How do I kill My lawn and start over?

Interesting question! If your lawn is in poor health or is full of weeds, the best option to establishing a healthy lawn is by starting over. Here are the Daleys Turf tips for how to kill your lawn and start over.

Step 1

Get a soil analysis so you know what you have to work with. A soil pH test kit from your local nursery, hardware store or lawn care supplier will do the trick – they are easy to use and quite accurate, just follow the instructions.

Step 2

Kill everything. And we mean, everything – grass, weeds, everything will have to go. Talk to your local lawn care supplier about the right product to ensure all is killed off – roots and all. The last thing you want is for the old lawn or weeds to come through your nice new lawn.

Step 3

Remove all the dead stuff – all of it. Rake up the dead weeds, grass and their runners. Do not use this debris for composting if you’ve used a herbicide – this lot will need to go in the rubbish bin.

Step 4

Improve your soil. Take the results of your soil pH test (whether it’s acidic or alkaline) to your local lawn care supplier – explain that you’re about to install a new turf lawn, give them the result and let them help you with the right product/s and techniques for improving the soil. Be warned that if the soil is in extremely poor shape you might need to get some new soil delivered and spread.

Step 5

Smooth out the soil and take care to ensure you have a nice, even layer of great soil over the entire area. Fill any dips and holes, and sort any drainage issues or installations at this stage.

Step 6

Choose the lawn variety you will be installing, select a local accredited lawn grower to supply and/or deliver and/or install your new lawn. Arrange for the delivery or pickup of your turf as close as possible to the installation time so it will not dry out.

Step 7

Add a starter fertiliser that is suitable to the lawn variety you are about to install and water in. Or you can add this when it’s about to or is raining.

Step 8

Install your new lawn, following all the installing and establishment instructions provided. Now you can forget all about that tired, unhealthy, weedy lawn of the past and get ready to enjoy your brand new natural, weed free lawn.

For all your new lawn questions or orders just contact the team at Daleys Turf.

I’m Terry Daley Director at Daleys Turf Brisbane, Australia. Daleys Turf is a family owned and operated turf farm which commenced operations in 1992.