Which gets planted first?

[MrsJones]

There is an area in my backyard that I have been wondering what to do with. My dogs were previously housed there so there is no grass at all. I've seen some bushes that were shown in another post here that I would love to put there for privacy. I'd like to know do I plant the bush first or do I lay the sod first?

 

[marlingardener]

You definitely plant the bush first. If you put down sod first, you may have to rip some of it up to dig the shrub's hole. Also, if you have grass (sod) around the shrubs, how are you going to mow? How about planting the shrubs, mulching with wood chips or another attractive mulch, and just sodding up to within 2' of the shrubs' mature width? That way you can mow, have your privacy shrubs, and not have to worry about trying to get in, around the shrubs with your mower.

 

[Chuck]

There is an area in my backyard that I have been wondering what to do with. My dogs were previously housed there so there is no grass at all. I've seen some bushes that were shown in another post here that I would love to put there for privacy. I'd like to know do I plant the bush first or do I lay the sod first?

If it were me I would plant the bush first. That way you don't have to do the same thing twice and you can make sure you have a big enough hole for the bush to go in. You shouldn't lay sod directly under the bush anyway. Use mulch for that. Besides, won't the bush put out too much shade for the grass to grow directly underneath it? Once the bush is in the ground and mulched it will be easy to lay the sod right up against the mulch.

 

[MrsJones]

I wasn't even thinking about mowing the grass . I'll be saving a little money on the sod too. These are very helpful tips thank you both.