step by step guide to laying your turf
Quality turf allows you to enjoy a lawn of beauty and maturity without the inconvenience and time consuming problems of seeding.PREPARATION
Ground preparation is vital to the future of your lawn; Inadequately prepared and unfertilised ground will not give satisfactory results. Existing turf should be moved by cutting under the grass with a spade.
FERTILISER
A pre-turfing fertiliser should be applied and raked into the soil. The manufacturer’s application rate should be followed for the best results.
RAKING
The ground should be raked to produce a smooth surface. At this stage the ground may be lightly rolled or firmed by foot to reveal any soft areas, which can be raked level. A wide rake makes levelling easier. The ground should be firm but not compact.
ORDERING
Measure your proposed lawn area accurately in square metres.Turf is supplied in rolls for easy laying. As turf is generally cut to order you should contact your supplier giving as much choice of delivery date as possible – and at least 24 hours.
LAYING TURF
Start by laying one strip of turf around the outside of the lawn. Lay the first row along the longest straight line and work across the lawn staggering the joints in each row – as in brickwork.
WATERING TURF
Newly laid turf must be watered within half an hour of installation. Give the turf a really good soaking and check that the water has seeped through into the soil below.
MOWING
We recommend that you do not mow your new turf until it has rooted. Your lawn mower should be set to the highest setting – it is important that the lawn isn’t scalped during early mowings. Mow often, each time removing no more than 1/3 of the grass.
LAWN FEEDING
Feeding in the first 8 weeks will not be necessary as a pre-turf fertilizer has been applied. There are many lawn feeds available and you should contact your supplier or local garden centre for their recommendation.