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Sod over former burn pile?

2K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  kstall 
#1 ·
So over the last few weeks I've laid 2 pallets of bermuda sod in some areas in my back yard that were terrible looking. These were areas that were near 100% weed that I've killed off and been waiting on the rest of the bermuda to till it in. Its been slow so I sodded it. Sod is doing great so far.

So my question revolves around an area that I used as a leaf/clipping burn pile. The previous owners had an above ground pool here so there was no grass so I just used it to burn stuff. I decided if I'm gonna redo the backyard I might as well do it all. So I've worked there area up so its a mixture of soil, ash, and some unburned leaves/clippings. Do yall think sod would ok in this spot? I thought it would be fine but I wanted to ask you guys for input.
 
#2 ·
I shoveled everything out, and put in a mix of dirt and sand, and its been fine. I planted a tree in it, and underneath the burn pit was a stump ground tree stump. The grass is creeping in from the edges of the circle just fine.
 
#4 ·
I have an area next to my pond where I burned some limbs, leaves etc. It's in an area I don't maintain with the reel mower but it does get fertilizer and weed control. It has been 4 years since I burned there and you can still tell where it is, the turf there is thin and not very healthy looking. If I was going to bother putting sod in a similar area I would take the time to remove as much ash and debris as possible and replace with quality soil.
 
#5 ·
It was my impression that people burn their dormant Bermuda in the late winter at least in part to gain the benefits of the resulting carbon. The leaves/clippings mixed with the soil will eventually break down and provide an added organic benefit to the soil. I would think that this would provide some ideal conditions for sod. There could be an issue with chemicals in the soil due to the pool that used to be there, but aside from that, I would think this is fine for sodding.
 
#6 ·
I had the opposite experience. I had a burn pile in my back yard. After leveling and mowing over it a few times, I noticed it was one of the best spots in the yard. Got my first soil test this year and soil is very acidic. Makes sense now why it thrived.
 
#7 ·
Awesome thanks so much for the replies! I think I will just give it go and see what happens. I'm getting a pallet for $50 so if it doesn't take its not like I'm out a lot of money. I just couldn't stand to see this big pile of junk sitting square in the middle of my back yard anymore, especially now that I've sodded the other bad areas and have them looking nice.
 
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