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Laying turf?

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MoonPig

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Hoping for a bit of reassurance / advice from any gardening guru's out there. Just embarked on turning my gravelled back garden into turf and "think" i know what im doing through you tube vids etc.. but just wanted to check.

So far ...

I have removed all the gravel and begun turning over the compacted soil that was underneath.

What i am planning to do next is..

1) Rotavate the soil to break up the clumps of soil i have turned over.

2) Level and roll the rotavated soil.

3) Put down top soil, level and roll.

4) Leave for a day or two to settle.

5) Lay turf and water frequently, not standing on it for 3 weeks.

Does this sound about right? Anything i have missed or tips to get better results?
 
Moonpig - I had someone come in and do our back lawn when we moved house last April. All of the things you have listed are what they did on the day and then I did going forward.

A few other things
1. Make sure you have buried the bodies very deeply so no loose bones come through when cutting.
2. Ensure you have some subtle slopes as well as severe ones for interesting flag locations.
3. Ban the little scrotes from ever going on it.
4. Never ever allow any form of climbing frame, slide or other garden toy on your new lawn.
5. Sit down with a beer and look lovingly at it for at least 20 minutes every weekend.
 
According to Dr Hessayon, you're on the right tracks but doing it far too early:

1. Order turf - the best you can afford. Cheap turf = crap lawn.

2. Feed the soil - apply 2oz of growmore per sq. yd about a week before laying.

3. Mark out area to be turfed using garden line; scratch out boundary line with stick and fill with sand.

4. Get turf ready - if turf is to be laid within 3 days of delivery, keep rolled and stacked; if after 3 days of delivery, spread out flat in shady area and keep moist.

5. Choose the right day - best time of year is October or November; pick a day when the soil is reasonably dry.

6. Lay 1st row of turves - start with a single row along the side closest to the stack, tamp down each row gently and then check the level (do NOT beat down to level, lift and remove/add topsoil)

7. Lay 2nd row - press turves closely together; final piece to be laid at the end of the row should be a half-size or full-size turf only.

8. Finish laying - stand on a plank, never on the turf.

9. Fill the cracks - make up top dressing for heavy soil; spread this along the cracks and work well into the turves with a broom or back of rake. Optional job: light rolling of the lawn about a week after laying.

10. Trim the edges - unless you have a perfectly square/rectangular lawn, use a half-moon iron to cut the edge using a hose as a guide line.

11. Take care of the new lawn - when the grass begins to grow in spring, cut with the blades at the highest level and only cut the tips.

I would strongly recommend using string markers to ensure your layers are level; it has a massive impact when it comes to mowing.

Once laid, the key is to make sure it never dries out. This is what you are trying to achieve rather than a specific number of waterings per day. Avoid walking on it for as long as possible, preferably until the first cut is due in the spring.

Hope this helps.
 
According to Dr Hessayon, you're on the right tracks but doing it far too early:

1. Order turf - the best you can afford. Cheap turf = crap lawn.

2. Feed the soil - apply 2oz of growmore per sq. yd about a week before laying.

3. Mark out area to be turfed using garden line; scratch out boundary line with stick and fill with sand.

4. Get turf ready - if turf is to be laid within 3 days of delivery, keep rolled and stacked; if after 3 days of delivery, spread out flat in shady area and keep moist.

5. Choose the right day - best time of year is October or November; pick a day when the soil is reasonably dry.

6. Lay 1st row of turves - start with a single row along the side closest to the stack, tamp down each row gently and then check the level (do NOT beat down to level, lift and remove/add topsoil)

7. Lay 2nd row - press turves closely together; final piece to be laid at the end of the row should be a half-size or full-size turf only.

8. Finish laying - stand on a plank, never on the turf.

9. Fill the cracks - make up top dressing for heavy soil; spread this along the cracks and work well into the turves with a broom or back of rake. Optional job: light rolling of the lawn about a week after laying.

10. Trim the edges - unless you have a perfectly square/rectangular lawn, use a half-moon iron to cut the edge using a hose as a guide line.

11. Take care of the new lawn - when the grass begins to grow in spring, cut with the blades at the highest level and only cut the tips.

I would strongly recommend using string markers to ensure your layers are level; it has a massive impact when it comes to mowing.

Once laid, the key is to make sure it never dries out. This is what you are trying to achieve rather than a specific number of waterings per day. Avoid walking on it for as long as possible, preferably until the first cut is due in the spring.

Hope this helps.
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Thanks, didn't realise that it wasn't the right time to do it though. The problem is I really can't wait that long as the little boy is nearly toddling about and really want to get him some form of turfed area so that he can play outside. What are the downsides to laying it now? How detrimental will it be to the results?
 
Thanks, didn't realise that it wasn't the right time to do it though. The problem is I really can't wait that long as the little boy is nearly toddling about and really want to get him some form of turfed area so that he can play outside. What are the downsides to laying it now? How detrimental will it be to the results?
Click to expand...


If you lay it now, the grass will be growing on the turf but you cannot cut it and this will hugely encourage weed growth. Also, the soil will not bind that well with the turf at this time of year. What you will end up with is a lawn with all sorts of weed problems, uneven and full of holes and cracks along the turf lines. In short, you'll end up with a ruined lawn that won't provide a good surface for your little 'un to enjoy. It will be much better to forego this summer for the benefit of all the future summers.

Your alternative would be sow seed which you can do sooner, but you're still looking at next summer for a lawn. For the sake of two months, is it really worth making all that effort a waste?
 
Ive laid lawns here and at my old gaff and Toonarmy is spot on

The only thing I would add is.. When filling in the spaces between turves with topsoil (id use a 80% topsoil/20% sharp sand mix) add in a few handfulls of grass seed as this will help fill in the cracks

If you do it now, you will have to keep on top of the watering situation and you will have to mow it sooner as the grass is in peak growing mode now.

it will still be 6 weeks before you can go on it

Fragger
 
I'd be inclined to leave the "laying" till September as it should be established then before any frosts.I've laid turf out here mid summer 30 to 36 and with good watering it came away, not ideal time but can be done.Certainly those selling turf will tell you , you can lay all year round but then they would as it's their business.

If you've bought a good quality turf there should be no weeds in it and weed growth would only be encouraged if you cut it too short, remember for it's first trim to just take off a Third of the growth. The grass will tiller out and therefore hopefully suppress any weeds that try to grow, you'll always get wind and bird borne seeds landing on your new lawn.

Have fun.
 
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