Grass help please

Foggster

Very new to this board because until very recently I didnt really have much of a garden to look after!

In the next week or so I shall be creating a new back garden with a combination of a patio/entertaining area to a lawned area with smaller areas for containers (which I have started off at my parents).

We are looking to buy the lawn turf from here http://www.easylawn.co.uk/index.php?page=243&lawn=1 but not sure what standard we should go for. In the ideal world, with no limit on budget, which would you buy. It is not a large area to cover and we have no budding sportsman, although the husband has hinted at using it as a putting green. :rotfl:

Any top tips for when we lay it please.

Thanking you in advance.

Antispam

I think it depends on what use you want of it, what foot traffic it may get, soil condition and any shade?

Foggster

Antispam wrote: »

I think it depends on what use you want of it, what foot traffic it may get, soil condition and any shade?

Oh blimey. Ermmm, its very dark soil! :rotfl: I think you would call it "loamy". It wont get much foot traffic and I am assuming you mean "shade" as in cover - there will be very little and in fact its a sun trap.

suisidevw

That site looks pretty expensive! Worth a call to some turf companies local to you?

savemoney

I am not expect but if its loamy soil then that would be good soil

I assume the ground is reasonable well drained so wouldn't flood a little shade is okay but a lot you can get seed for shade as well as dry conditions


Looking at that site I woudl say Standard Turf or Premium would be the ones to go for

Make sure ground is well prepared and remove stones, flattened it (level)

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/TURF/index.html
http://www.lawnandmower.com/lawn-care.aspx

Grass likes slightly sandy, loam ground preferable not essential though also make sure you keep lawn well watered during dry periods when its new so it beds in its because the roots are shallow and need to get hold of the ground to get nutrients etc

Foggster

suisidevw wrote: »

That site looks pretty expensive! Worth a call to some turf companies local to you?

How much should I expect to pay per sqm/ft please?

savemoney

If its just turf I would think its around £2-£3 a roll not sure if roll is sq metre. I got 1 roll from B&Q last year to patch up and I think it was around £2.50

monicaj

We had ours done last Friday £2.82 per sq metre supplied and laid. It is less expensive for a larger area. It was a supplier local to us and even though it looks OK, I'm not convinced they've done a first class job - time will tell if we get them back to lay the front in a few weeks time.

lostinrates

If its going to get limited traffic, and money saving is a priority why not seed rather than turf. Its hard avoiding using it at first, but perhaps easier if you are not used to having a garden. But the money saving will be significant.

Joly_Roger

I used this company for some turf a year ago, http://www.onlineturf.co.uk Cost about £120 for 50sq metres.

I ordered the hard wearing budget turf, which has a higher percentage of ryegrass. Delivered on palette within a week, arrived looking healthy (not yellow or dried out like in many garden centres) and I laid it the next day. I keep it mowed short and it looks great, inspite of my children playing on it

There are loads of online guides about soil preparation, basically get the soil level & firm, make sure that it's stone & weed free, & after laying it keep it well watered for the next month until it has rooted.

I actually promised my daughter I would have a lawn down by last May, ready for her 7th birthday party. I finished it at 10.30 pm, April 30th, with 90 minutes to go before I broke my promise! Then I was straight off (with my clothes covered in mud from having laid the lawn) to the 24 hour Tesco to buy a hose Hope you have as much fun laying your lawn!