Discussion
Re-turfing
So, the back garden is pretty much a disaster grass wise – full of weeds, patchy growth, uneven surface etc etc. Lawn area is about 64 sq.m
I’ve tried weedkiller, re-seeding etc but nothing seems to work – all goes well for a week or two and then bingo dandelions galore, patchy grass etc.
So I call the local Dr. Green Lawn agent (no name, no shame) and he comes over. Takes about 10 minutes and says re-turf is easiest option. Okay I say.
I call another guy in; takes a look and says same thing! Friend who is a good gardener agrees with both of these that the easiest, quickest option is re-turf.
So is re-turfing that easy? How far should I dig down to lift off current grass and weeds etc? I’d like to level the surface before laying the turf too – I suspect I’ll need some top soil and a whacker too.
If all this is too complex then I’ll pay a man that can but if it’s relatively easy then I’m happy to dig in with a few mates.
Advice / comments welcome.
So, the back garden is pretty much a disaster grass wise – full of weeds, patchy growth, uneven surface etc etc. Lawn area is about 64 sq.m
I’ve tried weedkiller, re-seeding etc but nothing seems to work – all goes well for a week or two and then bingo dandelions galore, patchy grass etc.
So I call the local Dr. Green Lawn agent (no name, no shame) and he comes over. Takes about 10 minutes and says re-turf is easiest option. Okay I say.
I call another guy in; takes a look and says same thing! Friend who is a good gardener agrees with both of these that the easiest, quickest option is re-turf.
So is re-turfing that easy? How far should I dig down to lift off current grass and weeds etc? I’d like to level the surface before laying the turf too – I suspect I’ll need some top soil and a whacker too.
If all this is too complex then I’ll pay a man that can but if it’s relatively easy then I’m happy to dig in with a few mates.
Advice / comments welcome.
Guys who did ours wanted to take a metre out, replace it, then turf. Asked around and most said the same, half a metre to a metre.
Couldn't be bothered as they'd already done nearly 2 weeks worth of work in the garden so they just topped it off and turfed it. Looked great for the few months we had between getting it done and getting a Springer Spaniel puppy, looked like a miniature recreation of the Somme not long after.
Couldn't be bothered as they'd already done nearly 2 weeks worth of work in the garden so they just topped it off and turfed it. Looked great for the few months we had between getting it done and getting a Springer Spaniel puppy, looked like a miniature recreation of the Somme not long after.
I too have been looking into leveling, returfing my lawn. This is what i found.
Bloke on other forum said:
No its not necessary to strip as long as the client isn't in a major rush to get the work done. One method i often use is to first cut the grass down as low as you can get it then thoroughgly spray it with a general systemic herbicide such as roundup. Because the grass is so short it will die and decompose fairlky quickly (3 or 4 weeks). Once the grass has decomposed you can then rotavate and level the soil, the grass roots should have also rotted down by this point so there should be no need to remove them. This method saves you having to strip and dispose of large quantities of turf and avoids having to bring in extra top soil, the major disadvantage though is that its more difficult to get a nice fine tilth when you rotavate it, theres also the 4 weeks you have to wait before you can do it.
http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/re-turfing-must-i-stripThe above is pretty much what we had. The trouble is weeds though, little blighters can get chopped 100 ways and churned by the Rotorvator and lie dormant, then as soon as your lovely new turf takes hold it gets invaded once more. I was gutted when a daffodil decided it was time to poke through the middle of the lawn - presumably got churned through by the rotorvator.
Plus, the houses round here are 20-25 years old, and it seems normal practice back then was to sling all the rubble and crap in with the soil when the build was done, then dump a bit over the top. I'd far rather start from scratch and dig it out to replace it with decent quality soil if I didn't have the dogs, only way I could get the perfect putting green finish I'd be after if I was going to put any effort in
Plus, the houses round here are 20-25 years old, and it seems normal practice back then was to sling all the rubble and crap in with the soil when the build was done, then dump a bit over the top. I'd far rather start from scratch and dig it out to replace it with decent quality soil if I didn't have the dogs, only way I could get the perfect putting green finish I'd be after if I was going to put any effort in
It always makes me smile and shudder when people talk about turfing, it costs so much, but i guess thats what you get for instant garden or instant green, which still has to be looked after, unfortunalty many people dont bother and find them in the same place you have all over again,
get somone in to rotovate and level then seed, find somone with a mini compact tractor, (depending on access of course) you will have a better end result imo. The key to good grass is weeding and feeding, its something you have to do every year and at certain times don't cut the grass to short or you will encourgae moss etc.
