Addingsoil over grass can be another effective form of repairing a lawn. Itis possible to dump new soil over top of what you have, and prepare itfor sod or seed.
This option will save you money on excavation costs ofremoving the old soil and grass.
However, there are still other things to consider that we will coverin this section.
If you are not putting down a thick enough layer ofsoil to kill everything underneath, you may have to make some otherchoices.
Kill off the existing weeds and lawn with a herbicide, or rent asod stripper.
In our example, weeds or poor soil was not theissue, but we had build up the lawn to the new height of a patioinstallation. We were also repairing some lawn from the equipment damageof removing the old concrete patio.
Before shot of a lawn that will need to be blended with new sod, soil, and the old lawn.
This example of repair was due to removal ofan old patio for installation of a new one.
It involves re-grading andblending the new sod with the existing lawn.
Renting a sod stripper was not needed in our situation, as we had agood lawn underneath the 6 inches of quality soil we put down.
Our nextsection (Option #3), will talk about sodding or seeding directly on theground or grass.
When you consider how much soil you sometimes have to add, theheight increase could create a new series of problems. The new problemsare created when the work you are doing is not working with the existingfeatures in your yard. You must also consider the following thingsbelow.
Proper grading must always be considered withany lawn repair.
Get a good overall view of drainage from the lowestviewing spot in the yard.
Building up new soil can affect drainage innegative ways.
You don't want to have water draining off your new lawnonto your patio area.
For those with in-ground irrigation like in ourexample, we also had to raise sprinkler heads to accommodate the newlawn level.
If you only put a thin layer of soil down, the old weeds andgrass will through your soil. This can be a problem if you are growinggrass from seed over a previous weedy lawn, the old weeds will growthrough as well. (Grass and weeds will grow through soil 2 or 3 inchesthick quite easily.)
Once you add more than 3 or 4 inches of soil, the amount of weedsand grass that will grow through starts to drop off dramatically.
This picture shows the new sod, old lawn, and the soil over top of the old lawn. Blending lawn requires patience.
Sod was used in places where 2 inches or moreof soil needed to be added.
In areas where we put down less than 2inches, the old grass will grow through and blend with the sod (under 2to 3 inches).
Seed can also be used to help with the blend.
In our above lawn repair, we blended the old lawnand the new lawn by sodding only the sections where we had to add themost amount of soil. Up against the patio we added around a foot, so itwas necessary to sod.
As we moved away from the patio where the old the old lawn wasburied by only a few inches of soil, we allowed the old grass to growthrough for a nice smooth blend. Seed can also be used when blendinglawns, but make sure you use the same grass type.
This picture was taken one year after blending soil, new sod, and an old lawn. Patience is a virtue.
Our rebuilt and blended lawn as it looked thefollowing season.
Be patient, as good results for blending grass maysometimes take a year or two to achieve.
Although 4 to 6 inches will kill much of the grassand weeds under it, don't count on it killing it all. It depends on thevariety of grass or weeds that you have in your yard. There are othervariables as well, and no two people ever seem to have the exact sameresult.
If you put a 6 inch layer of soil down with a layer of sod ontop, there will be VERY little chance of anything growing through. Athick mat like this, will kill off almost everything under it. (Almostbeing the key word).
Adding soil over grass gave us great success with our lawnrepair, but it may not work for your situation. Make sure you havechecked out our other repair options as well.
How do you handle lawn weeds?
We as humans can be lazy, and we often look for the easy wayto do things without considering the consequences. Many people choosechemicals to kill existing grass and weeds. Some are more harmful thanothers, and more and more cities are banning these harsh products.
Be aware of what you are using on your lawn and the effects it will haveon the soil. Many products will have warnings telling you how long towait before seeding or sodding. As we already stated previously in thismodule, pre-emergents will not only prevent weed seeds from germinating,but grass seeds as well.
You may have to use an activated charcoal to neutralize theeffects of the pre-emergent. This is for people that really need to getthe seed down, but already applied a pre-emergent.
You also need to know that your soil contains billions ofmicroscopic organisms call microbes. These microbes are crucial inbreaking down, and providing nutrients to the root system. Certainproducts can kill these microbes leaving you with a sterile (dead),soil. Make sure you know what you are using and the consequences of theproduct.
Rather than controlling weeds with store bought products, get toknow your lawn. Spend a few hours once or twice a month if needed, andhand pick the weeds if your yard is small. It is good exercise, andinvolves NO chemicals. This has advantages, as you will catch diseases,weeds, or insect problems, before they become unmanageable.
Adding soil over grass is also not the cheapest option in lawnrepair. Once again, the soil must be adequately raked and graded forproper drainage. If you need to know how to grow grass from seed, or howto sod, we recommend a visit to our full modules on seeding and soddingfor more tips.
Links to shortened versions of these two modules are atthe bottom of this page.
- Sodding a Lawn
- Seeding a Lawn
If you can't raise the level of your lawn because of existingfeatures, or your budget doesn't permit you to purchase a few loads oftopsoil, then you may have to consider Sodding Over Grass.
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Table of Contents: Lawn Problems
Lawn Problems: Introduction
A. Grass Problems
B. Soil Problems
C. Lawn Repair
D. Renovating Lawn
E. Replace Lawn
F. Rebuilding a Lawn
- 1. Amending Soil
2. Adding Soil Over Grass
3. Sodding Over Grass
G. How to Seed Lawns
H. How to Sod
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Return to the Lawn Problems Introduction
