Advice on laying turf

rubble2

Hello, we had our garden landscaped when we moved here about 5 years ago. Part of the process involved raising the level of the lawn area and laying new turf - this all went well.

In subsequent years we have noticed an area (small 'L' shape) where the grass always turns brown in periods of low rainfall.We believe that this L shape represents the outline of what used to the foundations for a conservatory/decking area and assume that there was insufficent top soil laid over this area (probably rubble, concrete etc.) to allow the grass to thrive.

I want to dig out the dead grass area in order to relay some new turf and wondered if anyone could advise what depth I should dig down to in order to fill the trench with top soil such that the new turf will not suffer the same problem going forward?

Thanks

Eldi_Dos

Check a area of lawn where you are happy with the grass growth, dig down there to see the depth of soil an then use that as a guide to how much soil will be needed in the problem area.

Could do more than one pilot hole to get better idea of average soil depth.

Farway

I thought it was due to soil disturbance & not depth of soil, but being uncertain I asked AI, who can lie, here's' aprt of the answer

But what if the remains are several feet down?

This surprises many people, but plants don't need their roots to reach the archaeology.

Even if a Roman road is 1–2 m below the surface, it can still influence:

• how much soil exists above it,
• how rainwater drains,
• how capillary water moves upward,
• soil temperature,
• and the amount of moisture stored in the root zone.

Grass roots are typically only about 10–30 cm deep, but they depend on moisture stored in the entire soil profile above and around them. A buried feature can therefore alter the water available to those shallow roots without ever being touched by them.

Seems it's not as simple as soil depth

bazdvd

why not just water it when the rainfall is not enough. Even during a hosepipe ban you can still use a watering can.

Lorian

Don't re-turf it will likely just go brown again. Azs above water it every evening and it will come back.

Nearly my whole lawn is now brown as I don't water it (meter). Upside is I won't have to mow it for some time. It will eventually come back

twopenny

If you do decide to returf you do know not to do it till mid September at the earliest?

And you will still need to water as necessary until reliable rain begins.