Easy To Follow Turf Laying Guide
Once the soil has been prepared and the landscaping turf is ordered, it is time to start laying it! There are a couple of handy tricks to avoid gaps and prevent too much compaction of the newly prepared soil. Lets get to it!
Equipment list: Rake, Knife (old kitchen knife or Stanley knife), Wooden Boards and two Canes with String to help mark out straight lines if needed.
For the best results, make sure that turf is ordered to arrive on the day of laying or the day before, so that the roll is fresh. If kept for longer, the rolls will start to dry out and turn yellow from the lack of light.
Turf can be laid throughout the year, the exceptions include when the ground is frozen solid, excessively muddy or in a baking hot summer. If you choose to lay in the summer, make sure you water it regularly otherwise it will dry up (see step 5).
Avoid walking on the newly laid turf until it is very well rooted. This usually takes up to 2-3 weeks.
Ordering turf from us couldn’t be easier, just follow the steps below if you haven’t done so already!
Our ‘How to measure your garden’ guide will help you work out how much turf you will need for your project!
You choose when you want the turf and we cut it fresh to deliver or pick up.
Place an order by filling out your
We will get back to you as soon as possible with our quote and any professional recommendations.
Once you confirm the order, our team will get to work.
And we reiterate, if you are unsure of anything or have a question or two, just get in touch on 01206 252 044, we are here to help!
At this stage, the ground should be prepared ready to go, with the adequate amount of turf rolls next to you!
Use wooden boards to prevent compacting the prepared soil and tearing up the new turf with your shoes. The boards give a surface to stand on whilst distributing the weight more evenly, enabling movement over the turf and soil.
Move the boards side to side, forwards and backwards to move around, using them as kneeling boards when laying.
Off-cuts might be perfect for laying random shapes, play around with them!
If possible, start on a straight edge and work inward (use the board’s straight edge as a guide if you don’t have a straight edge).
Unroll the turf along this edge, turning the curled ends downwards.
Use the flat of the rake (or your hand) and tamp down the turf. This settles the turf down onto the prepared soil below.
Knit the sides of the rolls tightly together, firming them in, leaving no gaps.
Staggering the joints helps produce an even coverage (A).
Refer to step 3 if you are working with curves, obstacles or laying next to a hedge.
Overlay any edges or curves that don’t quite fit, we will come back too them at the end (step 4).
Move your way up the work-space methodically, take your time knitting those joints together and patting the grass down as you go.
Congratulations on laying all the turf, now move onto step 4!
There may be some odd shapes, curves or objects bordering or in the middle of area that is to be turfed, here is how we would tackle them:
Laying around obstacles (B) – Use a knife to tailor the turf to suit the obstacle. The pond in the demonstration has a straight turf boarder (use the edge of our wooden board) and a curved upper side (free hand the cut or use template). If the obstacle is a tree then leave a gap between the stump and the turf; the tree will compete against the turf for moisture making it hard to keep the turf alive.
Overlapping and Curves (C) – Overlapping edges will happen because of the staggered nature of laying turf. This isn’t a bad thing (explained in step 4). Curves will inevitably lead to overlapping material which will be removed at the end.
Laying next to hedges (D) – Leave a little gap between the turf and the hedge. The hedge naturally casts heavy shade and drys the area. Use 2 canes and string to create a marker line symbolising the buffer zone between the turf and hedge. Butt the turf edges with compost, this prevents the grass drying as the compost retains needed moisture and acts as a barrier.
We promote overlapping the edges with a little bit of excess turf throughout the whole laying process. Why? Well, once its all laid out, one long cut can be made along the edging, resulting in a firm, uniform line which breaks the edging and new lawn up nicely.
Edging a straight line – Use a knife and a wooden board as a template to cut against, slicing along the edging. The board should help you keep a straight edge! Use a couple of canes and a piece of string to mark out the straight line if needs be. Try and utilise the off-cuts in the laying pattern if possible to prevent waste.
Edging on a curve – This a little more tricky as it comes down to free hand cutting or using a template if you have one. Alternatively, mark the ground with coloured spray as cutting guidance.
Newly laid turf should be watered thoroughly to make sure the water soaks right the way through as the soil needs to be moist enough for the new roots to grow into.
Do this every other day between March and October.
In hot weather you need to properly soak the grass, a light sprinkle will just evaporate during the day so invest in a sprinkler or water thoroughly of an evening time!
If any gaps form or signs of browning or turf lifting then water needs to be applied to the affected area immediately.
Do not rush to get the lawn mower out, it will take at least 2- 3 weeks before successful root establishment. To check whether or not the roots have established enough to administer the first cut, try lifting the turf away from the soil. If it comes away with no resistance, then more time is required for the roots to take hold. If however, there is resistance when lifting, this means the roots have successfully established and it is time for the first cut.
The first cut should be very shallow (set blade to the highest setting), taking off less than 1/3 of the length to prevent over-stressing the grass.
As time progresses the blade height can be lowered, but this has to be a gradual process!
Try to remove the cuttings to prevent the blocking of light.
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