Ultimate lawn laying guide: How to Lay Turf
Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
Have you just moved into a new property or new build? You may be faced with bare earth or, in older properties, a very lacklustre lawn that needs help ASAP! This ultimate guide to laying and fixing lawns will help you make the most of your garden and create a fabulous lawn in no time!
Grass lawns are tough, resilient, evergreen, and can be low maintenance, making them an excellent garden surface for lower maintenance gardeners. Laying turf with rolled turf or sowing grass seed is relatively easy if you prepare the ground properly first getting you a new lawn in no time!
This lawn care guide will show you how to lay turf effectively, no matter which method you choose. I will provide easy, step-by-step instructions for laying rolled turf or lawns from seed.
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A lawn is an area of soil often in a garden which is planted with several different grass species to form a living surface. Sometimes, other hard-wearing plants, such as clover or camomile, are used. A lawn has the distinct characteristic of being kept short through mowing and cutting, usually with a lawn mower.
In my garden design practice, most clients consider a garden lawn an essential part of an English garden. It's understandable as to why that's the case.
Garden lawns are probably one of the most widely recognised garden design components. Turf has a variety of uses, such as lounging on a deck chair, manicuring it to perfection, getting your mates around to have a BBQ on it, or even as a football pitch for your children. A well-laid garden lawn with lush turf is a staple of a multi-functional garden.
Lawns are a great form of ground cover for gardening. Allowing you to walk, play or exercise on them, providing a multifunctional space in any garden. Lawns are usually made up of 3 or more grass species that grow together as a living ground cover or mat.
You can use turf for hard-wearing informal gardens or utility gardens with play areas. This is especially true for child-friendly gardens or for people who need a low-maintenance garden that's zero fuss.
Turf can also be used for formal lawns with manicured ornamental stripes running up and down them. These are more suited to people who want to spend hours with their lawn, pruning, feeding, scarifying and lovingly tweaking it each week! (For the few, not the masses!).
Turf is an excellent ground cover that can be walked on or used as a sitting area in dry weather. It is especially useful if you have pets such as dogs and cats as it allows water to permeate through and adds a light airy texture to gardens.
One thing I'm adamant against is the use of artificial turf. You can read the horrific environmental impact of fake grass and why to avoid it here.
When it comes to planting a lawn, you have a couple of options depending on how much time or budget you have. If you want to get your lawn down as quickly as possible, then rolled turf is the quickest bet. However, if you're on a budget or need a very specific lawn seed mix, then sowing by seeds is the best bet.
Let's take a closer look at the two main ways to install a garden lawn.
The fastest method is using rolls of precut turf, which are laid. They are installed in a staggered brickwork fashion, meaning it is fast but more expensive than seed.
This method uses lawn seed which is scattered onto prepared soil and allowed to germinate and grow into a lawn. This method is slow but cheaper than rolled turf.
Every gardener will have their preference. Some gardeners swear by creating a lawn from seed and enjoying the germination of the seeds, while other people prefer to get their lawn down in one weekend for that instant look. Here are the benefits and drawbacks of both methods of laying a lawn.
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The answer is rolled turf, but while it quickly gives you an instant lawn, it requires the most watering and initial maintenance to get established. You will need to water it thoroughly three times per week for the first month until it's established.
Below is a handy list of the garden equipment you will need when laying a lawn with rolled turf or seeding an area to create a garden.
Before fitting a lawn, determine how much grass seed or turf you need. You do this by measuring the length and the width of the area to be turfed.
i) For rectangular lawns: Take measurement A and multiply by B (shown below) to get the square area, ideally, in meters squared.
ii) For curved lawns: If you want a curvy lawn, work on measuring a square or rectangle dimension slightly bigger than the free-form area, as it makes it far easier to order turf. The leftover turf can then be turned upside down and stacked at the back of a border, breaking down and making excellent loamy compost! No waste!
Creating a lawn from rolled turf is the quickest method of getting the lawn of your dreams. In a few hours, you can have a brand-new lawn. First, you prepare the ground, ensure its level, create a fine tilth to which the lawn will roof, and then stagger your turfs. Lastly, water your new lawn.
Follow the detailed lawn installation steps below to create a fantastic lawn instantly!
Before you lay turf, most of the work needed is in preparation. You may rush to get a new lawn, but preparation is key and saves drama or lawn installation failure.
