Any landscapers on here?

[fundy]

Looking to turf the back garden soon, got nearly 300 sqm to do!

Anyone recommend which turf to buy (hard wearing to counteract the dog the main criteria, doesnt need to be perfect!) was looking at something like this

www.onlineturf.co.uk/products/turf/rye-gold


Also, apart from not laying when frozen ground, anything else I need to know to avoid? Probably going to do in March if the weather allows

TIA

 

[jim8flog]

Not a landscaper but I know if I was going to turf/seed a lawn I would do it mid August to mid September, far less necessity to keep it watered and less chance of it dying due to drought particularly if you have a hosepipe ban.

 

[fundy]

Not a landscaper but I know if I was going to turf/seed a lawn I would do it mid August to mid September, far less necessity to keep it watered and less chance of it dying due to drought particularly if you have a hosepipe ban.

And if I hadnt been laid out with Covid for 4 weeks it wouldve been, but its not waiting until Autumn this year. Whats wrong with doing in March and watering through April, cant remember the last hosepipe ban and drought at that time of year

 

[Imurg]

cant remember the last hosepipe ban and drought at that time of year

Great..now you've done it....

 

[larmen]

Not a landscaper but I know if I was going to turf/seed a lawn I would do it mid August to mid September, far less necessity to keep it watered and less chance of it dying due to drought particularly if you have a hosepipe ban.

Wouldn't you avoid these times and do it before the summer?

We had ours done last August and just in time for the hose pipe ban. However, if you had a commercial company laying your lawn you get a 28 day exemption for watering. I don't think you get that when laying yourself.

 

[fundy]

Wouldn't you avoid these times and do it before the summer?

We had ours done last August and just in time for the hose pipe ban. However, if you had a commercial company laying your lawn you get a 28 day exemption for watering. I don't think you get that when laying yourself.

Wow, thank you!!! I may just have the excuse I need to employ someone to do it for me

 

[jim8flog]

very good article on how to look after a newly turfed lawn here.

https://www.rolawn.co.uk/watering-your-turf-and-soil-drainage

I know where I play I often see newly turfed areas that just die because the green staff do not water them often enough during the summer.

 

[richart]

Prepare ground you are going to turf and finish with a decent spring rake. This is the time to make sure your lawn will be relatively flat.

Butt the edges of turfs up to each other carefully otherwise you will get gaps. Use a decent size (not being rude)plank to work from, so you don't kneel into turfs. March should be okay assuming ground is not too wet. As you say avoid frost.

Turfs should be laid so that no two joins together. Hope that makes sense as I can't draw a picture.

Did part of my lawn couple of years back and it was bloody hard work and that was a much smaller area than years. Are you sure you are fit enough for turf laying with your injury record.

 

[fundy]

Prepare ground you are going to turf and finish with a decent spring rake. This is the time to make sure your lawn will be relatively flat.

Butt the edges of turfs up to each other carefully otherwise you will get gaps. Use a decent size (not being rude)plank to work from, so you don't kneel into turfs. March should be okay assuming ground is not too wet. As you say avoid frost.

Turfs should be laid so that no two joins together. Hope that makes sense as I can't draw a picture.

Did part of my lawn couple of years back and it was bloody hard work and that was a much smaller area than years. Are you sure you are fit enough for turf laying with your injury record.

I expected that from Imurg not you lol but Larmen may have given me my out above

a lot of the hard work in terms of levelling has already been done from when the garden was decimated by drainage for the waste system, i managed to get the digger driver to do that when they were done but it does need the weeds removing and rotivating

 

[rulefan]

www.onlineturf.co.uk/products/turf/rye-gold
TIA

Good allrounder at a reasonable price.
I wouldn't wait 'til the backend. March/early April has always been fine for me if you've got a decent sprinkler. Don't get a rotary, get an oscillating one.
The turves should be laid like looking at a brick wall. 50% offset

 

[richart]

I expected that from Imurg not you lol but Larmen may have given me my out above

a lot of the hard work in terms of levelling has already been done from when the garden was decimated by drainage for the waste system, i managed to get the digger driver to do that when they were done but it does need the weeds removing and rotivating

You didn’t take much persuading !
If you do yourself you need to put turfs down pretty quickly. They will not take well to sitting on pallets for too long.I bought mine off eBay and they were excellent quality and cheaper than local garden centre. If you need details I will dig out my eBay purchase.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We had to lay turf in our first house. Preparation is everything. Any lump or bump there before you put the turf down will still be there 2 years later . I thought they would flatten, break down over time, they don't. Get the soil broken down as much as you can, then get it as flat as you can.

Laying is easy, the above is the hard bit.

 

[larmen]

if you've got a decent sprinkler. Don't get a rotary, get an oscillating one.

Put it in a hozelock timer that reacts to sunrise and sunset and then just forget about it ;-)

 

[fundy]

You didn’t take much persuading !
If you do yourself you need to put turfs down pretty quickly. They will not take well to sitting on pallets for too long.I bought mine off eBay and they were excellent quality and cheaper than local garden centre. If you need details I will dig out my eBay purchase.

will use a turf supplier not a garden centre because of the volume anyway

if i do it myself i may buy it in batches lol

 

[fundy]

Put it in a hozelock timer that reacts to sunrise and sunset and then just forget about it ;-)

that would be great but dont think one sprinkler will cover the whole lawn

 

[backwoodsman]

I know you said the digger driver did a lot, but you need to make sure the ground is truly level. Else your lawn won't be (and your lawn mower will find you out). You need to make sure the soil is properly cultivated into a fine tilth - so that a) the ground is still flat, ɓ) the surface is okay for the grass to root into, c) is reasonably free draining, and d) has no voids. (Voids will cause localised drying).

March is fine - just pay attention to the weather forecast. You want to avoid frosty weather (a bit of frost ain't that bad but you'll want to avoid hard frost)

As to watering you need to do it reasonably frequently. And possibly to pee on your raspberries, in hosepipe bans the 28 day exemption still applies if you lay the lawn yourself. It doesn't require the grass to be laid by a contractor. At least that was the case with Thames Water last year - but obviously, other water companies might differ.

 

[HeftyHacker]

that would be great but dont think one sprinkler will cover the whole lawn

We had this when we did ours last summer, I just put it on when I got up and then dragged it across after 10 mins or so, but this was only for about 150m². Its taken really well but we're in the north west with a plentiful supply of stuff from the sky.


I'll echo what others have said about getting it absolutely level, the prep is key and there are a couple of lumps and bumps in ours that do my head in. My landscaper said for hollows its fairly easy as over time you can just spread some soil on over time and it'll build up. Bumps not to easy!

 

[rulefan]

We had this when we did ours last summer, I just put it on when I got up and then dragged it across after 10 mins or so, but this was only for about 150m². Its taken really well but we're in the north west with a plentiful supply of stuff from the sky.


I'll echo what others have said about getting it absolutely level, the prep is key and there are a couple of lumps and bumps in ours that do my head in. My landscaper said for hollows its fairly easy as over time you can just spread some soil on over time and it'll build up. Bumps not to easy!

Cut and lift a square of turf remove the offending lump (it may be a large stone). Relay the turf and tamp down.

 

[Rooter]

Would seed not be massively cheaper? I did our lawn with seed a few years ago and results were great!

 

[fundy]

Would seed not be massively cheaper? I did our lawn with seed a few years ago and results were great!

When you free to come and do mine

It would yes but decided we'd prefer the speed of turf and having the garden back as been without for too long already and the dog and the mudbath really dont mix well!