Hot answers tagged

5 votes

Filling low spot in yard

Cut it into strips with a sharp spade, roll it up and level out the soil. Then relay the original turf, or if you have spare change then buy some new turf. Actually, you might want to relay the ...
  • 1,033
5 votes

How can I tell who's responsible for the death of new sod laid in July?

You need to investigate a little more as some important information is missing: what kind of soil is underneath? Was fresh topsoil added and raked out before the sod was added? was the sod rolled ...
  • 57.4k
5 votes
Accepted

Can I Till Existing Grass Before Laying Sod?

Yes, you can indeed till right into the grass and not dig it up. Just understand that there is a good chance that the grass can get tied up like hair in a motor (If that made any sence). Done this ...
  • 2,572
4 votes
Accepted

Should I water new sod in the winter?

Timing's important, it's not clear how long ago the sod was put down, but as your weather is now turning wintry, it would not be a great idea to water it. In any case, if the landscaping company ...
  • 131k
4 votes
Accepted

Should I compact topsoil before laying turf?

Well the answer depends on exactly what preparation you've already done to the turf bed. If you dug the area over and removed all weeds, especially perennial ones, that should then be raked level and ...
  • 131k
4 votes

Sod not getting enough water?

The best thing you could do is simply get a little longer hose or invest in a sprinkler that has a higher pressure to water bigger areas at a time. You could also go and water the little bit manually, ...
  • 2,572
4 votes
Accepted

New backyard grass

Is your soil clay? I wouldn't recommend a rototiller if so!! You'll end up making concrete. If your soil is very, very dry you can use the tiller to break up the surface by quickley walking it over ...
  • 40k
4 votes
Accepted

Starting garden over sod

Do not cut it out and send it off to the city for composting! You may get city compost back, but most of it won't be as good as what you are digging up. You may have heard of "loam" - loam is nothing ...
  • 20.1k
4 votes

Filling low spot in yard

Don't worry about it. Just cover the old grass with your fill dirt. I'd personally use something either rich, like compost, or mix some cheaper dirt with the rich compost. Bring it a little higher ...
  • 5,072
4 votes
Accepted

Will buried rhododendrons stumps grow through a foot of soil?

It is likely that mature (large) rhododendrons will grow again from the buried roots, though this may take two or three years. Rhododendrons contain toxins which inhibit decomposition by micro-...
  • 11.3k
3 votes

Starting garden over sod

There is another alternative - lift the sod in squares or oblongs, stack it somewhere, grass side down, preferably out of sight, and leave it to rot down. Over time it'll turn into really useful loam ...
  • 131k
2 votes

Can I lay new turf on an existing lawn?

Having turf laid is expensive, and it's worth having it done right. I would say laying turf over an existing live lawn, with less than 6" of topsoil on top, is a bad idea. It will be trying to root ...
  • 51.6k
2 votes

Filling low spot in yard

If its only four to six inches lower, I'd be inclined to remove the existing sod - you don't need a special tool to do it, you can just do it with a spade or even a half moon edger, if you don't want ...
  • 131k
2 votes
Accepted

Can I Spread 24-25-4 Fertilizer Before Laying Sod?

I don't know what type of grass your sods will contain, but in the UK, I'd only apply what's known as a general purpose fertilizer with an NPK of 7-7-7. Different varieties of grasses may have ...
  • 131k
2 votes

Starting garden over sod

It's quite important to know what kind of grass is in the sod you will be covering or composting. If you don't know exactly what the current mix is, dig up a few square inches of the sod to a depth of ...
2 votes

Starting garden over sod

You're on the right track already. You only need to erect 6 inch high planks to mark out your raised bed, and then cover the sod with compost to that depth. Get a plank and place it over the compost ...
2 votes

Contractor regraded and sodded to direct water away - grass now within 1/2 inch or at top of foundation

There might be two or perhaps three different principles at work here. First and most important is that surface water needs a clear escape path away from the house otherwise it ends up in the basement....
2 votes

New sod and upcoming freeze

The basic problem is that apart from your immediate cold snap, the average climate will be too cold for the grass to really establish itself until about March next year. As a rule of thumb, grass ...
  • 11.3k
2 votes

Is it OK to re-use existing turf/sod when levelling lawn?

In theory, yes, it's possible to lift and relay existing turf, but there are a few caveats. You will need to cut and lift sections of turf evenly, so that the roots underneath are relatively even in ...
  • 131k
2 votes

Sod too high, mowing issues

I am going to suggest that the rolls of sod have gaps between them due to the the rolls being laid wet and then drying and shrinking. If you orient the mower to move from the front to the back the ...
  • 57.4k
2 votes

Sod ontop of sand with plastic weed barrier

Ripping it out may add an additional element of "fun" and take a lot of time. While not having it there would be "more ideal" simply poking it full of holes with a garden fork ...
  • 20.1k
2 votes
Accepted

Sod ontop of sand with plastic weed barrier

If possible, I would rip out the weed barrier so that the topsoil (such as it is) will have some contact with the subsoil. At the same time, I would remove at least have of the sand because it'll do ...
  • 16.6k
1 vote
Accepted

celebration bermuda grass from very brown sod

Well, on the positive side, bermudagrass is a perennial and celebration is frequently used in dry and hard wearing areas like golf courses. The sod is transported from farm to customer on palettes on ...
1 vote

Soil prep work for sod installation

It depends what state it is in before you start. If you disturb the soil to the same depth over the whole lawn, it will settle evenly, and you won't notice. But if you are re-landscaping it and you ...
  • 11.3k
1 vote

Side yard flooded, low spots near patio, nasty bare clay spots.. best route to take?

From what I have been reading of your question, you do have a bit of a drainage problem on your site. An immediate fix would be a 'dry well' off to the side of your lawn. Dig a big hole; 2 to 3 feet ...
  • 40k
1 vote

Can I prepare 2000 square feet of soil for sod, by myself, in California?

Well, you just dropped a million on a good house and now it will be surrounded by an excellent/good/satisfactory/poor/terrible landscape. Likely you will get as varied a set of responses from this ...
1 vote

Can you plant sod on top of old grass if you lay a layer of top soil down?

You can lay the sod on top of your existing lawn. I did exactly this for a lawn that was over taken with weeds. I did not till or lay any top soil down. I did this at the very end of the winter before ...
  • 121
1 vote

Screened topsoil vs 50/50 compost soil vs peat loam for new sod

Make sure you allow for at least 1- 2% slope away from the home. I vote for soil that is closest to what you have. Especially on a slope. I would use a shovel and dig and turn over the soil you have ...
  • 40k
1 vote

Should I water new sod in the winter?

Have you tried pulling it up by grabbing the grass to test if it had enough time to put roots into your soil? If it is firmly rooted, you have a good chance that your sod will survive. If you get a ...
  • 40k
1 vote

Should I water new sod in the winter?

As you like. I my opinion. it will not make any difference. Some water could help stabilize the soil.

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