So, our kids really don't run around on it. It will be trying to root down while the old lawn is trying to push through. Lawn Turf. Laying new turf on old grass is only a quick fix, stop gap, band aid solution. For best results, use a lawn rotary hoe or dig the area evenly to a depth of 100mm to 150mm. Trying to avoid £65 plus bulk bags of soil and have a very cheap source of quality fine compost. I have a large lawn to lay and with all the wet weather finding good value graded soil has become rather hard. Water the completed lawn surface thoroughly and repeat watering at regular intervals to keep the turf moist at all times, until rooted. Deep roots mean they can soak up more nutrients so the lawn can thrive. Artificial turf is a good choice for all hard surfaces, as it requires little maintenance. Sow grass seed thickly over bare patches in an old lawn. If it's poor drainage, an uneven surface or the lawn has become compacted, it's best to sort these problems out first. This will be an … However, this does not mean that it is a good idea or that you … Step 2: Soil Preparation. You can just see the awful old council slab patio in the foreground. Your turf supplier will probably have a starter fertiliser recommendation. During summer, a new lawn can establish in two to three weeks, which is half the average establishment time of six weeks. Water it well and keep watering every few days so it establishes well. Thankfully, you can lay artificial grass on slabs. The only way that fresh turf will stay as green and healthy as when it’s delivered is if you lay it almost immediately onto a smooth, flat, firm surface where drainage is good. Choose a seed suitable for the site, then sow half the bag from north to south and the other half from east to west. The perfect time to lay a new lawn from scratch is early autumn, when the grass can root easily. Turf laid in spring often needs watering in dry spells over summer. The finished grade (after amendments and new grass) should end up matching the level of existing the fixtures (walkways, patios, and the established lawn). Ensure that an application of Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Lawn Food has been worked into the top soil to improve the soil quality. This can cause large areas of dead, dried turf. The recent floods or past drought, maybe it has worn out, has humps and hollows, is weedy or just plain awful. I live in Arizona, Phoenix area, & we did it. If you are thinking of re-turfing your lawn, there must be a pretty good reason behind it. It is possible to lay artificial turf over concrete. If you already have a lawn though! Real turf isn’t suitable for use over concrete, as the base can’t provide good depth and drainage to the grass. How Should I Prepare Soil For Turfing? On cooler days, the entire area can be laid before watering. When to lay turf. The process of laying artificial grass on slabs is much simpler and more straightforward than doing so in an area of your garden where there was once a lawn. Turf can dry out quickly after it has been cut at the farm, particularly in hot weather. The best time to lay turf is during spring or autumn, when rain will help the new grass establish roots in time for summer sun or winter frosts. The old grass was a bit uneven too. No digger access so everything has been done with a spade! Having turf laid is expensive, and it's worth having it done right. Lay your first piece of turf, making sure you butt it up nice and firm against the corners – it’s important not to kneel on the turf or stretch it. As the saying goes “If a job is worth doing it’s worth doing well!”. The ground has already had some grade b soil I would say added to it so need to get something of good quality on top of it. Do Not Lay Sod Over Old Turf. So as not to have lines, lay your turf … A pre-planting lawn starter fertiliser should then be applied above the soil and below the turf when you lay it. Eliminate drainage problems for your instant turf in … Stagger the joints in a brickwork fashion to avoid erosion and butt the turf closely together to avoid gaps – this is where your turf can dry out and cause a patchy lawn. The surface of the old lawn has a lot of organic matter, and likely will not match the soil profile of the sod being installed. The old grass can be lifted stacked in a corner for a couple of years and you will have a wonderful potting media. This can be frustrating, especially if you enjoy a luscious backyard. With a little elbow grease, you can make your lawn look brand new. Lay grass to create an instant lawn or revive a tired one. Turf is pre-grown grass seed that's been cut from the ground with a slice of top soil. Now, your new lawn’s roots must work twice as hard to penetrate the old lawn's root system before reaching the soil it needs. Topdressing the lawn with topsoil, however, is a good way to smooth bumpy areas and level low spots that collect water. Before your turf goes down, site and soil preparation needs to be complete. Laying new sod over old grass cuts off sunlight and air to that layer. When planning how to lay instant turf on your property, proper soil preparation is essential. good maintenance may well do just