Weeds gill 19.jpg Utilizing sod or plugs, St. Augustine grass must be established vegetatively. (CHRIS GRANGER) QUESTION: Is there a disadvantage to planting St. Augustine grass seeds as opposed to plugs or sod? Local nurseries and big-box retailers stock a wide variety of grass seeds, but only St.
- Augustine plugs.
- Is this merely a matter of convenience, or are there other motives? – Rob Molaison ANSWER: In general, St.
- Augustine grass does not produce viable seeds like other types of grass.
- This is the reason why seeds are unavailable.
- With sod or plugs, St.
- Augustine grass must be established vegetatively.
April and May are ideal months for laying sod or planting plugs to establish a new lawn or repair a St. Augustine lawn that has been damaged. Dan Gill is a member of the LSU AgCenter’s horticulture department. Enjoy reading about beautiful gardens? Sign up for NOLA.com’s weekly home and garden newsletter, and you’ll receive the most recent tips from Dan Gill as well as stories about the region’s most beautiful landscapes.
How long does it take for St. Augustine seeds to germinate?
Roots typically take seven to fourteen days to establish. After that, water your lawn once per week unless it receives ample rainfall. Newly-planted St. Augustine grass lawns require protection as they establish themselves.
Weeds gill 19.jpg Utilizing sod or plugs, St. Augustine grass must be established vegetatively. (CHRIS GRANGER) QUESTION: Is there a disadvantage to planting St. Augustine grass seeds as opposed to plugs or sod? Local nurseries and big-box retailers stock a wide variety of grass seeds, but only St.
Augustine plugs. Is this merely a matter of convenience, or are there other motives? – Rob Molaison ANSWER: In general, St. Augustine grass does not produce viable seeds like other types of grass. This is the reason why seeds are unavailable. With sod or plugs, St. Augustine grass must be established vegetatively.
April and May are ideal months for laying sod or planting plugs to establish a new lawn or repair a St. Augustine lawn that has been damaged. Dan Gill is a member of the LSU AgCenter’s horticulture department. Enjoy reading about beautiful gardens? Sign up for NOLA.com’s weekly home and garden newsletter, and you’ll receive the most recent tips from Dan Gill as well as stories about the region’s most beautiful landscapes.
Can I simply install St. Augustine over my current grass?
Can new sod be installed on an existing lawn or sports field? Internet can be a tremendous resource, especially when searching for useful information. Unfortunately, erroneous information is widespread, even in unlikely places. The website may provide consumers with a great deal of useful information, but one contributor gave readers advice that could do more harm than good.
- Replacing struggling or dying turfgrass with sod is a quick and easy method,” he writes.
- Although sod is more expensive than seed, it can be installed in a single day.
- Sod requires significantly less maintenance than seed.
- Before laying sod, the majority of homeowners remove their lawns at a cost, both in terms of labor and financial burden.
However, sod can be laid directly on existing grass.” The author continued by writing: “Frequently, professional landscapers lay sod directly over grass. The sod compacts the grass and restricts its exposure to water and sunlight. This rapidly kills the existing grass, similar to how a brick left on a lawn kills the grass underneath it.
- When grass dies, it releases nutrients that benefit the new sod that grows above it.
- The primary nutrient provided by the layer of dead grass is nitrogen.
- Applying sod directly to grass has the advantage of requiring less labor.
- The lawn does not require herbicide treatment.
- Additionally, there is no need to till your yard.” (Click to view the eHow article in its entirety.) The expert opinion: After reading the article, we contacted several turfgrass producers and inquired, “Would you ever sod an existing lawn or sports field?” Their responses were concise and direct.
“I have never heard of this practice working,” says Mike Blair of Bellbrook, Ohio. I was always under the impression that the decomposition of the grass would produce an acid or slime that would cause problems, and that air would be trapped between the sod and the soil, causing the roots to dry out and die.
Bob Weerts of Winnebago, Minnesota, simply asserts, “This is not a good idea.” We actually left a message for Weerts while he was on the road. Ironically, he was speaking with a landscape consultant who was inspecting a lawn problem for one of his clients when he received our message to call us back (a nationally known restaurant chain).
The issue he was investigating was a dying new lawn surrounding one of the restaurant chain’s establishments. Corporate was curious about the condition of the lawn. It appeared that a contractor had installed new turfgrass sod on top of the existing lawn several weeks prior, and the entire job was a failure.
