“It sure would save my back if I didn’t have to take out the old turf…”
Often, homeowners ask us this same question. It makes sense because laying sod can seem like a daunting task. You want to be outside enjoying your yard, not hard at work.
Do Not Lay Sod Over Old Turf
Unfortunately, the answer is exactly the one you were probably hoping it wouldn’t be. You do need to take out the old turf before you put in new sod.
One of the main reasons is that if you put new sod on top of old vegetation, the new sod’s root system will never actually make contact with the soil. The roots will not be able to penetrate to the other side of the old turf, and it will die.
Upon hearing this, their next question is whether they can put a layer of soil on top of the old turf, and then put on the new sod. Unfortunately, this scenario doesn’t work either. The old turf will break down (decompose), and this process releases gasses that will kill your new sod.
In addition, by having that layer of vegetation under the soil, the roots still can’t grow through. You will also be creating drainage issues.
The best thing you can do to prepare for new sod is to completely remove the old turf. Once that’s done, mix some Black Garden Soil in with your existing soil. We recommend BigYellowBag’s Black Garden Soil; it will work perfectly. Finally, its time to lay the new sod.
Don’t forget to thoroughly water your new sod within half an hour of it being laid. Water it frequently for the next two weeks. You can find more information on watering sod in this blog.
A little bit of extra work at the start of the project will ensure that you get to sit back and enjoy your new lawn! It’s totally worth it when you have a lawn that’s the envy of the neighbourhood for a long time to come.
Hi, I live I. Hilton in a 8 year old home. When the land escaping was done by the contractor the soil that was used over the gravel and rock foundation was mainly a thick clumpy clay like material. A small layer of top soil was added on top than sod was layed. The Sod was primarily healthy for the first couple of years but it has trailed off since then to the point where the remaining grass that is there seems to be very stringy thin and the soil that remains appears to be more like clay then good potting soil. When I dig into the turf now I don’t see much other than the clay. I’m assuming that this is probably not the best to grow grass but what is the recommended thickness of a layer of big yellow bag soil that I should put on the ground under new sods? I have recently picked up a small amount of solids for a small 100 square foot section and it is doing quite well I placed it on what used to be grass that was dug out robbed and put down with sod and a bag of Nature’s Blend soil that I picked up on the Upper James location and it is doing very well. It is hard to guess now but the biggest question I have is how much soil or the thickness of soil should I have under neat the soil and on top of what I have which is clay? Thanks. Mike
Hey Mike,
When laying sod, you want to have a thin layer of high quality soil about 1-2″ deep. We typically recommend trying to incorporate your good soil with the underlying native soil using a rototiller or a hard rake. Loosening this underlying soil layer, adding some soil, and mixing it again is a great way to create the ideal root zone for sod. So if you can get enough soil to spread about 1 inch underneath your entire lawn, that would be ideal. You correctly chose our Nature’s blend as the best soil for the job. Let us know if you have any further inquiries and best of luck with your new lawn!
All the best and stay safe!
Hi! My Florida backyard is 25 years old and lots of settling/ washing away happened. I use to have thick healthy Bahia grass there but planted weeping clumping bamboo alongside the back fence for privacy and over the years those bamboo leaves settled and grass is gone. Plus trees grew and shade killed the rest of the grass. I need to re do it and wonder if I can just till the backyard, incorporating the bamboo leaves in and add more soil and put new sod on. It settled good 4-5 inches and if I re do flower beds, the dirts would slowly wash away so I need to bring it up.
I need to thin out the bamboo too but I don’t think I’m strong enough to cut some out. Maybe I can just cut it to make it narrower and kill the part I just cut short? I need to get rid of a foot on each side along the fence. We need new fence too so it would be good time to take care of it.
Thank you for any help.
Stay well!
Hello Helena! Thanks so much for your comment. It sounds like you have a beautiful property down there! I’ll be upfront in saying that I don’t have particular expertise in your region, however I’ve done a bit of research to try and help with your bamboo issue! It sounds like your solution of cutting down the canes is the best option, but they also might have extensive root structures that need to be dealt with. If the bamboo is spreading, the best time to take out the new growth is in the spring when the plants are young and soft. Incorporating some old leaves into your yard with fresh soil can definitely add some nutrients, however I would recommend rolling the topsoil before laying sod, just to ensure that any air pockets are flattened out. You wouldn’t want your new lawn to have depressions or divots! I hope these tips prove to be useful Helena, and be sure to reach out to us, or your local sod supplier if you experience any issues. 🙂
We have a 2 year old new build. This year I noticed a low spot in a 10 x 10 area. I was told that it was probably construction debris that decomposed. I started adding top soil on top of the existing sod and it ended up being about 1.5 cubic feet when I was done. It finally got up to almost level but the rain has compacted it a bit so it still sits a little low. We had a few inches of snow last week and I’m noticing that the grass in that area is very spongy. Is it possible that the sod below the current grass is what’s causing this spongy/springy feel. You can almost feel your shoes sinking into it. The new grass on top is very thick perennial rye so maybe it’s just that, but it’s much spongier than the rest of the lawn. Any suggestions on what might be causing this? Thanks!
Hey Michael!
I’m sorry to hear about your lawn troubles… We’d have to see the spongy area in order to make an accurate assessment, however there’s a chance that there is old sod decomposing underneath that’s causing the area to sink. It could be any number of construction mistakes, but the only way to solve it may be digging up the area and starting fresh with new topsoil. I would suggest digging a hole with a clam digger and try to identify what’s under the area and causing it to sink!
Be sure to reach out with any future concerns and all the best!
Hi guys thanks for your site/information, I have found it very helpful so far, and yes your right, I wanted to hear that I could just pile on new soil and sod…lol.
Ok question. Old lawn very weak, some dry from sand rocky septic bed hot sun etc. (The old farm part), some has mostly moss and shade. One part is over a concrete pad we can’t remove. Real problem is I need to have grass suitable for dogs and their shenanigans. Thoughts? Other than the obvious, move.. lol.
Hey Randy! Thanks for your comment. Your property sounds like a difficult one to establish sod on. Sod requires nutritious soil, access to sunlight, and proper water retention/drainage to healthily establish. As for grass suitable for dogs and shenanigans, our bluegrass sod is fairly traffic tolerant as long as a proper lawn care regime is followed, however dogs are always difficult. Not only will dog pee create spots in your lawn if you don’t water it in, but the intense traffic that dogs subject your lawn to can wreak havoc, especially on a new lawn that hasn’t properly established. I would recommend having a professional come take a look at your property and estimate what it would take to make it suitable for sod. You wouldn’t want to make the investment into our sod, only to have it not perform the way you want due to the conditions. I hope this helps Randy, and let me know if you have any further questions 🙂
Thanks. I kind of figured the same.
Hello, I found your website quite informative. We laid sod in our back and front yard last year in fall. We forgot to use roller both before and after laying the sod. This year in start of spring I found dead grass patches and discovered that the roots system has not been developed. The sod is still laying over the ground with the roots not being developed in the topsoil underneath. Is it because of not using the roller? If yes can I use it now?
Thanks
Hey there!
Thanks so much for your comment. I’m sorry to hear about your sod issues! A roller could have helped with establishment at the time of installation, but unfortunately it’s too late to fix it with a roller. Take some photos of your lawn and send them to cameron@ordersodnow.com and hopefully we can provide some actionable recommendations to get your lawn back on track 🙂
All the best and take care!