Can you lay turf on top of grass?

Turf is the quickest and easiest way to establish a new lawn, that’s for sure. The simple reason for this is that the turf producer has done all the hard work for you. They’ve sown the seeds, fed them to ensure they establish, watered the emerging grass shoots, and repeatedly cut them when the time has been right to ensure they grow into a lush layer of thick grass.

All you have to do is select where you want it to go, roll it out and water it sufficiently to make sure it grows.

But what if you want to replace an old, tired lawn with new, verdant grass? Can you simply lay turf on top of the old lawn, or do you have to go to the effort of taking it up? It’s a question we often get asked, so we produced this post to drill down further.

Why would you lay turf over existing grass?

One point which is worth considering is why anyone would want to lay new turf over old grass. Of course, the most common reason for this is to save yourself the and time and effort of taking up the old grass, disposing of it responsibly, preparing the soil bed and finally, rolling out your new lawn. That’s understandable. It is a lot of work and if you don’t have to do it, why would you? From this perspective, laying new turf on old grass seems like a good idea.

But it is?

Some people argue that if your lawn is patchy and all you’re wanting to do is cover over some of the patches which are worn through to the soil, laying new turf in these areas might work.

We would take issue with this for a number of reasons. Firstly, the new turf will sit on top of the grass, meaning the effect will to be have patches of your lawn at different heights. Also, it is unlikely the turf will root through the grass below. In this case, it is much better to use seed to fill in the patches.

Equally, when it comes to laying a whole new lawn, turf should never be laid over existing grass. It might feel like you’re saving yourself time and effort, but in the long run take this approach is likely to cost you a lot of money.

Getting to the root of the problem

One of the main reasons turf could fail if laid over existing grass is that the roots of the new turf are unlikely to take hold in the old lawn. Even if they do, it is not likely it will last. In exceptional circumstances, the turf might root in the short term and lure you into a false sense of security it is working, but in a relatively short time your new turf will probably end up looking like your old lawn beneath it. You’re simply covering the problem over, not solving it.

This is because to survive and thrive, the turf needs to establish a viable root system in the soil below. Retaining the old grass provides an extra barrier for the new grass roots grow through, which means they’ll either not root at all, or won’t be able to do so sufficiently for the new grass to get all the nutrients it needs.

This issue is exacerbated by soil compaction. The fact is, the soil beneath a lawn that has been walked on and used for a number years will be severely compacted and the roots of the new turf will struggle to penetrate to root proper. So whereas with watering the turf might continue to grow in the short term, it will ultimately fail over the longer term as it cannot access the nutrients it needs from the soil below.

Another issue with laying turf over existing greenery is it can actually rot the roots of the new turf, meaning that rather than just not rooting, the new turf is killed off. That can be a very costly mistake.

Other reasons laying turf over existing grass is a bad idea

Rooting issues are not the only reason trying to lay turf over an old lawn is unlikely to work.

The fact is, you want to replace your lawn for a reason – usually that is it old, patchy, dry, discoloured, lumpy, and generally looking way past its best.

But what are the reasons for this? It might simply be it’s been neglected. In which case, what makes you think you’ll look after your new lawn any better? But it might also be for other reasons. There might be disease present, for example, or pests such as leather jackets and chafer grubs in the old lawn looking for something new to attack. New turf could be just what they’re waiting for.

The point is, by laying new turf over old grass, you might be burying a problem that comes back to haunt you. Disease or pests will simply attack the turf, and any pernicious weeds are likely grow through it to appear in your new lawn, meaning the fresh, thick, healthy grass you’re seeking will soon look like the old lawn you wanted to replace.

As mentioned above, it can even lead to the roots of the new turf rotting and the grass dying, so it is something you should never do.

Prepare your soil well!

So, if you’re not keen on gardening or a bit of hard graft, we’ve got bad news for you. Simply rolling out new turf over existing grass is a bad idea that is likely to lead to your new lawn failing and you wasting a lot of money.

The truth of the matter is, you need to take up the old grass and you need to prepare the soil before you lay the new turf.

Once the old vegetation has been removed, dig your soil to remove any issues associated with compaction, and rake it to level it up and remove any stones.

If the soil is of poor quality, apply a pre-fertiliser so the new turf has plenty of nutrients to help it get established.

Once this is done, you can apply your new turf. Roll it out ensuring good contact with the ground, and give it a good watering. Continue this everyday throughout establishment.

By doing this, your new turf should soon develop a strong root system, enabling it to access nutrients within the soil and continuing looking great for many years to come.

Always choose plastic-free

Whatever turf you choose, always ensure it is plastic free.

Some turfs are grown using a plastic mesh in the soil to help it stay together when being harvested. Unfortunately, however, that plastic mesh is then buried in the soil once the turf is laid and over time will break down into microplastics to pollute the local environment and even get into watercourses where it can enter the food chain.

At Lindum Turf, we believe this practice is outdated and should be stopped. That’s why all of our turf is plastic-free or grown on sandy loam soil.

By choosing plastic free, you’ll be able to enjoy your fantastic new lawn guilt-free, knowing laying it has in no way harmed the environment. 

To view all of our plastic-free turfs, click here https://turf.co.uk/all-products