Can you place sod over grass? Will the roots go through the old grass?

Question

Can you place sod over grass? Will the roots go through the old grass?

Answer 1

I guess it depends where you live. I bought St. Augustine sod and they placed it on top of the original St. Augustine that was doing poorly and the new sod worked out fine. I live in Orlando.

Answer 2

I have been in the same situation as you. I would not advise placing sod directly over grass that you currently have right now. I would advise you to get a tiller and till the sections of your yard that you are going to be placing sod in. Also, buy a good starter fertilizer and place it on the soil after you till the dirt.then place your sod over the dirt and the fertilizer. I guarantee that you will have results. I promise. Water the dirt and soil before placing the sod on top. Make it muddy.

Answer 3

You should remove the grass prior to installing new sod.

If you place sod directly on top of old grass, moisture will acculuate and fungus will surely grow.

Also, without the direct contact with the soil, nurients will not be able to ge into the root system

Remove the grass and till. You can place a small amout of fertilizer into the soil as you till.

This would also be a good time to add some water absorbing polymers to the soil (Sometimes called water crystals or soil moist). This will help retain moisture.

Good luck!

Answer 4

My uncle did it and it worked, I thought it wasn't going to and called him lazy and had a good laugh but it ended up working.  He took a hoe and loosend it up a bit to get some dirt to cover the old grass.  We also live in CT and had sooo much rain in the begining of the summer so don't forget to water it every morning and every night!  good luck!