Renovating— when nothing else will do

Renovation is the process to use when your lawn, for whatever reason, needs to be totally replaced with a new lawn. The process usually calls for re-seeding. Sod is not usually considered a renovation process. For seeding, the process is usually started in late summer so that the lawn is established before the first heavy frosts start settling in.

Step One: A non-selective herbicide (such as RoundUp) is applied to the entire area being renovated. The RoundUp herbicide kills what's on top of the soil as well as what's below the surface, yet doesn't remain active in the soil, so it's safe to plant again. The lawn will turn completely brown.

Step Two: After everything is dead, mow the dead lawn. It'll probably raise a few eyebrows from nosey neighbors, but what do they know? Mow as close as possible and bag/rake the clippings. The remaining dead plants will provide natural mulch for the new seedlings. Too much dead plants and the new seed will have problems germinating.

Step Three: If the soil is heavily compacted, it should be aerated now.
TurfMasters uses the latest equipment that combines the cultivation and seeding process by using a slit-seeder. This actually cuts through the dead turf and plants a seed at the same time.

Step Four: Once seeding is complete a starter fertilizer is applied over the entire lawn.

Step Five: It's important to keep the seeds evenly moist until it germinates. As the seedlings begin to grow (after 10 - 14 days depending on weather conditions) cut back on the number of waterings, but increase the amount of water applied with each watering. Mow the lawn when it reaches 2-3".

Note: It takes a couple of years to fully establish a new lawn.

CLICK HERE for a complete description of our lawn care programs.