a good a job as new turf, which will only be as good as the the old one next year if you dont look after it? One of the main reasons is that if you put new sod on top of old vegetation, the new sod’s root system will never actually make contact with the soil. Don’t make the mistake of ordering it first. Again, when you lay sod over old turf, you’re just covering the problem temporarily. End result is it looks amazing. The results will most likely be … The warmer the weather, the quicker your lawn’s new roots will establish BUT, make sure you have plenty of water. You do need to take out the old turf before you put in new sod. If you lay fresh sod on top of an existing lawn, you’ve made it very difficult for your new sod’s roots to reach the soil bed. Don’t be put off laying a new lawn in the hot summer months. Preparation. There's a reason you are laying a new lawn. The simple answer to this question is yes, you can lay turf onto your old worn out lawn. Place your rolls or slabs of turf around the perimeter of the area and lay between the perimeter. However, we strongly recommend you don’t do it as there are many better ways to prepare and lay turf. Should I lay lawn in summer? You can buy lawn turf by the roll, already growing and rooted into a thin layer of soil, and laying turf is easier than you’d think. Neat edges are crucial for an attractive lawn. In spring and autumn little mowing is needed so newly-laid turf can be left relatively undisturbed for several weeks. Follow our advice to help you lay turf and cultivate a pristine lawn. They were laid on soil and clinker of course, which all came out, and had shifted all over the place and was a right mess. Sometimes, conditions like drought can cause the grass in your lawn to stop growing. 5. Lay each piece hard up against the last to avoid air pockets and any drying out. Your present lawn and clay soil will have become compacted over the years and drainage will not be at it's best. Be sure to take care that the water is saturating the soil beneath the turf. It is a good time to put down a lawn although my side lawn was put down in December and is now nearly eight years old, so apart from a very hard winter it can work. On hot days, lay the turf in sections and water well to prevent drying. Laying a new lawn with turf. The decision of when to lay new turf can have an effect on how easy it is to care for your new lawn in its first weeks – especially in the event of a drought, heat wave or hose pipe ban. Almost like an outdoor, grassy carpet, it can be laid to fix patchy areas in an existing lawn or to create a new lawn completely from scratch. Although turf can be laid at any time of the year the best seasons are definitely spring and autumn as these seasons generally avoid problems of ice and flooding. Plus, while seed-sown lawns need very light use for several months after sowing, lawns made by laying turf can be used after just a few weeks, making them … Because you need to lay turf as quickly as possible, it should be the very last thing you order. If you are laying your turf on a slope, start at the bottom. You can dig up your turf and put the upside down turfs in some other area of the garden then prepare the soil on the old lawn area before laying new turf. I would say laying turf over an existing live lawn, with less than 6" of topsoil on top, is a bad idea. This is extremely important to ensure the roots of your turf have great soil so they can establish themselves properly. Prepare the ground by removing weeds and raking it level, then lay the turf so it overlaps slightly. What you need to know about laying artificial grass on slabs. Grass roots only grow to four or five inches deep and with the method you want to use they will not grow into the old lawn, creating a table top situation with one lawn sitting on the other and a situation where it could flood. To start, ready the soil by removing weeds and evening out the ground. Laying a new lawn is hard work and more expensive than sowing seed, but it gives an instant, lush looking lawn as soon as you've finished. Turf is best laid in mid-autumn, but can be laid any time between mid-autumn and late winter whenever the soil is not too wet or frosty. The time between preparing the ground and laying new turf can be several weeks. How to lay turf. Well if you are going to keep your lawn to the same standard as most people do, i would chuk down the turf on top make sure its been feed with a good slow release feed tho, you could topdress with a little soil just to level it, if you do that every 2-3 years you will build up the loam and you might get away without feeding ever! Turf is typically around 25mm thick, and should sit a … Do we have to dig up old lawn before rotivating to lay new seed or can we just rotivate in ? 6. Lay your turf rolls This is the fun bit! First off, it's a purely cosmetic area in our front. The first part of the answer is that, yes, it is possible to lay synthetic turf directly over your existing lawn. Unfortunately, the answer is exactly the one you were probably hoping it wouldn’t be. Without sunlight and air, that layer can turn slimy. 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