Topsoil And Turf

We all love our gardens and nothing shows this more than a beautiful, flat cared for lawn. To create this we must decide to put in the work and effort necessary, if the turf is patchy or poor and the area is uneven and bumpy we will need to prepare the land before we can really start. If we have decided we need new turf then we must buy quality, the area must be prepared and the soil has to be right for laying a new lawn. The new turf will grow best when the soil is prepared so it encourages deep and rapid rooting. To get correct and even growth and to keep the turf healthy it needs sunlight, water, nutrients and of course air. The soil and its quality will greatly affect the final quality of the lawn when established. The right amount and correct depth of soil will ensure that the grass roots penetrate evenly and deeply. If you neglect this process you will end up with a patchy lawn that has little resistance to the changes in weather, poor soil and preparation will cause the turf to deteriorate over time.

To prepare the ground the soil should be checked and if necessary put down new topsoil, you really need a minimum of 4" or 10cm to 6" 15cm of good quality soil, check the ground and remove any stones, clods, weeds etc and loosely turn over the soil. If you do need new topsoil always buy quality, the best is always better and if you do not the lawn will suffer, digging over or rotovating the soil is essential before laying the new turf (make sure you do it). The soil needs to be loosened and it should then be lightly compacted ready for the next stage in the process.

The next step is to rake the entire surface of the area to make sure it is level and clear of debris, this should not be rushed as the more time you take in the preparation the better the lawn will be, if you water the ground before the turf is put down it helps to settle the earth and prepare it ready for the laying process.

Lay the turf along a straight edge and add subsequent rows, make sure they are butted up to each other and lightly press them down.

The turf should always be pushed together and never stretched, soil can be used to fill small gaps, once laid water straight away and daily until the new lawn has rooted.

The need for watering your lawn depends upon the weather conditions in your area, to keep it healthy it should be watered if the rainfall is low, but the most important part of any maintenance is mowing. It should not be left to grow to high and should not be cut too low, the ideal height is approximately 1 inch this is not an exact figure but the mowing process should be consistent and any subsequent mowing should be done to the same height.