Lawn Turf

Lawn turf is needed when you want an instant grassy area in your garden. This is a more expensive option than sowing grass seed but has the advantage of being quick to establish and it can be layed at any time of the year. However, October and November are traditionally the best months for laying lawn turf.

There are various grades of lawn turf available and these are reflected in the price. The cheapest lawn turf will inevitably include weeds as it will have been cut from pasture land. The more expensive options come from grass cultivated specifically for sale as lawn turf. The choice is yours as to how much you want to pay!  Lawn turf is sold by the square metre and is delivered in rolled strips. The first job is to work out how much lawn turf you will require and then over-order by about 5% to allow for wastage.
 

Start where there is a long straight run and lay a row of the lawn turf. Place a plank of wood (a scaffold board is good) over the lawn turf you have just laid, to walk on while you lay the next row. Ensure the pieces of lawn turf fit up close to each other; stagger them so you don't have any joints or cracks running continuously across the grass. Firm each lawn turf down by tamping it with your rake. Trim the edges at your borders with an old kitchen knife. Fill in any gaps between the lawn turf strips with soil.

Dig over the area with a garden fork and remove all stones and weeds; then rake the soil to achieve a level surface. Trample over the whole area wearing a pair of sturdy boots. This compacting action will remove any voids or air pockets in the soil. Finally, lightly rake over the whole area once again. You will then have achieved the level surface for the lawn turf to be layed on.  Don't walk over the prepared ground prior to laying the lawn turf as it will end up being uneven.
 

Hopefully, it will rain within a couple of days, but if it doesn't you will need to water the grass. If the weather conditions remain dry then water again and give the grass a good soaking. New lawn turf will take a few weeks to root and key in firmly to the soil. During this time keep off the grass. Once it has rooted you can then walk on the grass and in fact start to enjoy it as it should be enjoyed. It is an integral part of your garden after all.

You can also start mowing it as it will be growing. Keep the mower blade high at first and reduce the cutting height gradually as the grass becomes established. Don't forget to compost the grass cuttings. The decision to buy lawn turf could be expensive especially for the larger garden, but the results are instantaneous.

One tip worth thinking about is to prepare your soil well before you order the lawn turf; have all your preparatory work complete and then check the weather forecast. You really don't want to be laying your lawn turf in torrential rain. Delay the delivery if the weather forecast is at all uncertain. You cannot have the rolled up lawn turf lying around for more than a couple of days as it will start to deteriorate. Planning is the key to successfully laying lawn turf.