Total Lawn Renovation

Decide whether you actually need a full renovation

Rutgers Extension frames renovation by how much good grass is left. If more than about 30% of the lawn is still desirable grass, you may be able to overseed and improve it rather than start over (see the overseeding and dethatching-and-aeration guides). A full kill-and-restart is for lawns where desirable grass has dropped to roughly 30% or less and weeds dominate, or where difficult perennial grasses such as bentgrass, quackgrass, tall fescue, or orchardgrass have taken hold, because there is no selective control for those in a lawn, so the whole stand must be sacrificed.

Before anything, diagnose why the lawn failed. Rutgers lists causes including poor drainage, compaction, excessive shade, the wrong grass for the site, wrong pH, improper fertilization, close mowing, and thatch buildup. If you do not correct the underlying problem, the renovation is, in their words, an exercise in futility, the new lawn fails the same way. Renovation also will not fix serious drainage, deep compaction, or major grade problems; those need reconstruction first.

Kill the existing lawn: chemical or non-chemical

Chemical path: Rutgers describes applying glyphosate, a non-selective herbicide, according to all label directions and precautions; it works best on actively growing plants, and areas that are not fully killed after about ten days should be retreated. Tough perennial grasses can take repeated applications over several weeks. Wait the label-specified interval before replanting so the herbicide breaks down. This guide names glyphosate only because Extension does; it gives no rates or products, use the label and your county Extension office.

Non-chemical path: you can kill existing turf by smothering it, covering the area with cardboard, newspaper, or opaque plastic (solarization/occultation) for several weeks through the growing season until the grass and weeds beneath are dead. It is slower and requires patience but avoids herbicide. Either way, the goal is complete kill before you move on.

Strip, prep, and replant

Once the old vegetation is fully dead, remove the dead mat of grass, weeds, and thatch, Rutgers recommends a sod cutter set to cut at the junction of thatch and soil, or a garden spade for small areas. Removing this layer is essential so new seed or sod meets actual soil. Then follow the standard establishment steps: soil-test and add lime and fertilizer accordingly, work the surface to a firm smooth seedbed, and seed with a quality turf mix suited to the site, or lay sod.

Time it for late summer to early fall, the most appropriate season for cool-season grasses, with early spring as a weaker second choice that invites crabgrass. After seeding, water lightly and frequently to keep the surface moist through germination, then transition to deeper, less frequent watering. Do not apply most weed-control herbicides to new seedlings until the new lawn has been mowed a few times. For laying sod instead, see the how-to-lay-sod guide.

Sources

Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.

• Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension - Renovating Your Lawn (FS108) — Renovate fully when less than about 30% desirable grass remains or hard-to-control perennial grasses (bentgrass, quackgrass, tall fescue, orchardgrass) infest the lawn, since no selective control exists; diagnose and correct the cause of failure first or it is an exercise in futility; kill existing growth with glyphosate per label (retreat survivors after 10 days), strip the dead mat with a sod cutter at the thatch-soil junction, then seed or sod; late summer to early fall is the most appropriate season.

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