This is because turf will follow any lumps or bumps if laid on a poorly prepared surface. If the ground is not entirely level and weed-free, you start in a losing position. Rectifying these issues afterwards is a nightmare, and you should be enjoying beers on your lawn, not spending hours levelling it, weeding it, and cursing it!
This will enable you to order your turfs.
You'll need at least two measurements to work out the surface area—simply multiply one side by the other.
A good rule of thumb is to order 10% more than you need.
This is so that when you're staggering your joins, you are not left with a few tiny pieces to finish an edge. You can use a longer whole piece of turf, which will bed in far better than smaller bits pushed together, which will dry out faster.
This helps aerate and break up compaction in the soil. Compaction causes all sorts of problems, such as waterlogging, poor growth, dead spots, and diseases in new turf. So, using your spade and fork, turn over the ground. This is hard work but essential; think of it as free cardio!
Use a riddle if the ground has many stones and debris. A riddle or grill is like a giant sieve; you can put your soil in one scoop at a time and filter through to remove bits of weeds and rubbish from the ground. This is especially true on new build properties.
If your soil is impoverished, then it's a good idea to work in some fresh peat-free compost at this stage.
This will help provide long-term nutrients for the lawn and help retain moisture without being waterlogged. I usually dig in some compost to help break up any heavy soil.
Alternatively, if the soil is light and in good condition, then you can skip this step.
Using a back-and-forth action, first, rake over the plot. Then, use a plank of wooden to level out the soil. This will help pull the soil across the plot level, and further help breaks up any small clods. Again, if debris or rocks appear, then remove them.
Now, it is time to shuffle! Using your feet, preferably with shoes on, shuffle across the lawn in straight lines one way and then the other. Consolidating the soil means that the lawn won't sink as readily and ensures there are no big air pockets in the soil. If there are, fill these pockets and then relevel.
Using the plank of wood and a spirit level, you can check that the area is level. Always take a couple of measurements of lengthways and widthways until the ground is level. If it is unlevel in areas, rake and even out, more shuffling again.
Lastly, using the rake on your level surface, lightly rake the top layer to create a fine tilth. Tilth is a powdery light layer of fine soil. This then enables a quick root uptake for your turf.
Rake your tilth one way and then rake 90 degrees the other way afterwards over the same area.
You can buy them either online in advance or from a local DIY store. Once you have your fresh turfs, you must lay them within 24 hours and not let them dry out, so bear this in mind if the weather changes or your preparation gets delayed.
Fresh, healthy turfs should be healthy and green, not yellow or brown. Turfs should also be moist, not bone dry.
Using the board, lay this out over the soil and work forward or backwards. It doesn't make much difference, though some would claim forwards are better. In the video, I turf backwards, so it's easier for you to see the joins and laying technique.
The aim is to use the large sections of your meter-long turfs together rather than short sections of leftovers. It is better to have two medium-sized turfs than one full-size and one tiny size next to each other. This is because smaller turfs tend to dry out, which will impact the lawn uptake.
Use a sharp knife to cut any turfs, leaving a clean edge. Don't be tempted to tear them. It damages the grass and gives a rough, messy edge.
This enables the turfs to mesh together. Gaps will cause them to dry out and curl. You can butt them up by hand and then use the back of a rake to compress the turfs lightly to ensure contact with the ground and each adjacent turf.
Never stretch turfs to fit together. Always overlap them slightly, then push them down to create a firm join.
Make sure with your knife that any ragged edges or wonky donkey bits are cut to a straight line. The edge of the board provides a clean, neat surface for cutting a clean edge.
If there are gaps in the turf or awkward cracks around pavers or trees, use a mix of sharp sand and compost to fill these. This ensures the turf meshes together well and will spread into these spaces.
Water your turf as soon as it has been laid. There's no need to feed your newly laid turf. In fact, it will root quicker to the soil if you don't. Ensure that the grass never fully dries out for the first few weeks.
It's better to water heavily every 4-5 days rather than a light sprinkle each day. Frequent light waterings can encourage Poa annua, a grass weed, to propagate in the newly laid turf. Take more care to check that the edges don't dry out.
Avoid walking on the grass for the next 2-3 weeks, or if you have to use the board to walk on to reduce the pressure of your feet on the newly laid turf, which is still establishing.
