re-turfing a lawn

[Frane Selak]

I'm at the stage now where the only thing left in the garden is to get the grass back again, all the building work is done and I've just about finished the patio. there was grass there before but its had a couple of years of anything and everything being dumped on it so it isn't really grass anymore.

I've had a go today at digging it out but its really hard going, I've sliced the top layer off with a spade and tried turning the soil over but there are that many roots just below the surface its practically impossible by hand. How far do you have to go before you can lay new turf down, I've got loads of decent top soil left from when I dug out for the patio, I was thinking dig it out the best I can, rotavate it and then spread a layer of top soil over it then turf it.

[sherman]

Sand is what you want to dig in to aid drainage.
Your as well to seed it rather than spend money on turf as neither will properly take hold until next year now.

[Actual]

For all your effort so far and with good top soil you could just as easily use grass seed.

I previously seeded a lawn in September and it was looking good in a few weeks.

[Frane Selak]

I did think about seed but don't you have to get the soil absolutely flat, a field near me has recently been dug over and flattened by a big machine and then re-seeded but its like walking on the surface of the moon at the moment.

I doubt I'd actually lay the turf until next year now anyway, there is still a lot to dig over yet, and I have to get rid of a mountain of top soil as well before I can finish it all.

[Frane Selak]

This is what I've done so far, took an hour or so.



I've still got to sort this out.

[J6542]

It seams a shame to turf it. It looks like the perfect spot for a trampoline

[POIDH]

Get a fork instead of the spade. Hire a rotorvator if needed. Get the roots cut/out if it's anything more than grass. Order in a ton of manure/compost and dig that in, maybe with a ton of sand too.
Order a grass seed with much longer roots - look up climate resilient grass seed.
Or / and consider a green manure over winter, maybe even a clover lawn and let nature break up the dirt.

[TT86]

Id be tempted to seed it. It's not too late if you do it now.

I rotivated my garden last week as this section hadn't been a lawn previously and was very compacted. Raked it and added top soil before seeding. Covered in a fleece and I have grass shoots already.

Did my in-laws today for them. They were renovating an existing lawn so they scarified first then we added to bulk bags of soil. Levelled that with a rake and then fine tuned with dragging a pallet across it.

url]|https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/647438/202509276753873[/url]


Granular new lawn fertiliser added and seeded

Again have used a fleece which is great for stopping the birds pinching it whilst keeping the soil temp a little higher.





I would be tempted to try and aerate with a fork and add some top soil before seeding. Can always top it up in the spring. The fleece is brilliant. The amount pictured was less than £30 from elixir garden products.

Edited by TT86 on Saturday 27th September 19:33

[Mr Squarekins]

+1 on using fleece. Works wonders and it's lovely to see the fleece rise over the weeks as the lawn grows beneath.

Yes, it's like watching grass grow

[Frane Selak]

right, this is where I'm up to at the moment,



I've dug out all the turf, rotavated the soil the best I could and then added top soil to bring it level with the patio. Is this good enough for seeding like this?

I've still got the other half of the garden to go though, so doubt I'll be able to do any seeding or turf until next year now, finding time is the hardest bit of the job.



I have made good inroads into the soil mountain though. I will do a couple of raised planters out of oak or something to use more of it up.

[Actual]

To me that area looks grade 1 for seeding.

Don't leave it any later through October but If you can get seed down this weekend you will have a lawn in a few weeks.

[Simpo Two]

Looking good!

Why going for seed not turf?

[Frane Selak]

Basically people on here are telling me to seed it, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to gardening. What I want to do is use up as much of that soil as I can, you wouldn't believe the amount of soil and stone etc I've barrowed in and out of the garden in the last 2 or 3 years doing this and the extension. Whatever is left will have to be wheel-barrowed to the front where it can be picked up with a grab so the more of it I can spread around the garden the better.

I would imagine that the soil level would need to be lower if I was using turf so I'm all for seed if that's the consensus. I like those flees's especially for £30 or so.

[Simpo Two]

True that turf is at least 1" thick. It's instant but must be kept well watered until the roots establish. Seeding will be more delicate for longer but by next spring if you keep an eye on it and water if needed, it should look good.

Congrats to you for all the graft you've put in; it will pay off.

The most important thing next, apart from watering, is mowing and how much to take off each time - but grass doesn't grow below a certain temperature so just see how it goes. If you keep going this well you'll have a bowling green

[Frane Selak]

Cheers, its been hard, but its also been something to do, I much prefer doing stuff like this than sat in a pub somewhere. Trouble is, what am I gong to do when its all finished, might have to sell up and start again if the boredom sets in, I reckon I've got one more renovation in me.

[Simpo Two]

Frane Selak said:

Cheers, its been hard, but its also been something to do, I much prefer doing stuff like this than sat in a pub somewhere. Trouble is, what am I gong to do when its all finished, might have to sell up and start again if the boredom sets in, I reckon I've got one more renovation in me.

Gardening isn't like decorating a room, the bloody thing grows and will need maintenance, nature never stops. Most people these days say they're 'too busy' (or just lazy) and concrete it over; such a shame. Where you are now is only the beginning - next year you might be growing veg, building a rockery, a water feature, raspberries, espalier fruit trees...

[Simon_GH]

I used seed on ours in a similar position. Perfect solution. Cheap and I took our landscapers advice: don’t water just leave it. Verdant lawn in a few weeks.