Lawns are seen as a status symbol these days. So, naturally, building and maintaining a beautiful lawn or sod area is important for any garden enthusiast.
However, maintaining a perfect lawn is difficult when dark patches or dead sod creep in unannounced.
But, can you overseed dead sod to get rid of this problem?
Well, yes you can overseed dead sod and that will help to regrow it once again. But here you need to understand that overseeding doesn’t mean too much of seeds.
It’s worth to be noted that dark patches and dead sods can really affect the whole aesthetics of your house and landscaping. The focus would be on the patches instead of the rest of the green beauty that you worked so hard on.
What is it that causes these issues, though?
Several issues could have this effect. Including heavily compacted soil, excess heat and/or humidity, excess nitrogen and poor quality soil, to name a few.
Correcting this problem can require you to go through a process of elimination to help understand the root cause (excuse the pun).
The first thing you should try is to ‘overseed’. This is common practice and can be achieved by applying lots of seeds. Of course, there is a bit of technique involved, though.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the overseeding process, shall we?
Table of Contents
How to Identify Your Sod is Dead?
Identifying that your sod or lawn is pretty easy:
- If you notice some darker, dry brown patches, there’s every chance that the section is either dead or on its way toward dying.
- You can give the affected area some water for a few days up to a week and see whether it starts turning green again. If it doesn’t, it’s gone for good.
- Once you locate some areas that you think might need extra care, grab and pull some tufts out.
Unfortunately, if the grass comes out without resistance, it’s no longer a living organism. If this is the case, you will need to start planning to fix the damaged area.
Can you Revive dead sod?
If you have progressed through the quick tests advised in the section above, you should have by now ascertained whether your lawn can be saved or not. Unfortunately, once the sod or lawn is dead, there is no way to revive it.
You can go through the process of growing a new lawn area from scratch, though.
If the area is bare and the grass that may exist is dry and crunchy, this usually means that the root system hasn’t been able to establish itself. This may have occurred for several reasons. For example, the soil is too compact, the wrong type of soil, lack of nutrients, excess heat, etc.
Can you overseed dead sod?
To answer the question in simple terms, you can regrow dead sod by overseeding. You can use a few different methods to achieve a newly repatched sod area. The desired method will be decided by either time or money.
You can hire people to do the job; they’d have all the equipment, expertise, manpower and, more than likely, some kind of guarantee.
However, using the term ‘overseed’ can often be misleading. To clear up any confusion, it’s worth noting that to overseed doesn’t mean having too much seed. Overseeding simply means to seed over and cover the damaged areas with adequate seed to regrow.
Alternatively, you could research the process and purchase or rent your equipment to complete the task. Both approaches can see the same result. As mentioned, though, time and money are the defining factors.
Do you have to remove all dead grass before seeding?
Removing dead grass and dried-up roots is optimal prep work for growing new seeds. When the new seed germinates and starts to establish its roots in the soil, it’s much more beneficial not to have anything else to compete with for space.
Churning at least the top 1-2 inches of the soil will also assist the roots in the journey to find nutrients, water and stability.
How long after laying sod can you overseed?
The sod germination process usually takes anywhere between 7-21 days. This needs to be checked through as different types of grass grow differently and/or varying thicknesses. Thinner grasses may take longer than thicker species, for example. Once the sod has fully germinated and settled, you can go ahead and overseed.
How do you seed over dead sod?
Seeding over dead sod is pretty easy once you do it a couple of times. The toughest but most exciting part is the wait and result. Let’s look at the simplest way to renovate your sod once it’s dark.
Identify the Quality of Soil: Check if the soil is healthy or not
The first thing that should always be checked before throwing out any seed is the soil and its condition. You can usually stick a screwdriver in a dead sod area and gauge whether or not there is any moisture. This method is less invasive but can also be less conclusive.
The area could be bone dry, it may have moisture only at the very top, or it can even have ample moisture deeper down. If you’re not convinced, take a shovel to the area and dig out a 4-5 inch hole.
Check whether the soil seems dark, crumbly, and filled with organic matter such as worms and/or fungi. These are good signs that the soil is healthy. Check-in another 2-3 spots to make sure your findings are accurate.
