Turf Laying Guide
Thinking of re-turfing your lawn? Not too sure where to start or what tools you need for the job? Well, here are a few tips to help you on your way to a luscious green lawn. The jobs we’ll be going through are as follows:
- Ground preparation
- Raking
- Ordering
- Laying the turf
- Watering
- Mowing
1. Ground Preparation
The first part of the process is to prepare the ground. This is probably one of the more important steps, as the key to a top quality lawn is the ground preparation beforehand. We do receive calls from customers who are generally looking for a bit of advice before they order, with questions such as “Should I renovate the ground before laying the new turf” or “Can we just apply soil on the existing turf and then lay the new turf on top?”
To these questions we will always say to renovate your garden and remove the existing lawn. This ensures a lovely fresh base for the new turf to prosper once it’s been laid. Another advantage of carrying this out is that compacted soil can be aerated, breathing new life into the soil and allowing anything that’s within the soil to prosper in later life.
2. Raking
The next stage is raking and treading. This is pretty much part of the ground preparation stage, however it’s the next level and a great way to get an even surface ready for the new turf. Once the soil is level after raking, lightly tread on the soil to even it out. Take care to not tread too heavily as this may compact the soil.
3. Ordering
Once you’ve utilised the rake and trodden the soil it is time to order your turf. However, you will need to measure the area of your lawn if you haven’t already done so (aim for square metres as this is how most suppliers stock their products).
4. Laying
The next stage is laying the turf. A handy tip is not to walk on the freshly prepared soil (after you’ve just taken your time levelling it evenly). To do this we recommend using wooden planks to spread the weight evenly. Start from the outer perimeter and work your way inwards. Ensure the turf is pressed against the soil and overlap the edges of turf pieces and cut with a sharp knife to make sure the edges come together securely.
5. Watering
The last stages are watering and later on, mowing. After the turf is delivered (especially on a warm, sunny day), make sure it is watered as it has been delivered fresh on a pallet and will want to be watered in as soon as possible.
6. Mowing
Mowing is the last stage, however it must only be done once the roots have established. To check if this is the case, try to lift one of the corners. If the corner isn’t secure, give it a bit longer. When you are ready for mowing, a good tip is to have a high blade setting for the first mow to make sure the grass isn’t stressed. A good height setting is between 15mm and 35mm. As the weeks go on, the mower height can be lowered.
