Turf laying is an instant process of having the lawn of your dreams. The grass has already been grown for you so all you’ve left to do is to set it down on the ground.
Although it may seem elementary, turf laying is not a haphazard task. However, you don’t need to be an expert landscape artist to have a lawn that’s laid out as smoothly as possible. You just need to learn these top techniques to lay turf like a pro.
Condition your Soil
The success of your lawn establishment is largely grounded on…the ground!
Prior to laying turf, you must ensure that the soil conditions where you will plant it are conducive to sustain the growth of your grass. You have to bear in mind that the majority of the roots of your turf are chopped off during its harvesting so you need to address their needs for water and nutrients by following these techniques:
- Remove existing lawn since it hinders the new turf from rooting well and introduces weeds into the new turf. You can use lawn cutters to uproot your old lawn or treat them with an all-inclusive weed killer.
- Loosen the soil with a tiller or rotovator and remove irregularities in the soil such as rocks, debris and perennial weeds. This would help later when you’re levelling the ground.
- Thoroughly mix high-quality topsoil and compost with your own ground soil and then incorporate a starter fertiliser into the top 3 cm of the ground. These additives increase the nutrient levels your turf desperately needs.
- Moisten your soil to supply water to the roots of your turf. Moreover, hydrating your soil allows it to be lightly compacted before you rake the ground surface evenly.
Ideally, the depth of your garden soil for turfing is at least 15 cm but the deeper you can enrich your soil, the more conducive it will be for the sustainability and growth of your lawn.
Ensure Turf Quality
Time is a critical factor in laying turf. From the moment the turves are reaped, their shelf life begins ticking and the longer they’re left rolled up, the more that their quality deteriorates especially during the hot weather.
To guarantee that you will only lay fresh and high-quality turf, it’s better to have it at delivered when you’ll immediately roll it down on the ground. Turf is typically dispatched within 2 working days so you must have your ground prepared by then.
Similarly, you must only order enough turves you can roll out in a day. For starters working alone, 100 rolls of turf are manageable but no one’s stopping you from hiring help to finish everything within the day.
Install Turf with Expertise
When everything’s prepared, you can begin establishing your new lawn. Below are some tips to ensure that turf is laid out as smoothly as possible:
- Start positioning turf along the longest edge. For fields that are round in shape, it’s better to start at the centre and then work your way out.
- Stagger the turves in brickwork manner and ensure that they are close to each other but not overlapping. Push the turf if you need to but never pull them to stretch.
- Trim ends using a cutter to shape around any obstructions such as trees, poles, and path walks.
- Fill spaces between turves with light soil to prevent them from drying out. This excess soil can be removed later on when the lawn becomes more grounded.
- Ensure that your newly-laid lawn and the soil are intact by lightly pressing down the turves using a rake or a laying board. This compression also eliminates air pockets under your turf. Furthermore, planks can also be used to walk over your freshly-laid turf as you work and ensure that your turves remain level.
Maintain your Turf
All the time and effort you’ve invested on your turf installation would go to waste if you don’t take care of your freshly-laid turf. Here are some turf laying aftercare:
- Drench your implanted turf with water so that its limited roots can reach down through the top 4-5 cm of soil beneath it where water has percolated. Prioritize watering the edges since they dry out quicker than the middle. Moreover, it’s best that you water the areas with laid turf first before finishing laying turf on the entire field.
- Avoid disturbing your newly-laid turf during the first 3-4 weeks by stepping on it so that the grass grows securely and firmly.
Conclusion
Laying turf on your own can be a strenuous and challenging task. That’s why Trees Down Under is here to make your dream lawn come true and take all the hassles away from you! Trees Down Under is dedicated to making your garden grinder and more appealing. We offer high-quality garden services including turf installation for your home and office garden needs.
Want us to lay down your turf? Feel free to contact us at 0475 463 597 or send us an email here: info@treesdownunder.com.au
