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  Andrew Evans July 1, 2012 at 9:27pm

  Personaly i just strip off the old turf with a turf cutter, rotivate, add extra topsoil where required then lay turf!

  Dont usualy spray beforehand!
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  Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd July 1, 2012 at 9:46pm

  I would always spray so as to destroy deep rooted perennials such as dandelions etc. Then strip off, rotovate etc.
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  Bespoke Lawncare July 1, 2012 at 10:20pm

  Good method if you want to pass the job on to another turfing company in 12 months time to rectify your work.

  The original turf usually fails for a reason be it compaction, old turf not able to rejuvenate fast enough or lack of drainage.  
  
  Craig Downey said:

  Turf cutter, then add top soil over the top, I never rotivate, it's hard work, then you have to stamp it back down, why bother
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  Simon Smith July 1, 2012 at 10:21pm

  Bother because most lawns getting redone are poor because of years of compaction. Why re-lay a lawn but not deal with the underlying problems???

  Personally i follow the same regieme as nick.
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  Craig Downey July 1, 2012 at 10:30pm

  Yeah true!! I don't do much turf were too busy with maintenance, the last ones I have done the customer had sprayed his own lawn 2 years ago!! Do it was all well dead lol. Yeah thinking About it most if the other ones have been new build houses, and the ground has been quite new anyway
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  Robert Cottrell July 1, 2012 at 10:39pm

  we allways spray off 4 weeks before we turf prep. Then stone burry the ground and final rake and lay. if you just rotivate the old grass you wont be able to chop it up fine enough and you will spend a long time rakeing off the old turf.. only problem is the client has to look at dead turf for a few weeks but its not the end of the world as it saves mowing it..
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  Colin Hunt July 2, 2012 at 6:30am

  We always spray first, turf strip, rotavate down to 6" and prepare.  We would deal with compaction if necessary, occasionally using a kango and clay spade.
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  Rich AGS July 2, 2012 at 6:34pm

  David

  Before any turf is put down you always apply  pre seeding fertiliser ,   and the same when making a lawn from seed ,, 

  Richard 
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  David Strong July 2, 2012 at 8:16pm

  Thanks for the replies, I think I'll hire a turf cutter for my next returfing job but i will carry on spraying the garden a couple of weeks before.

  The aim of this will just to be to save me having to rake the dead grass off when I've rotavated (however I dont mind doing this) I'm just curious to see if this will save me much time.

  Richard - I've never used pre seed fertiliser for either seeding or before I've layed turf, I might give it a try one day though, Has anyone else ever used this?

   
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  Simon Smith July 2, 2012 at 9:39pm

  Its so much quicker to get a decent tilth. I use scotts new grass fertiliser before seed or turf