Place any leftover turfs upside down, grass side down, at the back of borders, or even in a bin bag that is then loosely covered. If using the bin bag method, stack the turfs on top of each other somewhere out of direct sunlight.
In months to come, the grass will have decomposed, leaving lovely, fresh, nutrient-rich loam, a term for well-balanced soil. So there's no waste!
The first mow should be when the grass is 5cm or 2" tall, set the lawn mower blade to take a third off, so 1.5cm. Be careful not to scalp or cut the lawn too short whilst it is established, which may impede its development.
Rolls of turf come in two standard sizes in the UK, which are either 1 meter squared or 1 yard squared (0.84m). Once you've worked out the ground size for your lawn, you can determine how many turfs to order.
The average cost of 1 yard squared of turf is £6-£7 in the UK.
Larger 1-meter squared rolls will cost marginally more, around £7-8.
The larger 1m turfs are often a better option as there's less joining, and you get more for your money. However, the larger rolls are heavier to lift and move.
If you've bought rolled turf and notice it's turned yellow when you unwrap it, you have a problem. This is a sign of turf that's sat rolled for too long and has started to lose chlorophyll due to lack of sunlight, which all plants need. Usually, it will come back to life with some sun, but it may slow down the time it takes for the turf to establish.
Always check the turf you're buying by unrolling it slightly first to check.
If the turf smells eggy, rotten or pungent, the chances are it's started to decompose with anaerobic bacteria. This usually can't be saved, so compost it instead.
Lawns are very rarely made up of just one type of grass plant. They usually feature a mix of grass species to ensure thick, rich coverage. If you think of a wool weaver, they may take several different coloured strands to weave one thread, and a lawn is a bit like this.
Some lawn seeds produce thick, rugged grass, excellent for harder-wearing utility lawns, whereas other species use thinner, more delicate grass, which is used in fine ornamental lawns.
As a general rule of thumb, ornamental lawns require far more maintenance than utility lawns as the seed types are less vigorous. Below are three common lawn seed mixes depending on the type of lawn you want to sow in your garden.
Sowing a lawn from seed gives you the ultimate freedom to pick the very best mix of grasses for your garden conditions.
Once you’ve chosen the seed mix for the type of lawn you are laying, it's now time to distribute them evenly and at the right density for your lawn.
My preferred method is to use a lawn seed spreader. These relatively cost-effective and easy-to-use tools enable the correct distribution of seeds to be dropped as you wheel them over the area. If you’re spreading by hand, it’s a good move to split the total amount of seed into four amounts and move both horizontally and vertically in 4 passes to drop the seed evenly.
You can also mix the seed with fine sand if scattering by hand to make it easier to see where you’ve spread it.
If using a seed spreader, then a suitable method is to seed at a 45-degree angle in rows rather than vertical stripes. This is because it becomes less obvious to the naked eye as the lawn establishes vertical stripes.
It also means any gaps are less likely to be visible at first. Meaning you can go and reseed these areas. For extensive turf areas, some lawn experts recommend using curved patterns, but for most people, simple lines are easier.
Don’t be tempted to over-sow the lawn with more seed than recommended. It just means you’re creating more challenging conditions for the rest of the lawn to germinate.
The grass seed itself does not need burying like other seeds. It requires light to germinate properly, so don’t go to the trouble of trying to sieve a layer of topsoil over it like you may do other seeds.
Some lawn experts recommend using the back of a rake to tamp down the seed. However, in my experience, this is where most new gardeners can cause more harm than good.
Unless the weather is bone dry, your grass seed can stick to your shoes or a wet rake will lift it and cause a mess in your distribution. Instead, I recommend light watering with a fine hose sprinkler, even the mist attachment if possible. This is so you don’t disturb the seed that’s been carefully laid out.
Keep your new lawn watered, especially in warmer weather. It doesn’t need to be soaked, but don’t let the ground completely dry out or get scorched. Then, in 7-21 days, your seeds should start to germinate, and the magic begins!
One important point to stress is in trying to keep birds off your lawn seed. This is because birds will eat your lawn seed and undo all of your lawn installation efforts!
The best way to do this is to crisscross the string about 3 inches off the ground just before watering the seed. Tie these to pegs on the outskirts of the seeded area, a matrix of string to stop the birds from easily landing.
When walking on the newly laid seed, use your wooden plank to stand on so as not to move the seed about.
