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Can I Lay New Turf on Top of Old Turf?

Relaying a lawn is one of the many home improvement projects that new homeowners contemplate. Although laying fresh turf on top of your old grass appears to be a time-saving and feasible solution, it is not recommended because it does not produce the greatest long-term outcomes. As reputable Sydney turf installers, we can confidently say that in reality, any reputable turf suppliers will advise against installing fresh turf on top of existing grass, and here’s why…

Why is Laying New Turf on Top of Old Grass Not Recommend?

From Palmetto Buffalo, to Couch turf, to Kikuyu turf Sydney and every grass variety in-between, yes, you can cover up bald spots in your lawn temporarily by laying new turf on top of them. AND, while the new turf might look healthy in the short run, that will be short-lived because soon your new lawn will quickly resemble your old one, wasting your investment!

Turf is a living plant that thrives on good soil, and since new turf must make soil contact to establish its roots, any existing grass must be quite thin if you want to lay it without performing any severe groundwork. New turf requires freshly prepared soil for the roots – preferably done by skilled Sydney turf installers – to grow strongly and deeply for the best results.

5 Reasons to Not Cover Your Old Grass with New Turf

To start, your new grass will grow over old turf, but as the old grass dies, your top lawn’s condition will deteriorate, as current lawn issues reside beneath the soil. So, trust us, as expert Sydney turf installers, it is crucial to always prepare soil correctly before laying new turf for the greatest lawn outcomes. Otherwise, here are five common situations that can occur when you lay new grass over old grass.

  1. Soil compaction

The most crucial aspect of installing grass is fresh soil preparation to thrive. The old vegetation is peeled from the soil, and any weeds or grass plants that aren’t adapted to the current circumstances are removed. It’s time to dig or rotate the soil after you’ve torn up the old vegetation, as this fluffs up the soil and alleviates compaction issues.

  1. Existing weeds will return in a few months

If you place turf over existing grass, it will be more difficult for the turf to establish good roots. The grass must work twice as hard to get through the current grass layer and into the soil. Existing weeds with established roots will continue to make their way through your fresh covering of grass during this period, causing the problem to remain. So, before you lay new grass, visit your local turf suppliers to see what weed removal technique will work best for you.

  1. Pests will also remain

While you may believe your pest infestation isn’t too serious, make sure you get rid of any bugs you observe and consider getting your soil treated if you find more than 10 pests in a square foot. Again, your local turf suppliers will be able to develop a quality pest removal plan tailored for you. It’s not only the bugs that cause problems; sometimes, it’s the larger animals that eat these insects and rip up perfectly manicured lawns to acquire them.

  1. Hollows & Humps

If your soil has humps and hollows, you should acquire fresh topsoil to fill up the divots. Purchasing fresh topsoil from your local turf suppliers is preferable to excavating humps to fill hollows. However, you don’t have to be precise about levelling; a general slope might help with drainage after all. The most straightforward technique to level out any humps or hollows is to rake them out. The best results are obtained when the top 6-8 inches of dirt are spread for the young grass to form long, deep roots.

  1. Diseases

Any illnesses present in the current lawn or soil will almost certainly be present in the new grass. It might be tough to treat lawn illnesses if you don’t know which disease wreaks havoc on your grass. It’s simplest to diagnose the illness on the existing grass, which may then be treated to prevent it from spreading to the new lawn. Anthracnose, Brown Patch, Dollar Spot, Fusarium, Pythium, and other diseases are among the many that afflict lawns in Australia.

What’s Wrong with Your Currently Installed Turf?

As respectable Sydney turf installers, we know that if you are considering laying new turf on top of your old grass, it’s probably because you have a problem with your current grass, which you can’t seem to solve. But as we have seen over the years of being turf suppliers, installing fresh turf won’t fix those underlying issues in most scenarios!

Therefore, we always recommend to our turf clients that it can be easier to identify and address your current turf problem rather than pulling up what you have and relaying it. Since lawns in Australia – from Buffalo turf to Kikuyu turf Sydney – are exposed to several challenging circumstances, any of these might be the source of the present turf’s difficulties:

  • Dehydration — the bone-dry summer heat can cause lawns to dehydrate and perish.
  • Overwatering — in the heat, overwatering can do more damage to lawns than dehydration.
  • Grass Disease – summer encourages lawn disease to thrive, spreading considerably faster than in other seasons.
  • Installing lawns in the shade — some lawn varieties do not survive in the shade and require continual sunlight to thrive.
  • Pests – such as grubs, beetles, and other crawlies are most active and cause the greatest damage during the summer months.

Identifying the problem with your current lawn will not only help your grass live longer but will also prevent a reoccurring problem from arising!

For the Best-Looking Turf, it all Starts by Sourcing Grass from Reputable Sydney Turf Suppliers

If you choose the proper grass for your project, it will be able to withstand the circumstances in your garden as well as your lifestyle.

Andrew’s Turf Supplies Western Sydney offers a wide variety of lawn care products and turf varieties for all kinds of commercial projects and residential projects in Sydney. We offer a wide variety of turf, including; Palmetto BuffaloMatilda BuffaloSapphire BuffaloCouchShademaster Buffalo and Kikuyu Turf Sydney, all grown in beautiful Hawkesbury, New South Wales.

Whether you are looking for Sydney turf installers or turf supplies Sydney, Andrew’s highly experienced turf Sydney team is available to help you install and maintain beautiful Sydney lawns.

There are many factors to consider when considering which turf variety is best for your commercial or residential area. Explore some other factors to consider in Choosing between Premium Turf Products or, for expert turf suppliers advice, contact the team at Andrew’s Turf Supplies, your local Sydney turf installers.

We offer a full service at Andrew’s Turf Supplies, from turf supplies in Sydney right through to turf installation and irrigation installation. Besides providing reliable turf supplies Sydney, we can also prepare the soil for installation, install turf and irrigation systems, and complete gardening and timber work. Get in contact with our friendly team today for a FREE quote on 0423 385 565 or email andrewsturfsupplies@outlook.com.