Lawn/Turf on sand.... How to make sure it works!

siliconbits

Hi everyone

I have a patch of sand on which I want to get fresh lawn. What is the best way to prepare that area for fresh rolled grass? Would I need to remove the sand until I hit soil (or whatever's underneath? )Would it be better to remove the sand AND put good top soil in place? Is there a third alternative? Thanks for letting me know.

siliconbits

Just a quick bump on that. Should I move it elsewhere?

Ebe_Scrooge

What sort of sand is it, and how deep is the sand ?


If it's "clean" sand ( i.e. not contaminated with oil or pesticides or something ), and it's fairly shallow, I'd be tempted to dig over the whole area, incorporating the sand with the soil beneath. This will give you a nice free-draining soil, which should be ideal for grass, and will prevent any water-logging in the future. The main thing when laying any lawn is to spend the time in preparation. Make sure the site is perfectly level and flat - if you end up with lumps or hollows once the grass is laid it's a lot more work to sort them out. Level the whole area, rake it smooth, compact it lightly so that it's all an even density, then you should be good to go.


However, if the sand and underlying soil are pretty rubbish, then you're probably better off removing it and replacing it with a decent layer of good topsoil.


Either way, check what the drainage is like beforehand. It's much easier to deal with poor drainage at this stage, rather than trying to sort it out once the lawn is established.


Hope this helps.