If the old lawn has become completely unsightly and cannot be saved by reseeding, you must renew it. The question then becomes whether you need to remove it entirely or whether it can simply be dug up. What methods are there for removing or digging up an old lawn?

Digging has its pros and cons

Remove or dig up old lawn

Whether you're removing an old lawn or simply digging it up depends on how much work and money you're willing to put into it.

All you need to remove is a spade and wheelbarrow. Costs only apply if you rent a lawn peeler from a hardware store. You then only have to take care of the disposal.

To dig up lawns, you also need a spade or, if you want to make things easier, a motor hoe. The old lawn is dug under and does not have to be disposed of.

Pros and Cons of Removal

When digging up and removing, get all the weeds, moss, etc. out of the ground. The area can be occupied again immediately.

However, removing the roots and also part of the topsoil seriously affects soil health. The microorganisms that aerate the soil and decompose dead plant matter are disturbed and take a long time to resettle.

Advantages and disadvantages of digging

When digging up, you have to make sure that you bring flowering weeds in particular deep into the ground. Otherwise they will germinate quickly and you will get a blooming meadow.

The advantage of digging up is that the above-ground parts of the plant and the roots remain in the ground. They rot there and release nutrients into the substrate.

The microorganisms are also disturbed when digging up, but not as lastingly as when the old lawn is completely removed.

Methods to remove an old lawn

There are several ways to remove an old lawn:

  • Clear the lawn with a spade
  • Remove lawn by digging
  • peel off the lawn
  • cover lawn

tips

If you want to dig up larger amounts of lawn, we recommend using a motor hoe. These are available in different versions. This greatly simplifies the work.

Category:

Garden design