Why It Doesn't Work
It's one of the most common questions in turfing: can you skip the hard work and just roll new turf straight over the old lawn? The answer is no — and here's what happens if you try.
The existing grass underneath gets smothered and dies. As it decomposes, it creates a spongy layer between your new turf and the soil beneath. This layer does two things, both bad: it prevents the new roots from reaching actual soil, and it creates air pockets that dry out and cause the new turf to lift and brown off.
The Root Contact Problem
New turf needs direct contact with prepared soil to root. The roots grow downwards looking for moisture and nutrients in the ground. If they hit a mat of dead grass and thatch instead, they either stop growing or spread sideways through the decomposing layer — never anchoring properly.
You'll notice the problem within a few weeks. The turf feels loose underfoot, spongy in places, and starts showing yellow or brown patches. Try the tug test — if you can still peel back a corner easily after three weeks, the roots haven't established. At that point, you're likely looking at starting again.
What About Dead or Scalped Grass?
Some people try a halfway approach: mow the existing lawn as short as possible (or wait until it's mostly dead) and then lay new turf on top. This is better than laying over a healthy lawn, but it's still not recommended.
Even closely mown grass leaves a root mat and thatch layer. Dead grass still takes time to decompose, and during that period it's sitting between your new turf and the soil. The results are inconsistent at best — some areas might root through, others won't, and you end up with a patchy lawn.
If the old lawn is genuinely dead (killed by drought, disease, or herbicide) and you can rake out most of the dead material so bare soil is showing through, you're in a better position. But at that point, you're basically doing the proper preparation anyway.
How to Remove Old Grass Properly
There are three main approaches, depending on your budget and timeline:
Option 1: Turf Cutter (Fastest)
A turf cutter is a machine that slices beneath the old grass and lifts it off in strips. You can hire one from most tool hire centres for a day. It's the quickest method for larger lawns and gives you a clean surface to work with immediately.
For smaller areas, a manual turf cutter (basically a flat spade) does the same job with more effort.
Option 2: Glyphosate (Cheapest)
Spray the entire lawn with a glyphosate-based weedkiller and wait 2–3 weeks for everything to die off completely. Once the grass is fully dead and brown, you can rotavate it into the soil as organic matter. This avoids the heavy lifting of stripping turf and actually improves the soil structure.
The downside is the waiting time. You need to plan 2–3 weeks ahead of your turf delivery.
Option 3: Manual Removal (No Chemicals)
If you'd rather not use chemicals, you can strip the old lawn by hand with a spade. Cut the turf into manageable squares, slide the spade underneath, and lift. It's hard work on anything bigger than a small garden, but it gets the job done.
Stack the old turf upside down in a corner of the garden — it breaks down into decent soil improver over 6–12 months.
What to Do After Removal
Once the old grass is gone, you're looking at standard ground preparation. The key steps:
- Rotavate or fork over the top 150mm of soil
- Remove stones, roots, and debris
- Level and firm the surface with a rake and the "gardener's shuffle"
- Apply pre-turf fertiliser and rake it in lightly
Our full how to lay turf guide walks through each step in detail. The whole process — removal, prep, and laying — typically takes a weekend for an average-sized garden.
Is There Ever a Shortcut?
Honestly, no. Ground preparation is the single biggest factor in whether a new lawn succeeds or fails. The turf cost guide shows that turf itself is relatively affordable — but laying it on poor ground means you'll end up buying it twice.
Whether you're ordering turf delivery in Birmingham or turf delivery in London, the same rule applies everywhere: get the base right and the turf will look after itself.