Do you want to lay turf like a professional? These are the tips of a professional landscaper who lay turf for a living. Quality Garden Supplies Ltd. is a family-owned business which provides top-quality landscaping and garden supplies to the public and the trade. We offer fast all-over the country delivery of small quantities to large-scale orders.
Dig deep
The grass must be rooted deep in the soil to ensure a strong and sustainable lawn. The grass must be able draw water and nutrients all its life. This should be possible for a long time. Your new lawn will thrive when you cultivate it deeper.
Turfing requires a minimum of 15cm soil depth. If possible, I prefer to aim for 30cm.
Enhance the soil
The soil underneath a lawn will determine how good it is. There is not much you can do about the soil beneath a lawn, unlike flower borders or veg gardens. Start by doing the right thing.
It can be difficult for a non-horticulturist to determine what you should do to make your soil grass-friendly. It is possible to find topsoil of high quality and mix it with your garden soil.
First, dig or rotovate soil from your garden. Next, add imported soil to it. Finally, mix the two together by digging or rotovating again.
Do not order turf until it is ready to be laid.
Time is the greatest threat to turf quality. The more time it is left to deteriorate between harvesting and laying, then the greater the risk. Particularly in hot weather. It’s been a long time since I haven’t kept track of how many times it took me to prepare the ground for turfing. After all the years of turfing, you would think that I would be more proficient. Mother Nature is able to add extra challenges. Bad weather, poor backs, bad weather, people talking, stopping, and the list goes on.
It is better to prepare the ground first and then order the turf. It is possible to have it delivered in 2 working days, so there won’t be any delays.
Do not buy more than you can afford to lay in one day. Split the delivery if necessary
This is the same topic again: shelf life. Turf will not sit on a pallet for more than two days without looking good. It is difficult to predict how fast you will be able lay turf. This is what I do for a living. They know the technique, have the professional equipment, and have all the right muscles in the right places. I don’t want them seeing this and getting all big-headed.
For someone new to the art of turfing, 100 rolls per day is probably sufficient. Your lawn should be 300 square metres. It could be either.
Get turf delivered in 3 days
You can save delivery costs by ordering all 300 meters at once. There is plenty of help available on-site to complete the job in a day.
A professional landscaper should be able to work quickly and at a high standard.
Use sunscreen and gloves
Turfing can be very hard on the skin. Your hands will be sore from handling the wet, gritty soil for hours. Wear gloves – I do and so do my colleagues.
Sunscreen is also important, especially if it gets warm while you are working and you start to remove layers of clothing. Sunburns can be very severe.
Keep hydrated
It’s easy for you to lose sight of your health and wellbeing when you’re so focused on the job. Before you start to turf, fill some water bottles and keep them handy.
Do not rush, but do not hang around.
Keep your pace. To conserve energy, you must work steadily. When I am turfing alone, my first task is to make small stacks with 6 turves. This ensures that the rolls are exactly where I need them. A smaller stack of turf is less likely to heat than a whole pallet.
Asking my team for tips on turf laying, they would tell me it is important to have a rhythm. You’ll be amazed at the amount of ground you can cover once you have your stacks set up.
Laying boards are a good idea
Laying boards is a simple task for me. After spending hours levelling and raking the soil, the last thing that I want to do is remove the tracks with my wheelbarrow and make it level again.
The roots will be able to contact the soil beneath the turf if you have laid boards. They’re excellent.
Watering is essential.
You’ve hopefully kept your body hydrated. If you want your turf to survive, you will need to water it. Normal circumstances will see a grass plant have about a metre of roots to support its growth. Most of these roots are cut off during the turf harvesting process. Your job is to ensure that the roots are sufficiently watered to sustain the plant AND to grow again.