driveway, path, paved area or fence. Lay turf slabs next to each other so they are touching each other, without gaps, without stretching, and without overlapping. To pack soil down more efficiently, rent or buy a water-weighted lawn roller from a garden center or home improvement store. Nov 2, 2016 Timothy Dahl . How to lay turf. Water your new lawn well immediately after laying using a hose pipe or sprinkler. Lay slabs in a brickwork pattern. Step 1: Ideally, lay your turf within 24 hours of delivery. Online Rock Salt offers a great range of de-icing salt products at unbeatable prices. If you don’t have time or the confidence to lay your own lawn, we have turf laying experts that can take care of the installation for you. Tip: If you are working on a slope or steep gradients, it’s recommended to lay turf across the slope and you may have to peg it down to prevent it from moving until the roots have initiated. Winter is a good time of year to lay turf in some areas of the country, but in the colder parts it should be avoided. Install nails along the edge by placing them six inches apart driving them down ¾ of the way. Prepare the ground by removing weeds and raking it level, then lay the turf so it overlaps slightly. Wait to lay down new turf until fall or spring if possible. E. Once complete, roll the turf to ensure good contact with the soil. If you wish to put down turf in the summer, or your area does not get enough rainfall in fall and spring, install a watering system or use a hose and sprinkler to make sure your turf gets enough water. Benjamin Hansen is a Landscape Contractor and the Owner of Artscape Gardens, a boutique landscaping company in Los Angeles, California. If you are installing turf in the fall, lay it down early enough so that it is well established and rooted at least 6 weeks before the first hard freeze of winter. Can sand be used as a base instead of topsoil? Top 8 Benefits of Artificial Grass; Contact Us; Facebook Twitter Vimeo Instagram. While their gardening credentials may be a tad suspect at best, there's no arguing that their song Rollin' is loaded with lawn laying tips. Make sure that the turf is in good contact with the soil by laying a piece of wood over it. Grab a measuring tape and measure the area where you want the new lawn. Not too wet or dry. By cleaning up your old lawn, adding some fertilizer, and rolling out the new turf properly, you can have a brand-new looking lawn in no time. "Very concise instructions on lawn maintenance. If your soil is too alkaline (high pH), add garden sulfur or some type of acidic mulch, such as pine needles. Water it well and keep watering every few days so it establishes well. If you are working on a slope, lay turf across the slope. Give the fresh new turf a deep water immediately. Grass, plants, leaves, roots, twigs – everything. You will want to make sure there are no gaps and try to avoid kneeling on the turf while you lay it. Lay out the turf around the edges of your lawn first. Look online or ask someone at your local garden center what the recommended height is for your turf type. This article was co-authored by Benjamin Hansen. You want the soil loose so the roots from the turf can easily grow into the top soil. If turf cannot be laid immediately after delivery ensure that turf rolls are kept moist and in the shade. If you’ve ever envied your neighbor's lush green lawn, you might be thinking about laying down some turf in your yard. Tools needed to lay artificial turf. Fertilizer is not effective if it's used in high temperatures, which is why you should do this in the fall or spring. You should then nail it into place using nails every foot or so along the perimeter of the lawn. If you are laying your turf on a slope, start at the bottom. Still, if there is a lack of rainfall you’ll need to turn the sprinklers on. First, you want to make sure you remove any large stones, roots or clumps of dirt. Use an overlapping pattern like brickwork, so that the joints are staggered. Lay the turf in a brickwork pattern, ensuring the edges fit snugly together. Rake the area to produce a smooth, level surface. For the following week to two weeks, water your lawn well every evening (unless the rain does it for you!) % of people told us that this article helped them. As before, drive the nails down ¾ of the way. This will help eliminate a patchy look and help hide seams. How to Trim the Turf: Benjamin Hansen is a Landscape Contractor and the Owner of Artscape Gardens, a boutique landscaping company in Los Angeles, California. Steps for Laying Artificial Turf When you’re ready to lay the artificial turf, unroll it and let it set in the sun for half a day. Winter can be too cold and summer can be too dry for turf to root. Why not take a look at our Turf Laying Guide Infographic? Peel off half of the protective backing and attach a roll of turf tape. Applying appropriate care and attention to your new lawn will enable it to grow to its full potential and provide you with many years of enjoyment. Simple, yet effective, the chorus of "Keep rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin'" should be the anthem of turf layers worldwide. Keep up to date with the latest news & offers. Read about the process for getting a new lawn installed by the experts and make your installation booking. The hotter, drier and windier the weather, the more water will be needed. