Expert: Ronald B Persaud - 7/5/2009

Question
right now i have cedar bark mulch for my front yard how would i be able to make this into a lawn preferably without having to remove all the bark mulch.

Answer
There is no practical plan that I can think of. You can lay sod right over that bark but you will have to really water it regularly until the roots of the sod grow through the bark layer into the earth below. It is very likely that by the time this happens, the winter will kill the sod completely.
Another option would be to scoop out the bark in many places and place a piece of sod in each place so that the sod piece makes intimate with the soil. Success will depend upon:
1. Choice of grass; it must be a runner type that will cover the areas in between the sod pieces.
2. How closely you can place the sod pieces to each other.
3. How much water you can give it.
4. How soon winter comes to your area and how intense is the cold.