Laying Guide
Your official turf laying guide for that great lawn |
| Laying purpose-grown cultivated turf will enable you to enjoy a fine lawn of instant beauty and maturity without the inconvenience, wastage or delays associated with seeding. To ensure that the turf you buy and lay is of the highest quality, always insist on lawn turf produced by a member of the Turfgrass Growers Association (TGA) which has a quality assurance policy. To help ensure optimum results and a quality finish to your new lawn, the TGA recommends that you follow the guidelines given within this leaflet. Please remember that turf consists of a mass of living, breathing plants. Applying appropriate care and attention to your new lawn will enable it to grow to its full potential and provide you with many years of enjoyment. |
| GROUND PREPARATION Proper ground preparation is essential for the establishment and future well-being of your new lawn. Inadequately prepared ground will never produce the best results. Existing turf should be removed by slicing beneath the grass with a spade. For larger areas, consider hiring in a purpose-designed turf cutter. Your local TGA turf supplier should be able to help. The soil needs to be turned over thoroughly to a depth of 15cm using a spade or a powered cultivator. Clear the area of stones, weeds, old turf and other debris. |
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RAKING The ground should be raked to produce a smooth, level surface. Lightly roll or tread the surface by foot to reveal any soft patches which can then be raked level. This process should continue until the whole area is evenly firm and level. The surface should be firm but not compacted. You are now ready to lay turf. |
| ORDERING Measure the proposed lawn area accurately in square metres or square yards. Turf is supplied in compact rolls for easy handling and laying. As turf is generally harvested to order, it is recommended that you give your TGA turf supplier as much notice as possible of the required delivery date. Provide your supplier with the area of turf required, the delivery address, contact name, telephone number and required delivery date. Turf must be laid as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours of delivery. In hot weather, keep delivered turf in the shade. It is advisable to prepare the ground in advance of the turf arriving to avoid hold-ups due to bad weather. |
| LAYING THE TURF Never walk directly on the prepared soil or newly-laid turf. Use boards or planks to work from and walk on. Start by unrolling one strip of turf around the perimeter of the lawn. Avoid using small pieces at the edges as these can dry out and perish. Ensure that the underside of the new turf has full contact with the soil below. Lay the next strip across the longest straight run and continue to work across the lawn, strip by strip, producing a pattern similar to brickwork. Butt adjoining edges and ends against each other, but avoid stretching the turf. Overlapping pieces and ends of rows should be cut off neatly with a sharp knife or halfmoon lawn edger. |
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WATERING Between March and October, newly-laid turf should be watered thoroughly within half an hour of installation. This watering should be repeated at least once a day until the roots are established. As a guide, at least two hours per day of constant watering is essential across the complete lawn area. The hotter, drier and windier the weather, the more water will be needed. Water immediately and profusely on any sign of the turf drying out eg gaps, lifting, browning or curling. |
| FEEDING As a rule of thumb, a balanced fertiliser containing similar levels of Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P) and Potash (K) should be applied every four to six weeks during the growing season. Always follow the manufacturers recommendations with regard to the quantity, timing and method of applications. A policy of "little but often" will help maintain your lawn in peak condition. |
| MOWING Resist the temptation to make the initial cut until your new lawn has rooted. This can be checked easily by lifting a corner to see if the roots are attached to the soil below. For the first mowings, set the lawn mower to its highest setting to avoid stressing the grass. Mow regularly, each time removing no more than one-third of the grass height. When the lawn is fully established, the height of cut can be reduced gradually to an optimum height of between 15mm and 35mm. Take care to avoid scalping. TURF LAYING DEMONSTRATION VIDEO We have prepared a video that demonstrates how to lay turf that can be downloaded for free by clicking here. |
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Only a TGA member can provide you with a certificate of turf characteristics which details the purity, quality and physical attributes of the turf you will be receiving.
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| All TGA members have to adhere to a professional code of conduct which ensures that you, the customer, receive high quality turf and a first-class service. Every TGA member is a producer of quality cultivated turf. Please beware - there is a lot of poor quality turf being sold by others. If you are ever in doubt about the turf you are buying, ask to see a sample before placing the order. |
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