Can you seed over dead sod? If you have dead sod, you may plant over it. Dead sod is basically the opposite of alive sod. When it’s alive, it has roots that hold it in place and helps it to grow. But when it’s dead, its roots are gone or shriveled up and the soil around the roots has dried out. 

So when you come across dead sod and want to plant something new there, you can plant it over it and use the dead ones to regrow the new grass.

Can You Seed Over Dead Sod?

Yes, you can seed over a dead sod. It’s as easy as it sounds but has a unique strategy for it. When you seed over a dead sod, it grows back to new ones in three to four weeks. Just follow the steps that will be listed in this article. 

We know the process as overseeding. Instead of passing through the stress of uprooting all the dead sod, you can use it to regrow the new sod instead. 

How To Seed Over Dead Sod?

To seed over dead sod, there are things you need to do and they are first make sure you get the best seed, check that you have the best soil for your seed, mow the dead grasses, and fertilize it. Then ensure you water it about four to six times daily depending on your schedule.

1. Change of Reseeding

The first step is seeding over dead sod and finding and using the best seed available. These best-quality seeds should resist disease and adverse situations.

Then cut the old dead grasses down and your lawn mower to complete the work. After that, use a seed spreader to plant the best quality seed or the seed coated with fertilizer. If your seeds are not coated with fertilizer, apply small fertilizer to the soil.

Ensure your soil is rich in nutrients. Also, use a hand roller to make the seeds come in contact with the soil.

2. Reseeding Dead Sod Process

In reseeding the dead sod process, you need to first take a sample of the soil to test it. If it is sufficient and slightly alkaline, then start your seeding.

For the seed to reach the soil properly, cut the dead grasses short. First, mow only the top one-third of the grass. Then, mow it again as short as one inch.

Use a rake to loosen the top layer of the soil and add seed starter fertilizer to it immediately. Next, remove The initial dead grass and thatch from the sod. Dethatching is very important as it will loosen the soil and allow the new seed to take in more nutrients.

If your previous sod experienced high foot traffic, get an aerator to put air deep into the soil. Then use a seed spreader to sow new seeds. Hold it firmly and spread it extensively. Then use a roller to roll it twice so the seed will come in contact with the soil.

3. Watering Requirements

Water the soil six to seven times daily for about three to four weeks for the seed to germinate well. Care for the new seed and ensure you don’t allow it to suffer drought.

The sod needs to be watered once a week. Water it three times before reseeding, at a depth of 6-8 inches. Then after reseeding, water six to seven times daily for three to four weeks till the seeds germinate.

Apply a small volume of water and use a sprinkler instead of using a hose. This will help you not to dump water on one side of the seed.

Water only the part you reseeded multiple times a day but the rest of the grass should not be watered that much to avoid rot.

After the seeds germinate and develop leaves, water them multiple times daily for one week. Then the newly sprouted grass will now be watered once a week.

Last, keep an eye on rainfall after five days of seeding the sod. Don’t seed if you expect heavy wind and rainfall. If you seed, you will have an uneven sod afterwards.

4. Temperature Needs

We recommend you reseed during late fall and early springtime because this is when the soil is warm enough for the seeds to grow and the temperature is ideal.

You can also choose to reseed during summer if that is when you have your free time but you will have to deal with excessive weed growth, more sunlight and frequent watering.

Just ignore the winter period because most grass does not germinate during this period. And thinking that watering the grass it will germinate is a big mistake as it causes over-watering and fungal diseases.

However, you can reseed during spring or winter depending on the type of grass you have. Cool-season grasses grow during spring, and summer while warm-season grass germinates during winter. Know the type of grass you’re seeding and plant it during its preferred growth season.

5. Fertilizing Needs

Grass overseeding over dead sod needs proper maintenance and care. Apply fertilizer and prepare the soil well for enough nutrients. The sod that was reseeded in autumn will be de-seeded late in the next spring. Then, weeds in sod reseeded in spring can be removed in the upcoming autumn. 

Buy pre-coated seeds covered with fertilizer or apply fertilizer to the soil itself for efficient growth.

Also, aerate the soil properly to open up air spaces in the soil for the grass to thrive well. Aeration improves good drainage and makes more nutrients get to the seed.

Read: Should You Water Grass After Mowing?

Conclusion

When asked can you seed over dead sod? You answer yes because you can seed over dead sod when you mow it very short.

The soil needs to be prepared well by raking it, removing thatches, aerating it for air to penetrate through the soil and then rolling it over with a roller after sowing.

Apply seed starter fertilizer when raking it or buy seed covered with fertilizer. Water it six to seven times daily. Ensure the timing for sowing is right.

You also need to make sure that the soil in your yard is moist enough for the seeds to take root. If there’s too much dryness in your soil, you might end up with drought-resistant grass or not any actual grass at all.

But ‌proper care and maintenance are required for grass reseed over dead sod than average grass. This is all you need for fresh grass to grow in a place of dead sod.