The Grass Doctor

How does grass do when transplanted to another area of the yard?

If I was to dig up some grass from one place in our yard and transplant it somewhere else, what would you guess the outcome would be? I am going to dig up an area for a garden. There is a sloped area that used to get washed out, so there's no grass there. I fixed the "washing out" issue. Is is possible to move the grass there or is it just a waste of time? Any special measures I should take?

Public Comments

1. I have moved my grass loads of times to suit the needs of the garden. It works really well, and I have never bought turf or seed. Dig up bits around 12 inches square. Make sure you get a good depth of soil along with the grass, then with a spade slice the bottom off so its flat - but still a good depth - say 4-6 inches. Replant at once and keep watered. One word of advice - its backbreaking, but I would still do it again.
2. Of course it is going to depend on how well you can match the conditions it was living in before. And also 'how well' it was doing before. Good, healthy grass will generally do well if it is given equal or better accomadations than it had previous. You want to try to match up soil types (or ammend to improve) and water well for the first several weeks to help acclimate to the new site. It is important to note the intensity & duration of sun that it was getting before. Of course you cannot take a patch of sunny grass and throw it in the shade & hope it does well. It will not be a happy camper there. It is always best to go with a mixture of grass seeds in your lawn to see which varieties do best in each of the different areas of your yard. Hope something from that helps. *Please note: That if you are moving somewhere near a tree, take care to plan out the spring shade that the tree will ultimately provide. It may leafout out a lot and block out sun for the new arrival.
3. The key to getting it right is to well prepare the new ground its going to be transplanted to ie. dig over and fine rake the new area. When lifting the sod make sure it's even and that you dont sever the roots. Good luck!
4. it is possible to grow,,,,,,,,,try properly