Dig up the lawn with a tiller

Dig up the lawn with a tiller

When milling makes sense

When milling, moss, grass and weeds are crushed on the surface. The electrically operated devices loosen the soil at the same time. Powerful milling machines rearrange the soil to a depth of between 60 and 80 centimeters. Milling is only recommended if the surface is very uneven. If you want to convert a lawn into a swamp or horse meadow, this measure is also useful.

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  • Remove or dig up old lawn?
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Advantages and disadvantages

Plowing also removes seeds from unwanted plants to the surface of the earth that were previously tended to the soil. A fast-growing lawn substitute will prevent these seeds from germinating. The soil structure is disturbed when digging up. In every layer of the earth live special soil organisms that are dependent on the respective conditions. If these conditions are destroyed, the soil needs time to regenerate.

Special care is required if plants and grasses with rhizomes have spread in your lawn. Couch grass and groundgrass develop a far-reaching root system, which is never completely removed from the earth during milling. There is a risk that parts of the root will remain in the substrate and sprout again later.

These are the advantages of digging:

  • Tilling the lawn saves time and effort
  • all plants are loosened and torn out
  • Loosening of the soil

Alternatives to digging up

An old lawn with weak bumps can be renewed using a soil-conserving method. Spread out an opaque tarpaulin on the surface and weigh it down with stones. Photosynthesis comes to a standstill under the foil and the old vegetation dies. The first successes are visible after six months. It takes up to 24 months for the vegetation under the tarpaulin to completely retreat.

You can even out bumps with a mixture of sand and compost. Then you can distribute a lawn seed mixture over the area. Pay attention to an even distribution when sowing. The seeds must then be pressed so that they come into contact with the ground. Alternatively, turf turf is suitable for a quick greening of the area. This method also has the advantage that weed seeds cannot germinate under the turf. Thorough watering ensures that the lawn carpet grows.

If the lawn is heavily matted, peeling off the sward can be useful. Lawn peelers remove the upper soil layer with a thickness between five and ten centimeters. All plants and their roots are removed without digging rhizome parts into deeper layers of the earth. You can turn the lawn by 180 degrees and put it back on the surface. In this way you maintain the nutrient balance of the soil and do not have to spread new topsoil.