Central Florida. This is what I did to my back yard that was mostly weeds (sedges, dollar weed, etc.) that came after a couple of hard freeze winters and poor service from commercial lawn companies. It again became a DIY routine for my yard. Formerly St. Augustine Floratam. 2/24/2011 First application of Roundup 3/12 Second application of Roundup 3/24 Applied starter fertilizer to area 3/25 Third application of roundup 3/29 First shipment and installation of Empire Zoysia plugs 4/15 Finished final planting of plugs 5/25 First mowing of Zoysia By late summer, Zoysia had covered area well but still not complete - perhaps 90% but still bumpy using the rider mower. Over time the bumpy should go away when the plugs do their job. Very few weeds growing in Zoysia. By November, no soil showing anywhere among the Zoysia. 2/20/2012 Zoysia slightly brown in some areas - from 2 not-to-hard freezes and very few weeds, primarily dollar weed. Those weeds are probably left-overs and should mostly disappear after I do the first herbicide. Laying strips of sod on top of the ground will, of course, create a very bumpy ride for a mower - perhaps an inch+ above the bare soil - scalping possible. Considering the amount of work involved with removing the old sod, leveling any spots, then laying new sod -- I would again readily choose killing the existing vegetation, buying and planting Zoysia plugs. If I were going to do 8000 sq ft, it would be done part now, remainder as I felt the urge.

I believe the leaf that goes with it is the one at the bottom of the picture (not the 3 leaved thing out to the side). Perhaps something in the genus Collinsonia? Here is a link that might be useful: Collinsonia serotina

Anyone with turf/sod left over should put it on ebay straight away. It should be laid fresh and an ebay auction starting at a minimal price would be the quickest way to shift it Here is a link that might be useful: Fresh Turf

Laura, Sod cutters work very well in certain types of soil. You have to be very strong to use one...it is much more a task for a gentleman than for a lady. This is the kind of job that when we do it, DH runs the sodcutter and I help. The sod also is very heavy to handle after it is cut. One way to enlist help in removing the sod is to offer it on Craigslist or Freecycle, and state clearly that whoever wants the sod has to be there while y'all are cutting it so they can load it up and take it away that day. Usually people will knock themselves out to get free grass sod. If you want to see one in operation, there are videos online...likely on YouTube as well as on the websites of sodcutter manufacturers and rental companies. When checking into renting one, find out what type they have...there are some that are very, very large and heavy and others that are a bit more lightweight. The more lightweight ones work fine in sandy or loamy soil but you may need a more heavy duty one in thicker, denser soil that has a heavy clay content. Plan for a long, difficult day when you're cutting and removing sod, and depending on the type of soil you have, it can take longer than you think it will. Sodcutters are the best way to remove bermuda grass if you have soil that isn't so dense or rocky that the cutter cannot penetrate it to the proper depth. They're sort of like a big saw on wheels and they cut through the soil/grass sod at whatever depth you set. You have to be careful you don't set the depth too low with clay soil, or the sod/clay is too heavy to lift. Some stolons or roots may be left behind, and bermuda can sprout from seed that blows in from elsewhere, but a sodcutter is still the best way to remove bermuda. This is the perfect time of year to use a sodcutter because the soil is nice and moist. I'd never try to use a sodcutter with very dry soil, especially very dry clay soil. I have some beds I want to enlarge and am thinking of renting a sod cutter to do it during the next week or two. Dawn