fescue sod over sparse bermuda

11 years ago

I have a question about sod with mesh backing. What is growing right now has been without water for 2+ years other than bits of overspray from the flower beds.I had irrigation installed for lawn area last week and want to sod rather than seed. My gardener sprayed Roundup on Monday, but there are few signs the old sparse bermuda/weeds are dying. He said not a problem, that the sod has a mesh backing. My gardener is supposed to lay sod down on Saturday. I would like a second opinion please....I don't want to pay a ton of money for sod only to have the bermuda grow through and take over. Does this mesh really prevent the remnants of what they may leave behind in prepration or am I better off asking him to wait until I'm absolutely sure the bermuda is gone? Thanks in advance, Deana

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Comments (3)

dchall_san_antonio
11 years ago
STOP EVERYTHING! Call off your gardener. He's rushing the process. If he has already ordered the sod you want to give him time to cancel the order. And I need to say this...Bwahahahahahahaha! Mesh backing??? Sorry, but I've never heard of that. Nothing short of chemicals will stop bermuda. Mesh anything that allows any light to the soil will not slow it down.

All the Roundup did was kill the existing plants. If you have not watered in 2 years, you have a bazillion weed seeds there waiting to sprout as soon as you start watering the new sod. Your gardener should know that but he's also got a boat payment to make. Take a week and water the area he sprayed. The idea is to sprout the weed seeds so you can kill those. To do that you should water it lightly (15 minutes) at least once a day - preferably 3x per day (morning noon and night). Any weed seeds should sprout and any living bermuda should bounce back. If you see ANY thing, give it a week to mature and spray with Roundup again. You will save countless weed induced headaches by taking the extra week to go through this process.

Exactly where in SoCal do you live? Name the town or zip (and I'll name the town for you). Does everyone around you have fescue?

So did you want a second opinion on your gardener or on what he plans to do? I think he's rushing you. Are you planning to let him mow?
texas_weed
11 years ago
OK I got a dumb question.

What makes you think laying Fescue sod down is going to do any better than Bermuda did without being watered for 2 years?

The Bermuda grass can be restored real easily by doing the things you have neglected to do like water and feed it. You do that with Fescue now, and by July you will have bare dusty dirt blowing away in the wind. Bermuda will still be there waiting for some TLC to revive itself.
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barnhardt9999
11 years ago
Agree with the others. After whatever kills cockroaches, Bermuda will be the last living thing on Earth. I think you should invest in a herd of 100 goats per acre, never feed them of course, leave them for 5-10 years to battle the Bermuda and then, maybe, try to lay the sod.

I would still take even odds on the Bermuda coming back.