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. This has the added benefit of tamping down the turf for good soil contact. Depending on the time of year that you lay your lawn the time of the first mow can vary, but the turf should be ready for its first mow around two weeks following laying. While turf installation is a fairly easy job to do by yourself, you’ll have to invest in the proper tools in order to have a smooth process and have a professional looking install. Ensure the strips are pushed firmly together but not overlapping. Fall and spring are the best seasons for turf to root into the ground because of all the rain. Get next day delivery when you place an order with us before 2pm. To ensure uniform coverage, it's wise to lay your first roll of turf along a straight edge. Turf is laid in rolls making it a relatively straightforward garden project - simply unroll it (it's rolled up for easy handling), lay it and wait for it to take root. Use a “starter” fertilizer, such as NPK 5-10-5 or similar. If you lay turf in Autumn or Spring then the rain should help with this but you’ll need to water on the days it doesn’t rain. First time laying a lawn? Tips for laying turf. However, the more effort you put in here, the better your lawn will look! Turf Installation Service. 3 – Lay Turf. Resist the temptation to make the initial cut until your new lawn has rooted. If you need some guidance on how to do this, see our. Good job. You can lay your own patch of artificial grass just like you'd put in sod, but without using any water. Can I lay turf in a heat wave? If your lawn has seen better days, laying new turf is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to refresh your garden and, the best thing is, you don't need to call in a professional to do it. Rake the area to produce a smooth, level surface. Lay each piece hard up against the last to avoid air pockets and any drying out. Lay turf in a brickwork pattern, which simply means you stagger the joins to help retain turf moisture, and make sure you butt the edges closely together. How to lay turf - A guide to laying turf created by Rolawn, the growers of Britain's finest turf. How do I stop animals from ripping up my turf lawn? Before ordering, measure your yard. Start laying the turf, preferably along a straight edge, butting closely end to end. Rake lightly to incorporate it and give the finished smooth surface. Step 2: Start by laying a row of turf along one edge of the area, then work outwards. Monty Don takes you through the process of preparing to lay new turf, which involves creating a weed-free, uniformly level, fine-textured surface into which the new grass will readily root. Roll out your new Artificial Grass. Step 1: Ideally, lay your turf within 24 hours of delivery. First, lightly water your pre-prepared soil area. You need to care for and nurture it over the long term to create a lawn of real beauty. Many models can be either pushed by hand or towed behind a tractor. Benjamin uses color scheme, dimension, and water conscious spaces to inspire the design and installation of soft scape, hardscape, patios, pathways, irrigation, drainage, fencing, concrete, lighting, and electrical work. Read about the process for getting a new lawn installed by the experts and make your installation booking. Avoid dragging the lawn over the base, or you may disturb the smooth surface. The soil then needs to be turned over thoroughly to a depth of 15cm using a spade or a powered cultivator. This section is ideal for you. Lay the first roll of turf, making sure it is flush with the edge of the garden. We recommend spring and early autumn as the best times. Lay the next strip along the longest straight run and continue to work across the lawn, strip by strip producing a pattern similar to brickwork. Be sure to push the grass into the corners snugly to get the perfect fit without any gaps. Water immediately and profusely on any sign of the turf drying out for example gaps, lifting, browning or curling. Avoid using small pieces at the edges as these can dry out and perish. Here's how to lay turf like a professional. If we're talking about synthetic turf, you'll want to first excavate down around seven, eight inches. For circular lawns start in the middle and work your way out. Step 3 - Laying the Turf. Aim to lay the turf as quickly as possible after taking delivery. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. For tips from our Landscaping reviewer on how to remove old grass and level your lawn before you lay turf, read on! Prepare the soil well, make sure it and your turf are well watered and moist, and dig some extra sandy soil into the exposed surface before laying your turf. http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/maintain-the-garden/how-to-lay-lawn-turf/, http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/lawns_layingturf1.shtml, http://npic.orst.edu/capro/whentoplant.html, http://plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/turf/extension/factsheets/liming, https://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/what-do-if-your-soil-too-alkaline, https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=375, http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/pros_and_cons_of_granular_and_liquid_fertilizers, http://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/SITEPREP/strtfert.html, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL9WvBWs73I&feature=youtu.be&t=261, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL9WvBWs73I&feature=youtu.be&t=292, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL9WvBWs73I&feature=youtu.be&t=409, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL9WvBWs73I&feature=youtu.be&t=341, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL9WvBWs73I&feature=youtu.be&t=454, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL9WvBWs73I&feature=youtu.be&t=523, http://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/ESTABLISH/mowing.html, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. It is important that the turf is laid tight so that no gaps exist. Turf on the pallet is very heavy and difficult to move. Yes, as long as it isn't more than a few inches deep and of a loose, non compacting type. This helps to prevent it from drying out and dying. Lightly tread over the surface by foot to reveal any soft patches which can then be raked level. Turf laid in spring often needs watering in dry spells over summer. Lay the turf in a brickwork pattern, ensuring the edges fit snugly together. For circular lawns start in the middle and work your way out. To test if the new turf has rooted, grab the surface of the turf and gently try pulling it upward. Turf is often cut at night for an early morning delivery. Be sure to lay the pieces in the same direction to eliminate seams and fake looking artificial grass. Roll out and lay the first row, cutting off any excess at the end. How do you prepare the ground to lay turf? Artificial turf is more expensive than real sod up front, but it doesn't need real maintenance afterwards, and often has a warranty of about 16 years. Also, don’t be fooled by a quick shower. Click here to see our turf products. When positioning, be sure to lay the turf pieces so the grain, or direction of the blades on all pieces face in the same direction. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Lay turf the day you receive it to avoid any drying out and overheating. For best results, use a lawn rotary hoe or dig the area evenly to a depth of 100mm to 150mm. Most turfgrass species prefer a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.2. You can do this with a garden spade or, if you have a large area, hire a mechanical turf cutter to save yourself time. This can be easily checked by lifting a corner to see if the roots are attached to the soil layer below. Take care to butt together all the joints, without overlapping the turf edges. Choose a type of turf that suits your garden needs, and place your order. Lay your turf rolls This is the fun bit! Lay the Turf Water the soil two days before you lay the turf, and make sure that it’s moist down to 75mm. Step 4: Cutting and shaping. Take care to stagger the joints in each new row in a brickwork like pattern. Do this gradually to avoid scalping. If the lawn has a lot of weeds, spray it with a weed killer and wait about 48 hours for the weeds to die so they’re easier to remove. Firstly measure the proposed lawn area accurately in square metres. But laying the turf is only the beginning of creating a lawn your friends, family and neighbours will be jealous of. Follow the 7 steps below to ensure you lay & sustain a great looking & healthy lawn. This process should continue until the whole area is firm and level. You can find bags of topsoil at your local garden center. For the best advice on turf laying, a key lesson can be learnt from nu-metal icons, Limp Bizkit. How to lay turf . How to lay turf. You will probably have to arrange to have it delivered. When rolling, try not to be too hasty in your approach. Water this then let it cure for three days. Inadequately prepared ground with never produce the best results, so it is worth putting in a bit of time an effort at this stage. How To Install Artificial Grass – The Right Way. Lay the turf in rows across the site working forward from a straight side. Lightly firm down the turves with the head of a rake or piece of wood to ensure good contact between the underside of the turf and the soil. On subsequent rows stagger the joints in brickwork fashion. Topsoil is a surface soil that is high in nutrients. Learning how to lay garden turf is not that difficult, but getting all of the stages correct takes a … Stagger the joints, as in brickwork, from row to row. Measure the area where the lawn will be laid out, and the width and length of the turf strips. 7 Steps to Laying a Healthy Lawn 1. Start laying turf on a straight edge at the furthest point to your access and lay back towards the exit, so you are not working over fresh turf. If you can't lay the turf immediately, keep the delivered turf in the shade (particularly in hot weather) and remove any film wrapping from the pallet. Installing a new lawn yourself is easy. It’ll take a while for the turf to become fully established and until it reaches this stage it’s essential to keep it well watered. All the information you need to maintain and repair your lawn in one great resource. Always remember that turf consists of a mass of living, breathing plants. If you don’t have time or the confidence to lay your own lawn, we have turf laying experts that can take care of the installation for you. Your turf will either be supplied as rolls or slabs. Your turf will either be supplied as rolls or slabs. Bored of reading? The second layer should be about three inches of stabilized decomposed granite. Lay the Artificial Turf. If you must walk on the turf, wear flat-soled shoes. By Timothy Dahl. Watch it here to get your new lawn off to a great start or click below! By using our site, you agree to our. Once you’ve got the first patch in, continue rolling additional patches in the same way, making sure there’s no gap between them. Continue until the water has soaked through to the soil beneath the turf layer. Measure and Order. How to Lay Artificial Grass. Turf Prep & Installation; DIY Turf Laying Guide. Following this guide, you should now have a nice smooth and level soil bed and your fresh turf should have been delivered. Preparing your ground for laying turf is easily the most important step and will be slightly time consuming. Yes, it works best and can easily be rented at a local tool or home improvement center. When turf arrives, stack rolls in a shady spot and if they appear dry, sprinkle with water. As a rule of thumb, a balanced fertiliser containing similar levels of Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P) and Potassium (K) should be applied every four to six weeks during the growing season. Butt adjoining edges and ends against each other, but avoid stretching the turf. For more information on feeding you lawn throughout the year, see our. Will I need a roller to level and flatten the turf? A collection of useful lawn care tips to carry out in the winter months. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/08\/Lay-a-Turf-Lawn-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Lay-a-Turf-Lawn-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/08\/Lay-a-Turf-Lawn-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid701191-v4-728px-Lay-a-Turf-Lawn-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"