Other methods involve placing a well-stocked bird feeder elsewhere in the garden. Don’t panic if the birds take a bit or disturb certain areas. You can always reseed these once the rest of the lawn has germinated. This is a good way of keeping everything in balance, trainee Ninja!
Lawn seed should germinate and show green shoots between 7 and 21 days. This depends on the weather, average temperature and the availability of moisture.
If after 21 days your seed hasn't germinated, then light sieving of compost over the top and a watering can help kick start it. This is because the compost retains the moisture longer, allowing the seeds to imbibe (take on) the water needed to sprout.
In the UK, lawn seed germination usually takes around 10-14 days to see your seedlings sprout green shoots. Lawn seed germination will be surprisingly quick here in the UK compared to other parts of the world. This is because we have a perfect mix of sunlight and rainfall during the spring and summer. Creating the perfect conditions for speedy lawn seed germination.
The best time to lay a lawn is between autumn and spring, when the temperatures are lower and moisture levels are higher. Laying a lawn any time between September and April when there is no frost is best.
We want to avoid hotter summer weather because the heat causes much-needed moisture to evaporate from the turf. In extreme cases, the lawn will lose more moisture than we can water it, causing stress. This results in lawns not rooting property and needing life support as we waste water trying to keep it alive.
Whilst you can lay a lawn at any time of year, there are two conditions you want to avoid:
Both conditions make it hard, sometimes impossible, for rolled turf to take or grass seed to germinate, so it should be avoided.
Many new gardeners think summer is the best time for laying a new lawn. But it's one of the worst times, given the extra water and resources it will take to get a lawn established. However, sometimes you have no choice, especially if your garden landscaping has run over and you need to get some lawn down in the summer.
If you have to lay turf in summer, keep those points in mind:
You can lay a lawn from rolled turf in winter if you're desperate but bear in mind that frost, sub-zero temperatures and hard ice-covered grounds will make it really difficult if not impossible for the lawn to root.
If the garden temperature is below 5 degrees, I wouldn't advise laying a lawn.
Sowing lawn seeds in winter is challenging and not advisable as the seeds probably won't germinate. If they do, any frosts may kill off their young shoots. The grass seeds have an inbuilt germination system that will stop them from growing if the conditions aren't right. It will be too cool for them to take on water and start to root, so they will sit there getting eaten by the birds!
Scarifying a lawn involves the process of mechanically removing thatch, moss, and other debris that may have accumulated on the surface of the lawn. Thatch is a layer of dead grass, roots, and other organic matter that can build up over time and prevent air, water, and nutrients from reaching the soil. By using a scarifier or dethatching machine, the thatch layer is gently raked out, allowing for better airflow, water penetration, and nutrient absorption into the soil.
In addition to removing thatch, scarifying also helps to control moss growth, which can thrive in compacted and shaded areas of the lawn. By raking out moss and other debris, scarifying opens up the turf, allowing sunlight and air to reach the grass plants and promoting healthier growth.
Furthermore, scarifying stimulates the lawn's natural regrowth process by encouraging the spread of grass seeds and the development of new shoots. This helps to fill in bare patches, improve the density of the turf, and create a more uniform and lush appearance.
Scarifying is an essential lawn care practice that rejuvenates the turf, enhances vigour, and creates optimal growing conditions for healthy grass. It is typically recommended to scarify the lawn once or twice a year, depending on the condition of the turf and the level of thatch buildup. You scarify in Spring or Autumn for best results.
If you follow this lawn care guide, you'll have the perfect lawn in no time, whether using rolled turf for the instant new lawn or the more selective lawn seed. Although lawn seed takes far longer to establish, it does allow you to pick a precise blend of grass seeds for more problematic shady or delicate ornamental lawns.
Lawns help provide year-round greenery to your garden, which helps lift your mood and provide a beautiful foil for the rest of your garden plants. During the winter, your lawn will require slightly different care to the summer when it's actively growing. If you need winter lawn tips, then this article will show you what to do during the colder months to keep your turf looking fantastic!
Once established, you'll be able to use a lawn mower to keep your new lawn looking fantastic all year round. There are even robotic lawnmowers now to remove the need to lift a finger!
If you've just laid a new lawn, why not Tweet, Facebook or Instagram me with your pictures? You can also follow me on YouTube, where I’ve got plenty of garden guide vlogs.
Happy Gardening!
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