Any tips on laying turf. New house so soil is a bit rubbly and very dry at the mo.?

Question

Do I need topsoil?Should I mix sand with it? What is the best turf to buy?

I am in the north east of england.

Answer 1

it all depends on your location. if temp. gets over mid 90's regularly, i would wait till next season, if not you will need organic compost, sphagnum peat moss, and top soil optional. 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 original soil. you will only need sand if your original soil doesn't drain well. if you will be using the lawn a lot for pets or children, get a fescue, many places have fescue blends, like in parks. fescue blends are durable and once established, require less water. roto your soil about 8" deep, with all exept top soil. lay your top soil, then lay your sod, and water, water, water. your location may null all of this advice, check with a local nursery or get back to me with loc. hope this helps, good luck!

Answer 2

hello, are you in the uk?
I layed my turf on my own and it looked so good that everyone says it looks like carpet!
firstly,it is best to lay turf in the autumn or spring.
you need a dry day but be prepared to soak it for weeks.
I had a very rough weedy site to start with.
This has to be dug over and as many weeds and stones removed as possible.try to get the ground as level as possible. if its really rubbish like solid clay .order some topsoil first .walk over it with your feet close together to get it level.rake the top to remove fine stones.measure the area and order the turf..
the company i ordered from were called castleton turf in cardiff.the quality was brilliant and it was very cheap.however,it came on a lorry which i unloaded on my own.its heavy stuff!!70 square metres once it was off the lorry i then had to carry it to the are to be turfed!!if you can get somone to help you!!
you should lay it along the longest straight edge. you kind of overlap it slightly not place it edge to edge.any slight gaps i filled with fine soil.you push the edges together with both hands.
you must tamp dawn the piece of turf you laid with the flat end of the rake.this makes sure there are no air gaps.and you need a plank to walk on.you must stagger the joins too. so start with a long length and the on next to it you need to cut a couple of feet shorter and so on.use an old knife.
dont walk on the turf for a couple of weeks..if you need to cut around something use an old saw or kitchen knife.
you dont need sand it would dry the soil even more. ask the advice of the turf people but explain what your soil i like thoroughly.oh yes,
then water ,water and water..
Hope this explains it all.. good luck ..it s an amazing difference in one day,once the soil is prepped, and all the hard work is very rewarding!

Answer 3

you do need help

typical new house all rubble left in garden and thin layer of soil over
for a good lawn remove all the rubble and dig over mix in a good amount of compost and sand
a 2-3 inch layer of topsoil as well then rake flat you can then either buy turf and lay on top or sow seed that's up to you ( I prefer seed in the Autumn) water well with seed water once with turf you have to keep it damp to get it to grow properly
cut when 2-3 inches long and keep your mower on the highest setting it has for a year then lower it a notch a year
feed and water as required you should get a nice lawn
more info at the web site below

Answer 4

Castleton Turf

Answer 5

Buy the best you can afford. But you do need to prepare the ground first, you can't just lay it on top of rubble.
You have to rake etc. and the soil needs to be kept moist. You shouldn't cut new turf for a month either. The roots need to be able to grow down into the host site.
Perhaps wait a while...........

Answer 6

YES BUY TOP SOIL!!! It will keep the ground moist longer than clay. I ve seen many people make the mistake of not putting topsoil down and then there yard gets fried. Yes you could use sand to mic with it, the grass I have is Mahatan Rye mixed with kentucky blue grass.

Answer 7

I don't like turf (prefer seed), but several of my neighbors have installed turf this spring and summer. Based on my observations, the ones who water many times a day, every day, are doing best. (And this is not the best soil -- sandy and rocky.)

If it were up to me, I would put down a bit of top soil, use tall fescue seed (highest quality available), and water 4-5 times per day for several weeks.

Answer 8

Leave it till the autumn when the weather is wetter and cooler in the meantime you can start by clearing the bits of rubble and larger stones and start levelling the ground - if it's a largish area you won't break yourback in the process if you do a little at a time.

Answer 9

Best tip..... Green side up !!! Seriously though.. loads and loads of water, it should be "Sodden" for 2 weeks at least

Answer 10

i will do it for a price!!! I done my back garden and it looks good, i can also do patio!!!