Do i have a good lawn? not really i only ever use countrywide paddock grass mix 16kg for about 50 quid bargin
and it does the job i have a long way to go before i am a lawn nazi
get somone in to rotovate and level then seed, find somone with a mini compact tractor, (depending on access of course) you will have a better end result imo. The key to good grass is weeding and feeding, its something you have to do every year and at certain times don't cut the grass to short or you will encourgae moss etc.
Do i have a good lawn? not really i only ever use countrywide paddock grass mix 16kg for about 50 quid bargin
and it does the job i have a long way to go before i am a lawn nazi I've re-turfed before and it's very simple, but hard work depending on the size and quality of what you find underneath. interesting you mentioned the rubble, that can certainly affect the quality of the grass.
I went about 1/2 a metre down and took at tonnes of building waste, added Lincolshire top soil (that's all the difficult bit) and then laying the grass on top is very easy and satisfying as it looks so good straight away.
As other have said, best to wait until Sept/Oct time so that you can get a little growth before winter and get the roots to take and hopefully not have it drying out in too much heat. Water it well and you should be away
I went about 1/2 a metre down and took at tonnes of building waste, added Lincolshire top soil (that's all the difficult bit) and then laying the grass on top is very easy and satisfying as it looks so good straight away.
As other have said, best to wait until Sept/Oct time so that you can get a little growth before winter and get the roots to take and hopefully not have it drying out in too much heat. Water it well and you should be away
Thanks all, useful tips.
I already know that there is rubble under 1 corner section - previous owner had a large fishpond there and although the above ground stuff was removed, he simply turfed over the base so there's plenty of rubble not far down.
Access will be an issue for diggers etc - only got a standard door width at the rear of the garage to get equipment through so no mini diggers but a couple of hard grafting mates on a free beer and curry promise from me should resolve that issue. Local tip isn't far and i have access to a pick-up etc.
I think I'm going to have a look at sections of the turf, see what's underneath and then decide whether to lift the whole top surface, fill, level and relay or kill off existing, rotavate, level and re-turf.
There's also some patio etc to relay so this is going to be a big job but hopefully worth it. I'll keep you posted...
I already know that there is rubble under 1 corner section - previous owner had a large fishpond there and although the above ground stuff was removed, he simply turfed over the base so there's plenty of rubble not far down.
Access will be an issue for diggers etc - only got a standard door width at the rear of the garage to get equipment through so no mini diggers but a couple of hard grafting mates on a free beer and curry promise from me should resolve that issue. Local tip isn't far and i have access to a pick-up etc.
I think I'm going to have a look at sections of the turf, see what's underneath and then decide whether to lift the whole top surface, fill, level and relay or kill off existing, rotavate, level and re-turf.
There's also some patio etc to relay so this is going to be a big job but hopefully worth it. I'll keep you posted...
We've just had the same thing..
We had this lumpy weed ridden, bush infested mess
Looked at turfing but it was going to cost a bomb, there was a chap sorting out the church wall next door, he had a mini digger and for a few quid he flattened it out a bit..
We then bought some seed and fertilizer from some nice folks in Carlisle www.a1lawn.co.uk
It looked like this..
That was a month ago, it looks like this now (first cut last week).
To turf it would have been over 2k (there is a fair bit that you cannot see), including digger etc, we spent less than £300.
Unless you have a very small area or needed it instantly I'd not use turf again.
Cheers
D
We had this lumpy weed ridden, bush infested mess
Looked at turfing but it was going to cost a bomb, there was a chap sorting out the church wall next door, he had a mini digger and for a few quid he flattened it out a bit..
We then bought some seed and fertilizer from some nice folks in Carlisle www.a1lawn.co.uk
It looked like this..
That was a month ago, it looks like this now (first cut last week).
To turf it would have been over 2k (there is a fair bit that you cannot see), including digger etc, we spent less than £300.
Unless you have a very small area or needed it instantly I'd not use turf again.
Cheers
D
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff