When the weather is nice and sunny, (yes both days!) we all head outside for BBQs and relaxing in the garden. Suddenly we start to inspect our gardens and realize there are one or two jobs that need doing. Garden Lawns nearly always need some care even if it just a bit of weeding and feeding, although the amount of work you need to do will be linked to the lawn seed you used. If you decide that you want to put new turf down to replace or extend your lawn then there are several steps you need to take before you order your turf or grass seed.
Planning
Firstly, you need to choose the right time to lay your new turf. There’s no point going to a lot of effort measuring, planning, and preparing the soil if you’re going to do it all in January when your new lawn will most likely die. The most successful months to lay new lawns are March to June or September to November. If you are sowing grass seeds then do this in Spring for the best results.
Secondly, take advantage of the chance to start afresh. If you have weeds make sure you’ve killed them all otherwise they’ll still reappear in your new lawn. If you have poor drainage you should prepare a soak-away to prevent the problem reoccurring. If your lawn was uneven before then take this chance to level it out, getting rid of the bumps and hollows will really improve the image of your lawn.
Preparing The Soil
Ensure that all rubble or stones are removed from the soil as missing them could leave you with dead patches of grass. Next you’ll need to make sure that the top soil has been turned sufficiently and then raked to level and finally gently treaded down. This should encourage deep and rapid rooting. Make sure that you do not order the new turf before these steps have been taken. Two days before the new turf is supposed to arrive make sure to thoroughly moisten the soil, approximately to a depth of three inches. Remember this is dirty work so make sure you wear suitable clothing and do not walk and grass stains into your carpet that even a stain removal spray won’t remove. Yes I know Vanish is amazing but even it has limits!
The Turf
When you order your new turf make sure that you order at least 5% more than you need, this is for shaping, cutting and waste. It is always better to have more than you need rather than less. Make sure that when you order your turf that it is being delivered the same day that you are planning to lay it otherwise it may dry up and die. If you find that you can’t lay it the same day then make sure that it is kept rolled up away from your prepared surface and kept moistened.
