The lawn is usually reseeded in the fall, but sometimes it is unavoidable to reseed the lawn in the summer.
Too many weeds, holes, brown spots and stains or moss make the lawn look less than attractive? Then it may be time to completely renew the lawn. This initially sounds like a tremendous amount of work, but digging is not a mandatory requirement for renewing your own lawn. Whether you want to lay out a new lawn with or without digging it up first, we give all interested readers a few practical tips on how to replace old lawn and renew it with fresh, lush green.When digging is a must
Digging is a must, especially when the ground is very uneven. Because then the lawn must not only be renewed on the surface, but also underground, so that a better basis for an even, flat lawn is created. Even if the lawn has many old tree roots or a lot of weeds growing through it, hobby gardeners should not shy away from the effort of digging up, which should not be underestimated. If the previous type of lawn is no longer pleasing, for example due to the appearance of the grass, the lawn area should also be dug up before sowing again.
Digging also creates the best conditions for later laying of turf, although this is not an absolute must. At the latest when the lawn renewal without digging has already failed twice, a third attempt without digging is definitely not recommended. You should also know that the best time to dig up the lawn is not in summer but in autumn. If the decision to dig up was made for one of the reasons mentioned, laying out the new lawn should be postponed until late summer or, even better, early autumn.
Renewing the lawn in summer - the preparations
The gentler method, which does not require extensive digging, is called lawn renewal without breaking up the ground. This work can also be carried out from May to around September. It is only important that thelawn renewal has been completed before long periods of rain are to be expected in a row. Although the lawn does not have to be completely dug up, the necessary preparations must still be made so that the new lawn has the most favorable conditions possible so that it can grow as well as possible. All hobby gardeners should therefore take these steps first:
- Mow the lawn as short as your own lawn mower allows - possibly rely on the help of a specialist and hire a gardening company to do this work once to mow the lawn really extremely short.
- Collect and dispose of all clippings.
- The aim of these measures is to take as much strength out of the existing lawn as possible.
- Carefully scarify the entire lawn several times in all directions until you can clearly see the ground between the remaining blades of grass. To do this, either buy a device, borrow a special device from the garden center or again rely on the help of a professional gardening company
Our scarifier recommendation - the bestseller at Amazon:
Weed killer - yes or no?
As all readers can easily see, the preparation of the gentler form of lawn renewal also involves a certain amount of effort. In addition, the question arises as to what extent a weed killer should be used. Special agents are available in specialist shops that not only remove possible weed residues, but also the remaining blades of grass. These are so-called total herbicides.
These means are ideal because the area can be completely freed from the existing plants. If animals or children later move on the lawn, one should think about possible he alth hazards. It is therefore important to consider how sensible this step is in each individual case. In addition, such potent agents, which do not fail to have an effect if the specified exposure time is observed, can also weaken the local ecosystem.
After all, a lawn is also the home of many microorganisms that have an important task to fulfill in the ecosystem. This little helper is thus also finished off. This raises the question of how much value is attached to a perfect lawn. Radical weed killers do not necessarily have to be used when renewing the lawn.
Remove bumps
If theOnce the lawn has been prepared in this way, the next step is to remove further bumps - such as underground rabbit or mouse burrows that may have already caved in, or even molehills. Wherever earth was piled up as compensation, it should be trampled down. This process is repeated at an interval of several days before sowing. Because then the earth has sagged a bit, so that further bumps may appear that can now be removed.
Renewing the lawn in summer - tips for sowing
For sowing large lawns, a spreader is absolutely necessary, which can be borrowed from specialist shops or bought cheaply. Before sowing by hand or with such a cart, the area should be provided with phosphorus fertilizer. This provides the necessary nutrients for the new lawn to grow well.
» Tip from the experts: If you spread the seeds sideways and the fertilizer lengthways, you can be sure that the lawn will grow better.
Choosing the right lawn seed
The choice of seed also plays an important role. Depending on the local climate and other environmental conditions, different types of lawn are recommended. Detailed advice from a competent expert is useful at this point. This is how it can be ensured that the seed is perfectly suited to the local conditions. This is important so that the lawn does not have to be renewed for as long as possible if it is well cared for and sufficiently watered.
Water seed regularly
After sowing, a thin layer of peat protects the area. However, lawns are light germinators. Therefore, the peat layer must not be more than half a centimeter thick. The peat layer also shows when the new lawn should be watered. All hobby gardeners should keep in mind that the seed must always be moist in the coming month. If not enough rain falls, the lawn sprinkler has to provide artificial rain for ten minutes at a time - around five times a day. In order for the seeds to stay in place and not be washed away, the sprinkler intensity should be adjusted accordingly. A light peat color indicates the need for watering. Then it is important to wet the freshly sown lawn with water immediately.
Fertilize new lawn
Six weeks after sowing, slow-release fertilizer should be used. This long-term fertilization is a must so that the new, young lawncan continue to develop magnificently, form more leaf mass and thicken up juicy green.
The lawn is then to be cared for as usual. Even if renewing the lawn in summer involves a certain amount of work, it is still cheaper than rolling turf. If the environmental conditions are right, the new lawn will grow very quickly, so it doesn't take too long for the entire area to shine in a rich shade of green again - usually in the same summer.