Till the soil to a depth of 6 inches with a mechanized tiller to break up the grass and its root system. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. We've written a supporting article dedicated to the, Watch Your warm season Sod Green Up in the Spring, This picture shows two details 1) sod laid perpendicular to the slope and 2) how spring green up. The reason it is best not to sod unless you have to is that roots in sod originate at the soil surface, where the temperatures closely mimic the air temperatures. Installing sod is easy after reading this guide! However, the proper time to lay Bermuda sod in Georgia should coincide with warm weather. When temperatures warm up in the spring, we recommend holding off installing new Tall Fescue sod until the autumn. J. JohnnyRocker LawnSite Senior Member. Even though warm season turf like Zoysia, Centipede, and Bermudagrass is dormant and brown (think hibernating) in the fall or winter, you can still lay it on the bare soil of your lawn. I recommend investing in mulch or pine straw — not sod, and definitely not plugs — if your yard is that shady. Kill off any existing grass, then till up your lawn to a depth of 4-6 inches. So, as you can see, Zoysia can withstand temperatures lower than what is required by Bermuda grass. Sod. This applies to both Tall Fescue and dormant warm season sod. One thing we don’t recommend is laying zoysia sod in the winter. In mild climates, you can lay sod almost all year round as long as the ground isn’t frozen or a frost isn’t expected. At the very least we recommend that you cut the existing grass down with a weed eater and then lay the grass over that. Problem Management: Pests, Diseases, Weeds. When you compare the look, Bermuda Sod has fine blades, while Zoysia can have both broad and fine blades, St. Augustine has mainly broad blades, and both Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass have fine blades. Getting rid of the bermuda is next to impossible as the small seeds remain,even after eradication, for years. Have any questions for clarity? The best time to lay sod, however, is in late summer and early fall when temperatures are cooler but grass continues to grow. This will help it stay in place and the weight of the sod will help prevent soil erosion before the grass takes root (for dormant sod, it will root in the spring). This grass sends out runners that can help stabilize erosion-prone soil. My Bermuda is pretty thin which makes it very weed heavy at some times. If your conditions are so shady that the bermuda is not thriving, then chances are zoysia would perform nearly the same way. If you're going to be away or you haven't watered for a few days, then watch the weather and water new sod a day. Even those blessed with a green thumb can encounter turfgrass issues from time to time. I’ll leave you with one final secret of installing sod during winter: the delivery schedule doesn’t fill up as quickly when you order in the winter. Installing dormant sod uses less water than installing a warm season grass in the summer. Calculate the amount of sod you’ll need with the following formula. Watering in the winter is a balancing act, just like in the summer, but for different reasons. Roll It: Roll your new sod with a sod roller rented from your local equipment rental. Though zoysia grass and Bermuda grass are similar in some ways, they differ in their sunlight requirements. If you see weeds during the winter season, and you most likely will, mow them down or hand pull them. The sod is “hibernating” until warm weather signals green-up in the spring. While you can lay Zoysia sod any time of year, it takes longer to root than other grass sods so it's best to give it plenty of time to get established before cold weather arrives in autumn. For the best outcome, consult professionals that know how to install Bermuda sod. Start on the straightest edge of the lawn, laying it in a brick-like pattern. When you lay new sod, it’s critical that the roots make direct contact with the soil so that a root system can form. Once the ground temperatures rise to an appropriate level, your warm season sod will begin to take root and green up. It may be time to sow bermuda as even attempts to remove it will leave gaps in the slow growing zoysia for years. In our experience, Bermuda grass has been just about fool-proof over the winter season. If you have some areas with 5 hours or more of full sun, zoysia sod should do … I’m in zone 7b. 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