jmray0805
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2016 8:58 pm

Help! Weed problems and dead Sod (?)

Hi all, I just purchased my first home this past May and I'm now dealing with a terrible lawn problem. Weeds are overtaking my yard and the new Bermuda sod appears dead in a large portion of it. I've paid for a lawn service and they did their initial Nitrogen/Fertilizer/Weedkiller service, but it doesn't seem to be paying off at all. Is there any saving this or do I need to start over? I'm pretty pissed because none of my neighbors' yards are anywhere near this bad. Any advice is appreciated! :?

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webmaster
Site Admin
Posts: 9476
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2004 12:59 pm
Location: Amherst, MA USDA Zone 5a

Hi,
Welcome to the forum. :)

Just a friendly note to let you know I changed your member name to jmray0805 (because we ask members not to use email addys as nicks). You'll be asked to log in again, your chosen password is the same.

Also, I linked directly to your pics so that they show up on your post, making it easier for members to answer your question.

Good luck and welcome to the forum! :)

Good luck!

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rainbowgardener
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Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

It would help if you told us where you are located (there are hardly any garden questions that can be discussed without reference to location/climate) and when the sod was laid down.

At first glance I thought you were showing us a picture of a patio. I don't know much about lawns, but that sod does indeed appear completely dead. Of course with dead sod, the weeds will start coming in and taking advantage. No amount of fertilizing, weed killing, etc will help dead grass. The way all the lines are still showing so clearly, it doesn't look like it ever started growing or ever put down roots into the soil. I don't know much about lawns, but my guess is that the sod wasn't laid right -- the soil wasn't properly prepared for it or the sod wasn't rolled to be in contact with the soil, or something. But it's why I asked when it was laid and location. The other possibility is that it was laid in summer when it was already hot and dry and it wasn't kept properly watered. Sod when first laid does not have any roots down into the soil, so it needs to be watered every day.

If you think the company that laid it made the mistake, you should go back to them and get them to redo it. In any case it will need to be re-done. But depending a bit on where you are (back to climate and location), now in the heat of summer is not the right time to do that. You probably just need to live with it until september or so when the weather breaks. Grass is laid in spring or fall, not in the heat of summer. If your climate is anything like mine (temps consistently 95 - 100 and no rain in sight), there would be nothing you could do to keep new sod alive now.

P.S. It looks like a gigantic expanse of grass. I don't know how much of all that is your yard. But now might be a good time to be thinking about what else you might want to be doing with all that lovely space. Do you have kids? Need a play space? How about patio, gazebo, arbor, sitting space, eating space? Water feature, fire pit, bird feeders, shed for garden tools? Wouldn't you like to grow some flowers, herbs, vegetables, trees/ shrubbery? Grass is the most boring, least useful thing you can do with the space. (Now you know why I don't know much about lawns! :) )



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