If the lawn just looks like a sad fallow landscape, a new one is a good idea. In order to professionally remove the worn-out lawn, you can choose from various methods. We explain what these are here.
How to remove grass?
Removing lawn can be done by removing with a spade, plowing with a lawn cutter, peeling with a lawn peeling machine or covering with an opaque tarpaulin. The method chosen depends on time, budget and garden situation.
Removing lawns with elbow grease – laborious but cost-effective
The simplest method for removing a lawn is also the most strenuous. The only work material is the spade, so in this case only the disposal could incur costs. How to proceed:
- Mow the lawn as short as possible
- First remove all root weeds, such as dandelions and groundweed, with a weed cutter
- Prick the turf vertically with the spade
- Then push the spade horizontally under the sod and lift it out piece by piece
In order to be able to completely remove the lawn, the sod is collected along with 8-10 centimeters of the subsoil. If the grass area has been completely removed, you cannot avoid plowing it up. This is the only way to ensure that all roots are removed.
Removing lawn by milling
With a lawn cutter, hobby gardeners receive an effective tool for removing old lawns. The machine chops the entire sod short and small, while at the same time the soil is thoroughly loosened up to a depth of 30 to 40cm by machine milling machines. Manually operated devices only reach a few centimeters deep. The disadvantage of this method is that not only the grass, but all weeds are distributed over the area.
Removing a lawn using a tiller is only recommended if a fast-growing replacement lawn is then planted. If the existing lawn is converted into a horse meadow or swamp meadow, milling can also be considered.
How to easily peel off old lawn
Since the invention of the lawn peeling machine, unwanted grass areas have been removed by simply pulling it off. This is how easy it is to get rid of the old lawn:
- Put on hearing protection, safety glasses, sturdy shoes and robust work clothing
- Position the self-propelled machine so that it starts along a lawn edge
- Use the vibrating blade to quickly guide the sod cutter across the green area
In the end, the grassy area appears as if nothing had happened. In fact, the lawn can now be removed in individual strips, which are then rolled up and disposed of.
This is how the lawn disappears without you doing anything
Hobby gardeners with a long string of patience spread out an opaque tarpaulin on the unsightly lawn. Since photosynthesis underneath now comes to a standstill, grass and weeds die. After about 6-24 months, the covered area is devoid of any vegetation.
We strongly advise against using a total herbicide. Not only the plants die, but also all soil organisms in the radius of action. In the worst case scenario, the ecological balance of the entire garden will be overturned under this powerful chemical club.
Tips & Tricks
The innovative rolled turf sandwich method saves clever hobby gardeners the hassle of removing the old lawn before planting a new one. Simply mow very short, level out any unevenness with a compost-sand mix and lay the turf on top. Special measures against weeds are not necessary as they are cut off from any access to sunlight under the compact turf - without light there is no photosynthesis.