Choose the Right Season of the Year
Spring and early fall/autumn are optimal seasons for sowing new sod. These times of the year offer slightly warm ground conditions and a chance of rain. They usually produce temperatures around 55-75°F (13-25°C) which is perfect for germination.
Prepare Your Soil
If the lawn you are aiming to overseed still has a bit of growth, it’s advisable to mow it short. This will increase the chances of the seed finding its way to the soil once sown. Remove any stray dead stands of grass or roots. Give the grass or non-grassed area a good raking.
Try to loosen up the top layer of the soil to give the new sod deep access to the soil. This will assist with germination and help the roots establish themselves when the time comes. If the soil is not of good quality, it’s best to purchase a decent organic blended soil and try mixing it to air out the old soil.
Make a proper seed and fertilizer combo
The best types of fertilizer for new sodding are slow-release nitrogen-based fertilizers. It’s recommended that you fertilize the area 3 days before seeding to ensure that fertilizer and seed are evenly distributed. Additionally, applying fertilizer earlier will prepare the soil with all nutrients so that the seed has every chance to thrive as soon as it touches the ground.
Purchase the right grass seed
Seed type is based on personal preference, and the season it will be sown. For example, Bermuda grass and zoysia grass are great grasses to sow in the warmer seasons. Comparatively, Kentucky blue or tall fescue or much better suited to cooler climates. This will need to be researched depending on your location and requirements.
Maintain a watering schedule
The key to growing deep, healthy roots, once the sod is sown, is water! They need consistent moisture as they begin to establish themselves. Ideally, try to keep the sod moist with frequent, light waterings twice a day for the first 4 days.
The roots will slowly bury their way into the soil at this stage. Water more heavily every second day for the next 4-5 days at this stage. After this time, focus on watering as needed to prevent wilting. Check the moisture at all times.
What happens when sod dies?
If your sod is dying, then any fertilizer that you try to use to bring it back to life simply won’t be able to be absorbed. There won’t be anything living to take in the nutrients.
Once the sod is well and truly dead, there isn’t much you can do besides a plan to regrow the area from scratch. The grass and roots will wither up, turn brown and go almost crunchy until it is either physically removed or the wind blows it away.
Can brown sod come back to life?
Brown sod can be brought back to life if all of its growing requirements can be met. More often than not, the soil is of poor quality, it may be too compact, or the heat may just be too much for the area.
Try giving the area some deep watering and good-quality fertilizer. Keep an eye on it to see if it starts to go slightly green; this is a good sign that it can be revived.
Frequently Asked Questions (fAQs)
When should I seed my dead lawn?
Spring or early fall/autumn are the best seasons for seeding a dead lawn. The ground is still slightly warm, and there is the possibility of rain which are both great for germination. Optimal temperature ranges for seeding are 55-75°F (13-25°C)
Can you put topsoil over dead grass?
Yes, you can find topsoil over dead grass. You only risk smothering live green grass if you add topsoil to that, but dead grass won’t be disturbed with an extra layer of topsoil. If anything, the dead debris underneath the topsoil will serve as organic matter and help the soil become richer in nutrients over time.
Is brown sod dead?
It may not be dead, but it would be very close to dead. If you come across brown patches, adding some fertilizer and water is a good idea to bring them back to life. If the affected area doesn’t change to even the slightest green color after a few days, it’s best to give up and plan for a brand-new patch from scratch.
How do you fix patches of dead sod?
Mow any thinning areas to assist in the seed’s journey to germination when the time comes. Rake away any dead grass or roots and roughen the soil so the roots can establish themselves without hindrance. Add a nitrogen-based fertilizer 3 days before sowing seed. Sow a seed and keep the ground moist until the roots have established themselves.
Conclusion:
Overseeding isn’t the concept of seeding too much, but seeding over an area encourages new grass to grow. It’s almost impossible to bring dead sod back to life, but brown areas can be fixed if all growing conditions can be met.
Additionally, you can overseed dead areas to regrow like new! So to answer the question, ‘Can you overseed dead sod’? Yes, you definitely can, and this article proves just that. We hope you enjoyed the article. Happy sowing!`