The young grass never took root. The entire undertaking must be redone. Isaac Branham, an industry consultant, could not believe that someone would actually lay sod over grass without properly preparing the area: “If a client asked me to do something like this, I would not accept the job.” “The short answer is no,” exclaims Warren Bell of Sandy, Utah.
“Heavy aeration and power raking can improve soil-to-soil contact, but soil layering will still be an issue. The old lawn’s surface is rich in organic matter and will likely not match the soil profile of the newly installed sod. Water will never move efficiently through the profile.” Linda Bradley of Hendersonville, North Carolina, was very specific when discussing precautions.
Without proper preparation, it is impossible to lay sod directly on grass. “All sod must make root contact with the soil,” she notes. “Therefore, the existing grass or lawn must be very sparse, or you will need to bring in dirt and place it on top before laying the new sod. In addition, the slope is crucial; the water flow must be adequate.
No retention areas for water, and water should never flow toward the house or structure. Existing weeds will be able to grow through the new sod. And the soil must not be too abrasive or the roots will not penetrate, even if they are in contact with soil.
Can St. Augustine be installed over existing grass?
The Quick Response – Yes, it is possible to install sod on top of existing grass. You can go either way. You can lay sod over existing grass or directly on bare ground. We understand that you want to get the job done correctly the first time and avoid making mistakes that could harm your sod. Obviously, you would question whether or not it could be installed on grass.
Can new sod be installed on an existing lawn or sports field? Internet can be a tremendous resource, especially when searching for useful information. Unfortunately, erroneous information is widespread, even in unlikely places. The website may provide consumers with a great deal of useful information, but one contributor gave readers advice that could do more harm than good.
- Replacing struggling or dying turfgrass with sod is a quick and easy method,” he writes.
- Although sod is more expensive than seed, it can be installed in a single day.
- Sod requires significantly less maintenance than seed.
- Before laying sod, the majority of homeowners remove their lawns at a cost, both in terms of labor and financial burden.
However, sod can be laid directly on existing grass.” The author continued by writing: “Frequently, professional landscapers lay sod directly over grass. The sod compacts the grass and restricts its exposure to water and sunlight. This rapidly kills the existing grass, similar to how a brick left on a lawn kills the grass underneath it.
- When grass dies, it releases nutrients that benefit the new sod that grows above it.
- The primary nutrient provided by the layer of dead grass is nitrogen.
- Applying sod directly to grass has the advantage of requiring less labor.
- The lawn does not require herbicide treatment.
- Additionally, there is no need to till your yard.” (Click to view the eHow article in its entirety.) The expert opinion: After reading the article, we contacted several turfgrass producers and inquired, “Would you ever sod an existing lawn or sports field?” Their responses were concise and direct.
“I have never heard of this practice working,” says Mike Blair of Bellbrook, Ohio. I was always under the impression that the decomposition of the grass would produce an acid or slime that would cause problems, and that air would be trapped between the sod and the soil, causing the roots to dry out and die.
Bob Weerts of Winnebago, Minnesota, simply asserts, “This is not a good idea.” We actually left a message for Weerts while he was on the road. Ironically, he was speaking with a landscape consultant who was inspecting a lawn problem for one of his clients when he received our message to call us back (a nationally known restaurant chain).
The issue he was investigating was a dying new lawn surrounding one of the restaurant chain’s establishments. Corporate was curious about the condition of the lawn. It appeared that a contractor had installed new turfgrass sod on top of the existing lawn several weeks prior, and the entire job was a failure.
- The young grass never took root.
- The entire undertaking must be redone.
- Isaac Branham, an industry consultant, could not believe that someone would actually lay sod over grass without properly preparing the area: “If a client asked me to do something like this, I would not accept the job.” “The short answer is no,” exclaims Warren Bell of Sandy, Utah.
“Heavy aeration and power raking can improve soil-to-soil contact, but soil layering will still be an issue. The old lawn’s surface is rich in organic matter and will likely not match the soil profile of the newly installed sod. Water will never move efficiently through the profile.” Linda Bradley of Hendersonville, North Carolina, was very specific when discussing precautions.
- Without proper preparation, it is impossible to lay sod directly on grass.
- All sod must make root contact with the soil,” she notes.
- Therefore, the existing grass or lawn must be very sparse, or you will need to bring in dirt and place it on top before laying the new sod.
- In addition, the slope is crucial; the water flow must be adequate.
No retention areas for water, and water should never flow toward the house or structure. Existing weeds will be able to grow through the new sod. And the soil must not be too abrasive or the roots will not penetrate, even if they are in contact with soil.
