Repair fixes the grass. Returfing fixes the ground. Work out which one is actually wrong.
Returf where the problem is the ground — uneven levels, drainage work needed beneath, deep compaction, a dead lawn, or the wrong shape.
Repair where the problem is the grass — thin, mossy, weedy or underfed. That costs a fraction and is often enough.
| Symptom | Grass or ground | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Moss throughout | Ground (compaction) | Repair — aerate |
| Thin and pale | Grass | Repair — feed and overseed |
| Weedy but level | Grass | Repair |
| Bumpy and uneven | Ground | Returf |
| Boggy patch | Ground | Drainage first |
| Bare in one spot yearly | Ground (something buried) | Dig out that area |
| Worn on a route | Neither | A path |
| Dead throughout | Both | Returf |
Tell us what you need and we will arrange a free quotation.
The arithmetic is more emphatic the bigger the area. Returfing a large lawn is a significant piece of work — lifting, disposal, preparation, topsoil and turf across a wide area — where a season of renovation costs a fraction and can be done without taking the garden out of use. On a large area it is worth a full season of proper renovation before concluding the ground is the problem.
Returfing the worst area while renovating the rest is often the sensible use of a budget, and on a larger lawn it is frequently the obvious answer. The section by the house that everyone sees gets new turf; the further reaches get scarified, aerated and overseeded. New turf and established lawn differ in colour for a season or two, then blend.
See what our turfing service covers in Henleaze, or read more about the service across the areas we work in.
When the problem is the ground — uneven levels, drainage work needed beneath, deep compaction, a dead lawn, or the wrong shape.
When the problem is the grass — thin, mossy, weedy or underfed. Scarifying, aerating, top-dressing, overseeding and feeding costs a fraction.
Usually because a canopy has grown slowly over the same period. Shade and root competition increase every season and the lawn declines to match.
Often, and it is the most overlooked step. A crown lift or thin may improve the existing lawn enough that neither repair nor returfing is needed.
Yes. Returfing a large lawn is a significant piece of work, so a season of renovation — a fraction of the cost, with no loss of use — is worth trying first.
Yes, and on a large lawn it is often the obvious answer. Returf the section by the house and renovate the further reaches.
Levels, deep compaction, drainage work beneath the surface, soil depth, buried rubble, and the lawn's shape or position.
That is drainage, and neither repair nor new turf fixes it. Address the drainage first.
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