Turf Laying Guide

We have written a turf laying guide to help and advise you when laying your new garden turf. Follow the set by step guide and your new garden will look fantastic. We hope that we can help make your turf laying experience as easy as possible. You don't need to hire somebody to lay your turf for you, it can be easily done with a bit of time and our helpful guide.

Preparation

The first step to successfully laying turf is the ground preparation, this will give the new turf the best chance of rooting successfully. To prepare the ground beforehand remove as much old turf as possible and any large debris that might be in the soil. Use a spade cutting underneath the old turf to ease the removal process. For large areas we recommend using a turf cutter to assist in the old turf removal. Also make sure the area is well drained if the lawn suffers from water retention. Mixing in a sharp sand can help with problematic areas.

Soil Rotation

The next step is rotation of the soil (cultivation), ensure that the soil is fully rotated to roughly 15cm. The ground is best cultivated when neither to dry or to wet, the spring is generally a great time for this.

Raking

Begin raking the ground to level the area, the raking process should create a smooth flat surface. Apply topsoil to the ground if the quality of soil is poor and to make up levels so the ground becomes flat. Also this will assist to break up any big clumps of soil that you may have. Continue this process until the garden is fully level and flat, remove any stones or debris which appears.

Tread Down

Start in one corner and tread down the soil in a sideward's motion, this helps to compress the soil and will help you to visualise any difference in levels that you might not of been able to see before. Rake down any bumps and fill in any dips that might appear during this process and repeat the process. When you are happy the ground is level and flat you are ready to order your turf.

Calculating the area

Everybody's gardens are different shapes and sizes therefore you need to make sure you calculate the area correctly. We have an online garden calculator to help with the calculation of your garden area. It's simple to use and will give you an exact number of turf rolls that you will need to cover your garden.

Pre-turfing fertiliser

At turf suppliers we offer a FREE pre-turfing fertiliser with all orders placed. Open the bag and start to lightly scatter the feed onto the soil before laying the turf. This just gives the soil some extra nutrients and encourages the growth. Only lightly scatter the fertiliser do not use it all as you can use the remaining contents as a feed in a few weeks.

Getting ready to lay the turf

When your turf arrives be prepared to lay within 24 hours, in hot weather remove the outer wrap as soon as you receive the order to allow the turf to breathe. Store the turves in a shaded area close to where you intend to lay. It's best to start in a corner that is surrounded by walls or fences as leaving this corner till last could cause problems. Always place planks on laid turf and do not walk directly onto the newly laid lawn.

Laying the turf

Simply lay down the turf in straight lines, rolling them out as you go. Use a sharp knife (or halfmoon lawn edger) to cut the turves as you get to edges etc and to cut round any odd shapes. Using the excess from the first row bring it round to begin the second row, this will help to stagger the joint and give a better look to the finished lawn. Repeat this process butting the edges together as you go until the final piece is laid. If the width of the last row is to width then again use a sharp knife to cut the turf to size.

After Care

When the lawn is laid do not walk or run on the turf until it has rooted into the soil. If laid in hot weather then give the lawn a watering. Try to keep watering in the mornings and afternoons so the sun doesn't burn the turf.
Apply a fertiliser generally every 4-6 weeks after laying - applying with a "little but often" policy.
Slightly lifting a corner will aid you in knowing when your lawn is ready for its mow. Avoid mowing until the rooting process has began, make sure the roots are in the soil! Then set the lawn mower to its highest setting for the first mow then gradually reduce the setting.