check_ux_article_product

View Details

Can you lay turf over existing grass?

It can be tempting to consider plonking a brand new lawn on top of the ratty old one you want to hide.

After all, builders are known to put new tiles, carpet and vinyl over existing layers of floor coverings and house painters rarely sand off all the paint layers before applying a fresh coat or two.

But there are pros and cons to taking this kind of approach with turf.

What to consider when laying turf over old grass

The site

If parts of your lawn are looking sad or worn out, it&#;s best to work out why before you rush out and buy new turf.

Think about potential problems such as poor drainage, hollows, compacted soil, thatch build-up and how much sun, shade and TLC your lawn receives.

If those issues aren&#;t addressed first, they&#;ll continue to be a problem for the new grass, especially if you put down a variety that&#;s not suited to the site.

Putting the wrong grass variety in the wrong place is guaranteed to give an inferior result.

Make sure you take into account factors such as lawn size, shade and sun tolerance, resistance to wear and weeds, drought and salt tolerance, maintenance, colour and budget.

The Ultimate Turf Buyers Guide has tips for choosing turf varieties. 

How much time will it take?

You might think dropping new turf on top of the old grass will save time on preparation and give you a lush new lawn sooner. It won&#;t.

You&#;ve probably heard the Five Ps: Proper planning prevents poor performance. Nowhere is this more true than when preparing to lay turf.

The results from laying new turf over old grass can be short-lived and you&#;ll more than likely have to redo the job after the new grass dies off.

If time is of the essence, consider having your turf professionally installed. Many landscapers and turf suppliers also offer site preparation services.

How much will it cost?

See above &#; Preparation is key to getting the best result. Skimping on site prep to save money can be more costly in the long run, if the new grass is unable to properly put down roots and dies off.

If your budget is very tight, you might be better off renovating the lawn. This involves scarifying thick, spongy areas &#; removing the build-up of thatch in Couch and Kikuyu lawns and thinning out the root zone &#; aerating and top-dressing. These are all things you can do yourself without spending a lot of money, but like any project it will take time to see the results.

The result

Also see above.

Lifting old vegetation off the lawn will remove weeds, diseased grass and pests that live in the root zone.

Exposing the soil allows it to be fluffed up with a rotary hoe. Humps and low spots can also be levelled, and drainage improved with a layer of sand, followed by good quality topsoil and a starter fertiliser.

This gives your new turf the best chance at establishment.

How to lay new turf over old grass

If you&#;re determined to go ahead with this project and you&#;ve chosen the right variety for your location and site, here&#;s a few suggestions:

• Don&#;t skimp on preparation.
• Grass needs at least 15-20cm of friable good quality topsoil to grow its roots into.
• Use a rotary hoe &#; they can be hired if you don&#;t already have one for the vegie patch &#; to run over the existing grass. Level humps and low spots by adding a layer of sand followed by good quality topsoil and incorporate fertiliser or well-rotted compost using a rake.
• Once the new turf is laid stay on top of the intense watering schedule it requires.
• Be prepared for the new turf to wilt and lose colour as the grass underneath dies.
• Ask your turf supplier for advice on extra precautions to take in your local area

.

Free Lawn Guide

Sign up for our Newsletter to receive your free guide.

A small garden with some green grasses adds beauty to your house. Some people like to keep the way it is natural, but some may get extra excited about revamping those areas. So, this is where the thought of laying a turf comes into a person&#;s mind.

To address the nitty-gritty of laying turf and aspects related to it, we have come up with this blog.

Table of Content

• What are turf and its types?

• Qualities of good Turf

• All About instant turf

• Ways to lay Turf

• Basic steps to laying a turf

• Things needed to lay instant turf

• Steps to lay turf over existing lawn

• Tips and tricks to lay a new turf over existing lawn

• How to lay turf in winter?

• Dos and  Don&#;ts of laying a turf ?

• How to lay instant turf in the pool area?

• What about Laying turf cost in Australia?

• Why Choose Jam Pools Removals for Turf Laying? 

What are turf and its types?

Turf is grass kept on the surface layer of Earth, held together by its roots. Usually, turfs are of small rectangular shape. One can go for either a seeded lawn or the turf one.

The seeded lawns include germinated seeds of grass at different stages, while instant lawn/ turf is one variety producing evenly growing grasses.

On the basis of luxury and appearance, there are two major turfs:

• Family lawn turf/ hard-wearing/ traditional

They are easy to maintain, durable, and budget-friendly.

• Fine/ Ornamental /Deluxe turf

Fine turf looks great and grows well in most conditions.

Qualities of Good Turf

As per research and experts in the laying turf industry, a turf is of good one if it possesses the following qualities:

• Nice even colour with no patches or splodges

• Velvety-textured, dark green coloured healthy grass

• Really tough and hard-wearing

• Reaches a defined standard of Turf rolls

• Simple and Easy to maintain

• Not too costly; affordable 

What are the instant Turfs?

Instant Turf is a newly grown lawn that has been pulled from the field, chopped into manageable-sized pieces, wrapped up, and transferred to its new location.

Types of Instant Turf

DNA CERTIFIED SIR WALTER

Used for residential yards used by children or pets and commercial situations. 

TIFTUF BERMUDA

TifTuf Bermuda has an impressive wear tolerance unlike any other, making it perfect for frequently used sporting fields or backyards.

RTF TALL FESCUE

RTF [ Rhizomatous Tall Fescue] is an advanced turf and is ideal for front lawns & shaded areas.

EUREKA KIKUYU 

It is a vigorous grower that stands up to a wide range of conditions and is used for both home lawns and larger spaces such as racecourses or parks.

