How to Kill St. Augustine Lawn and Re-Sod With Bahia

Mow the St. Augustine lawn with your lawnmower deck set at the lowest height.

Cover the lawn with black plastic or landscaping fabric. Keep the cover in place for two weeks, then check it. If the grass isn't dead yet, leave it covered for another week.

Remove the dead St. Augustine grass by cutting it into strips with a sod cutter and removing the strips of sod.

Apply an herbicide to the dirt to kill the roots of any remaining St. Augustine grass.

Rake the dirt smooth with a landscaping rake. If there are any large rocks in the dirt, remove them.

Prepare a planting medium for the Bahia sod by mixing together sand, topsoil and compost in equal proportions.

Apply the planting medium to the ground in a layer that is 4 to 6 inches deep. Run over the ground with a rototiller to mix the planting medium in with the dirt.

Compact the soil by running over the surface with a lawn roller.

Spread a high-phosphorous starter fertilizer onto the soil with a seed spreader, then spray the soil with water to get it damp.

Begin laying the new Bahia sod around the perimeter of your yard. After laying each strip, water it thoroughly, then lay the next strip. Water each strip until it is soaked before moving on.

Lay the sod on top of sidewalks or other objects in its path, cutting away excess sod with a utility knife. Continue to install the Bahia sod until the entire yard has been sodded.

Apply water to the sod twice daily for the first two weeks after you plant it, then water it every other day for another two weeks.