How to Restore Dead Sod- 7 Best Solutions with Reasons

What do you think about how to restore dead sod? Sod is the upper stratum of soil-bound by grass and plants. Restore means return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition.

There are several reasons your lawn might bite the dust, including pests, disease, poor preparation and installation techniques, improper watering and feeding, or the wrong type of grass for the environment.

Make sure the grass you are growing is hardly in your particular climate and grows in the light conditions present in your yard. It is very important to check your lawn at least once per day during the week. For the best establishment, the sod needs time to properly root to the new soil.

How To Restore Dead Sod- Step By Step

There are many ways to restore dead sod. These are as follows:

1. Figuring Out What Caused Your Grass To Die

Before you rush to remedy yellow dying sod, you identify the cause before jumping to the assumption that your lawn is not getting enough water. Sod grasses are required adequate nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to produce thick green blades.

Some grass species are slow to green in spring while others require extra water to stay green during the hot days of summer- it is not dead, it’s dormant.

Both warm and cool-season kinds of grass are going to dormant during drought conditions. Deep watering regularly by applying at least 1 inch of water per week or two to three times weekly in extremely in hot water, may green up the dead sod without any further effort.

2. Pet Urine

The nitrogen excreted in pet urine can turn sod yellow and even kill it. Examine where the yellowing is and notice if these splotches match where your dog is doing its business. Find a less expensive area for your dog to use. If you do not have pets, make sure no other animals marking their territory in your yard.

Remedy

Water down these areas to flush out the high concentration of nitrogen. If your dog is kept out of the area, new grass will replace the burned patches and the yellow spots will eventually become green again.

3. Fungus And Insects

There are various fungi and insect pests that can attack your lawn, it is important to assess if the sod is under attack by one of these. It will require specific information about the type of fungi and insects in your region.

Remedy

Your local agricultural extension agent can provide you with information about the most common fungi and insects in your area, along with recommendations for remedying the problem.

4. Poor And Installation

Another cause of yellow dying sod on a newly installed lawn could be poor installation. This can cause air pockets to become trapped underneath the sod rolls. This in turn prevents the sod roots from finding a new home in the soil.

Remedy

If you suspect the culprit is a poor installation job, be sure to take lots of photos and contact the sod company immediately so their supervisor can inspect your lawn.

5. Mowing Too Soon

Another possible cause of newly installed sod-turning yellow could from mowing your yard too soon after installation.

Remedy

Hold off mowing the yard until it has time to recover. Allow the grass to grow a little longer than normal. If the weather is hot, you may need to change your mower setting and not cut the lawn so low.

6. Sod Can Be Stressed

After the worst-case pet urine, fungi and insects, mowing, and poor installation have been eliminated, the most common reason for yellowing sod is stress. It may sound odd but can become stressed due to several factors, such as:

Weather

If the temperature is high and the rain scarce, your lawn will suffer from the stress and lack of water and vital nutrients.

Lack Of Enough Water

For temperature or incorrect irrigation, your sod needs more water. There are a few techniques for adding water that can jump-start new growth.

Remedy

The best remedy for yellow sod due to stress is water and lots of it. The time of day that you apply water can also determine how quickly your lawn bounces back into that beautiful green sod.

  • Starts with the one-hour deep soaking to assess if the sod needs more water.
  • If you saw little pools of water in your yard, its time to cut back on the amount of water.

How To Regrow

How to restore dead sod or regrows process is When the lawn appears brown all over, cut away the top growth in a small area and check whether you see some signs of few days and if you see new growth, you can be sure that it is possible to revitalize your lawn with regular deep watering for few weeks.

Additional Care

Mow the brown portion and run a rake through the lawn to break up the hard surface.

When the ground has been dry and hard for a few weeks, you have to need to plug the lawn to allow water to percolate deep into the root zone. It can take several weeks to bring back your dead sod.

Tips:

  • Get help identifying your sod problems by describing the symptoms to an extension agent or to garden center personnel.
  • Be sure grass seed is suited for the climate in which you live.

You have two options to choose- how to restore dead sod when your grass is dead, you can start over again with fresh seed, or even sod if you are in a hurry.

There are a number of last acting chemical pesticides but if you use the lawn frequently or have kids or pets, it is safer to use neem oil or use biological control with nematodes or milky spore available in garden centers.

Sod can restore through periods of drought on a surprisingly small amount of water as long as the water reaches the root zone.