NULLARBOR COUCH

They are the perfect turf for rest and play. They produce a manicured lawn with an attractive luscious green colour and fine leaf blades.

Things needed to lay instant turf

Lvyi are exported all over the world and different industries with quality first. Our belief is to provide our customers with more and better high value-added products. Let's create a better future together.

To have your instant turf set up, you will have mostly need:

• Some rolls of turf

• Manure

• Gravel or Grit

• Gardening gloves fertilizer 

• Gardening Fork

• Strings

• Measuring tape

• A cutting knife 

• some planks

• Wood a sprinkler

Ways to lay Turf

If you want to start a new lawn, you have two options:

•  plant grass seed

OR

•  buy and lay the turf.

[ In fact, you can add a turf on the existing one if you are not looking for a new lawn]

For an old lawn that has become particularly weedy, you must remove it, stack it, compost it, and treat the soil beneath it before laying turf. If there is a lot of weed on it, treat it with weed killer first and let it die. 

Basic Steps to Laying a Turf

• Prepare the surface area with topsoil and wetting agent to hold the moisture underneath the turf.

• Prepare the soil for laying the instant turf. You use your rake to spread out your topsoil and then level it out with your soil spreader.

• Put down the lawn builder or the startup fertiliser. Make sure when you do this, you follow the instructions on the packet.

•  Wet the fertiliser in to create a nice moist bed for the turf to lay on.

• Put your first roll of turf and keep it hard against both sides of the corner. Avoid kneeling on the turf or stretching it, as it needs to remain compact in the soil. Get help if needed!

• Lay the turf out next to the piece. Make sure that it&#;s butted up hard against the edge and then, with a pair of secateurs.

• Continue the same process. Cut off the extra things turfs.

• After completing laying the turfs, water the turf lightly, you need to keep the turf wet for the first four to six weeks, depending on your climate.

• After that, you can back off the watering a little bit to encourage deep rooting in.

• You should minimize the foot traffic to a minimum for the next four weeks, but that&#;s it.

Steps to lay turf over the existing lawn

&#;Can I lay turf over the existing one? &#;is this a big question lawn enthusiasts and garden lovers have in mind? Well, the answer is YES!!

You can lay a new turf over an existing lawn, but you must check your existing turf&#;s condition and needs for laying turf on top of the existing one.

However,  this method is not recommended by many experts. There are numerous reasons why you shouldn&#;t lay new turf on top. Some are:

• This can cause the roots not to grow well.

• It&#;s not a good fix to reduce weeds and diseases. In fact, the presence of disease on existing ones gives a trauma to your new turf.

•  The existing humps or hollow spots can worsen lawn health.

• The existing pests can attack the new turf; Laying your new turf on the existing one may also serve as feeding the pests and inviting the stress. Do you really want that?

But if you really are into adding a new turf on the existing one, we do have options. Start off with the best preparation. For that, preparing the ground for turf should be the main focus. It will be great if you add new turf to the existing one.

So, let&#;s see the steps to lay turf on the existing one.

• Level the ground, smoothen any bumps and fill up any holes.

• Cut the old grass somehow low and level out any holes or steeps.

• Apply the topsoil or compost mix and spread it evenly throughout the intended area. 

Tips and tricks to lay a new turf over an existing one?

• Keep the turf is of the same level as driveways, walkways, and ground-level other surfaces

• One needs to water your lawn on regular basis 

• Avoid walking on your new turf for the next 3-4 weeks to prevent the formation of air pockets underneath.

• Take the help of the tutorials and use only quality products.

• If in confusion, dial the laying turf experts like Jam Pool Removals.

How to lay turf in winter?

Laying turf isn&#;t a task for only one season; it can be laid at any time of the year, including in the winter.

In fact, there are several advantages to turfing in the winter. The first is staying fresh, i.e. the grass rolls will last longer in damp, chilly weather.

If you lay turf in the winter, it will have enough time to root and settle before the spring season. 

So, to lay turf in winter, you should first work out how much turf is needed; check for the area to be turfed, and any other unusual features in the to-be turfed area.

Now, prepare the ground without any clutter and clumps and then repeat the standard laying a turf practice.

Dos and  Don&#;ts of laying a turf

Do&#;s

Dont&#;s

Do choose your Turf carefully.

Don&#;t let the Turf dry out.

Do take measurements accurately.

Don&#;t start mowing right away.

Do trim it slightly if the weather is mild and it has started to grow,

Don&#;t allow dogs from digging up or urinating on your lawn.

Do ensure that your new turf is regularly watered.

Don&#;t water at night as it can worsen the condition.

Do prepare your soil by removing all pieces of rock, roots and other debris.

Don&#;t cut your grass too short.

What about Laying Turf Cost in Australia in ?

The cost of Laying a turf price is determined by the area to be covered. Depending on turf type, laying a turf can cost anywhere between $6.50 and $12.50 per square meter. Turfs are more expensive to install than fake grass, but they are a more environmentally friendly alternative; thus, the cost is justified.

Why Choose Jam Pools Removals for Turf Laying? 

At Jam Pools Removal, along with pool removals service, offers turf laying service in Sydney. We are professionals in turf installation in Sydney.

We focus on delivering from quality suppliers while considering the season, soil, the weather condition in your location or lawn, need for watering and care. In fact, we also work to put instant and artificial turfs in your swimming pool area as well.

Contact us if you are looking for a professional Turf laying service in Sydney NSW Area? We are here for your Pool Removal and Turf Laying in Sydney.

For more information, please visit Residential Turf Grass.