laying turf...advice needed!

leos-mummy

Think Im posting in the right place... I plan to lay lawn turf in my garden in the next week or so... the soil isnt great, was just covered in gravel untill we removed it. Ground is very hard and compacted and would be rocks and stones through it aswell.

My plan is to rotovate the ground and get some topsoil delivered? Does this sound right. The lawn turf will be around the £150 mark and I dont want to lay it then it dies. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. The garden wont be used for anything fancy just for DS to run and play about in

Many thanks

molerat

Maybe a few bags of compost mixed into the topsoil as well. Just rake it over, remove any stones and compact down by walking over it, repeat until you get a nice fine top layer.

leos-mummy

neveer thought about the compost... thats a good idea. How thick a layer of good soil do u reckon i would need? just worried about the turf not taking properly and it dying on me

tanith

Usually the reason turf dies is lack of water so keep watering before and after its laid.. your plan sounds ok to me...

Mojisola

molerat wrote: »

Maybe a few bags of compost mixed into the topsoil as well. Just rake it over, remove any stones and compact down by walking over it, repeat until you get a nice fine top layer.

As you're planning to rotovate it, I would emphasise the firming bit. There's a funny walk recommended before turfing - put all your weight onto your heels and take very small steps so that every bit of the soil gets firmed down. If you don't get the area levelled and carefully firmed, the lawn will settle unevenly and spoil the look of your new turf.

This - https://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/lawns_layingturf1.shtml - is a good basic guide.

leos-mummy

Thanks everyone...also there is some concrete along the edges of the garden, run off from the slabs im guessing... Im assuming just to take the turf as far as the soil allows

Barneysmom

You need some sharp sand mixed in your compost.
Get a good 5 inches of good soil before you lay your turf.

Barneysmom

leos-mummy wrote: »

Thanks everyone...also there is some concrete along the edges of the garden, run off from the slabs im guessing... Im assuming just to take the turf as far as the soil allows

Yes, you can't grow grass on concrete. It does look good for about a week but.......

Mojisola

leos-mummy wrote: »

Thanks everyone...also there is some concrete along the edges of the garden, run off from the slabs im guessing... Im assuming just to take the turf as far as the soil allows

Get the level of the grass just above the level of the concrete so that you can mow right to the edge of the lawn. It's really annoying if you keep bumping into the edge of the concrete while mowing and usually means that you have to cut the edges by hand.

leos-mummy

Yeah I heard about the sand but dont know the reason behind it?

suisidevw

Drainage....... Good luck, we did our last year, as said, dig up, turn over, add in top soil, throw over some sharp sand. tread down after raking.

Lay the turf so the joints don't butt up against each other, push them up nice and close ready to bind and need/walk along a scaffolding board etc while doing it!