Laying Turf

ManyQuestions

Hi all,

Have just gotten my 45sq yds of lawn turf.....and its lashing rain out.

I've had it about 10 hours now, can I lay it in this weather, or have the gods played a joke on me and decided my turf should go to waste?
I know it has to be laid within a certain length of time from getting it.

Ground is/was prepared, however is now soaked COMPLETELY.
Its not waterlogged though.

Any advice welcomed.

beolight

yes you can lay it

seems like all the hard work is done

might be an idea to get a hold of some sharp sand or if you ordered from summerhill see if they can drop you off some rootzone

you will need this to help get area generally easier to work with it i.e level and to fill in depressions left in soil

get some scaffold planks and use these to walk on soil and to work off when rolling

more importantly round up some friends to get it done quicker

once you start rolling fill in depressions etc as you go

make sure to knead in joints together and push each row tight together if turf is wet this may require lifting and replacing a 2 person job as turf will break

good thing is you wont have to water it in

also dont forget to sprinkle some fertiliser on prepared ground before laying turf

if weather too bad good news is the turf will keep for 2/3 days if watered and not allowed to dry out

try and get bulk of it done tomorrow if you have helpers on hand and you can tidy about on monday when weather might be drier

best of luck

take some pictures

Sonnenblumen

Good tips there. Best to stagger the joints so for example, start every second row with a half roll so that the joints are staggered. Also use a straight edge board 3"x1.5" or 4" x 2" to tap every second row to ensure good alignment.

Plan your work flow, so as to avoid any unnecessary foot traffic on newly laid turf, so work from rear to front of garden, so when you're finish you do not have to walk on new turf to collect offcuts etc.

beolight

good points sonnenblumen i think that covers about everything

try to avoid using tiny offcuts

if you have gaps between joints fill with topsoil dressing and some grass seed should all knit together before first cut

try to avoid any walking on newly laid turf for a few weeks if possible

for first cut set lawnmower at highest setting