Global Gardening

If you have bought some rolled up turf to make a new lawn out of, you will need to lay it as soon as possible after purchase. However, doing so might not be as easy as it sounds. Laying a new lawn requires a bit of hard work and preparation if you want to do it properly, and it is absolutely worth doing this.

There are a number of steps to go through before you even purchase your grass. While most of these are simple, they all require tools and at least a bit of hard work and all set to enjoy outdoors. Use the following steps to guide you when you are getting ready to lay your own brand new lawn:

What Tools Will I Need?

There are a few different tools which will make your life much easier when it comes to laying a new lawn. The most important include:

• A rake, which you can use to level the ground and remove and rocks or other foreign objects before you lay the grass.
• A shovel, which is used to level large lumps of dirt, to remove larger rocks or roots, and to incorporate a soil wetting agent before laying grass.
• Secateurs, to cut the roll on turf to the right size.
• A wetting agent, which you can spread over and incorporate into the soil under the grass.
• A hose, for watering your new turf in.
• Fertiliser, to both lay under the grass and spread on top to encourage it to get started quickly.

Of course, you will need to source some decent rolls of grass before you can lay it, but don’t pick these up until the last minute, otherwise they may dry out and/or die.

Laying the turf:

Laying your new turf is the most difficult part. First, prepare the area by removing all existing weeds and vegetation. Level the soil and remove any rocks or pieces of wood. Remember, the level of the lawn will rise by at least a few centimeters when you lay your new turf, so it may be necessary to remove some soil to compensate for this. Spread a slow release fertiliser and incorporate a wetting agent into the soil.

When you have done this, it is time to lay the grass. Keep it in the shade and make sure that it doesn’t  dry out when you are waiting to lay it. Make sure that the area is wet before you start the laying process. Start in one corner, and slowly lay your rolls of turf so that they are fitted tightly together. Be very careful to make sure that there are no air pockets or gaps, or you might run into trouble over the next few days. You can cut the turf to fit irregular edges or if it is too big for the space you are covering, but make sure that you do it carefully.

Once you have laid your new turf, you need to water it in. This will encourage the roots to grow, and will help your new lawn get going. Make sure that you keep the area wet for a few weeks until the grass is established.

There you have it – your very own brand new lawn!