How to lay new turf.
With a little preparation and planning, laying turf in your garden can be a relatively simple process that gives you quick and impressive results. Remember though, a lawn is a made up of living grass plants, so it needs a bit of TLC after it has been newly laid.
- Preparing the ground – remove any existing turf then turn over the soil to a depth of 15cm removing stones, weeds and any other detritus.
- Surfacing – the ground needs to be level before the turf is laid so rake it carefully then tread over it lightly until it is firm and level but not compacted.
- Laying the turf – once the ground has been prepared, you can lay the turf. Use planks to kneel and walk on so that you don’t walk directly on the new lawn. Making sure that the underside of the new turf is in full contact with the soil below it, unroll one strip of turf around the edge of the lawn – don’t use small pieces in the corners as they are more susceptible to drying out. Work across the law, strip by strip, a bit like brickwork. Cut any overlapping pieces to fit neatly.
- Watering – obviously this will vary depending on the weather, but as a general rule water thoroughly with a hose pipe after laying and then water every evening for the next two weeks. If you spot any signs of dehydration such as shrinking or browning, water immediately with a lot of water.
- Feeding – use a balanced fertiliser every four to six weeks as the lawn grows. Little and often is best.
- Mowing – this depends on the time of year, but generally you can mow after about a fortnight. Just make sure that the new lawn has rooted, use the highest setting on your mower and don’t remove more than 1/3 of the grass height until it’s fully established.
Putting in the time and effort in the short term will give you the best possible chance of enjoying a beautiful lawn for years to come.
