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How to Renovate an Old Lawn
Don't despair if you've inherited a tatty overgrown lawn. Unless the grass has been totally overrun with weeds and moss, it's quite easy to renovate rather than lay new turf or start again from seed. Old lawns can be reshaped to suit your garden plan - see Workshop: How to Shape a Lawn. The best time to make a start is in the spring, as you will have to aerate and fertilise your lawn. But start a mowing regime as soon as you can, to get the grass under control. The following other Workshops may also be useful: How to Apply Fertiliser to a Lawn; How to do Autumn Maintenance of a Lawn; How to do Spring Maintenance of a Lawn.
This workshop shows you three basic ways of lawn renovation: mowing, repairing worn patches, and removing humps and hollows.
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A rotary mower with grass collection box; granular or liquid fertiliser; half-moon edging tool or spade; plank; hand or garden fork; section of new turf; watering can; topsoil.
Optional: lawn rake; weedkiller; weed pulling tool for plantains, dandelions etc.; lawn seed; granular fertiliser or pelleted manure.
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Mowing will enable you to get grass under control in stages and then restart its healthy growth which will compete with and suppress weeds. In spring, or as soon as you can during the growing season, cut the lawn to about 5 cm. If your grass is really long, you may have to do this in stages, at first leaving the collection box off the mower and raking up the debris. You can then fertilise and weedkill as described in the Workshop: How do do Spring Maintenance of a Lawn. Depending on the height you want your lawn to be, continue mowing over the next few weeks, lowering the blade height as desired.
You may want to control colonies of weeds such as dandelions and plantains. Use a lawn weedkiller applied at the given rate. Or for organic weed control, dig them out, using either a lawn weeding tool, or an old kitchen knife. Bare patches, hollows and humps can be dealt with now that they can be seen.
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Place the plank along the edge of a damaged patch. Use the the half-moon edger or spade to cut a rectangle in the lawn around the damaged spot. Use a spade to undercut the turf and remove it. Give the exposed earth a light fork over to loosen the surface. Apply fertiliser or organic manure and then firm the soil. Place a new turf over the hole. Cut it to fit using the edger or a sharp knife. Check that the new patch is level with the lawn by adding or removing top soil. Then water the repaired patch in well, and in dry spells, keep this area from drying out completely.
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Find bad humps or hollows and with the edger or spade cut a cross right through the hollow or hump. Make the cross reach just beyond the affected area. Use the spade to lift back the first flap of turf. Once it is lifted, you may find it easier to use your hands. Pull each flap back gently so that it does not crack or break. To fill a hollow: add some top soil or compost to the area under the flaps. Spread this with your hands and fill the hollow to the same level as the lawn around it. Firm it with your feet and hands to exclude air. To remove a hump: take away the excess mound of soil beneath the turf, using a spade or trowel according to the size of the problem. Gently replace each flap of turf. Firm them lightly to check that you have the right level. Make adjustments before you finally firm them down. Brush some topsoil or compost into the cuts and water the area well.
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Knee-high lawns can soon be tamed. |
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Cut to 5 cm with a rotary mower with collection box fitted. |
Cut through turf and even out humps and hollows. |
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