Can I lay sod over beauty bark and expect it to grow?
Answer I am not sure what “Beauty Bark” is but for our purposes I will assume that is either a local colloquialism for “bark mulch” or a trade name for “bark mulch”. In any case, if you are asking if you can lay sod on top of mulch made from tree bark of any kind, the answer is generally NO. Sod SHOULD be laid on clean raked soil (dirt) so the roots will have something to grow in immediately. If you lay it on bark mulch is will quickly dry out and die. However, if the mulch is very old, thin and degraded. That is, it has broken down into mostly soil with some small pieces bark still left, it may do ok. But it is still not best for sod. You should generally spray out and kill all weeds, then rake the debris out so you have nothing but clean exposed soil. Then rake and roughen the surface before laying the sod. The you should spray it with water and lightly step it in. This means walking on it when it is a little wet to be sure the roots are pressed into the soil. Best of Luck Sean J Mur
