade away from the house. Then lay your sod and water water water. The second option is to patch the dead spots with grass seed.
No...you need to till the whole area, rake it even and lay down the sod and use a push roller so the roots can get close to the soil. The key to success is to water, water, water.
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