Turf - When can I lay it?
Discussion
I wouldn't worry too much about frost. Get it down now if you can and it will be fine. There's plenty of moisture in the ground for the roots to get hold of and a get a good start to the growing season. Leaving it until later can increase the chance of a dry spell causing problems.
I'm a Head Greenkeeper at a golf club and we turf all winter long with no problems. Some turf we laid just after Christmas with all the snow and frosts around has rooted really well now and looking good.
I'm a Head Greenkeeper at a golf club and we turf all winter long with no problems. Some turf we laid just after Christmas with all the snow and frosts around has rooted really well now and looking good.
Monkey Nuts said:
I wouldn't worry too much about frost. Get it down now if you can and it will be fine. There's plenty of moisture in the ground for the roots to get hold of and a get a good start to the growing season. Leaving it until later can increase the chance of a dry spell causing problems.
I'm a Head Greenkeeper at a golf club and we turf all winter long with no problems. Some turf we laid just after Christmas with all the snow and frosts around has rooted really well now and looking good.
Totally agree with Monkey on this as a head gardener. Spring will start to happen very soon so if the ground is ready get it down.I'm a Head Greenkeeper at a golf club and we turf all winter long with no problems. Some turf we laid just after Christmas with all the snow and frosts around has rooted really well now and looking good.
BliarOut said:
What about seed? My lawn will be in need of thickening up once I've dealt with the moss 
Aah, seed is slightly trickier! You need a little more warmth in the soil to trigger germination. At the moment we're getting sharp frosts overnight which would slow the seed down a little. Having said that I threw a bit of seed down in a few bare areas last week! Some may germinate in the next couple of weeks to get you started with a little ground cover, but expect to have to stick a bit more down in April when things warm up a bit. The key to successful seeding is to make sure you have enough moisture for the roots once it germinates. Once (or if) we get a few dry, warm spring days keep it well watered.
Monkey Nuts said:
BliarOut said:
What about seed? My lawn will be in need of thickening up once I've dealt with the moss
Aah, seed is slightly trickier! You need a little more warmth in the soil to trigger germination. At the moment we're getting sharp frosts overnight which would slow the seed down a little. Having said that I threw a bit of seed down in a few bare areas last week! Some may germinate in the next couple of weeks to get you started with a little ground cover, but expect to have to stick a bit more down in April when things warm up a bit. The key to successful seeding is to make sure you have enough moisture for the roots once it germinates. Once (or if) we get a few dry, warm spring days keep it well watered.
Thanks for the advice, I'll wait a few weeks before I put any down then.hornetrider said:
Minor hijack. We have an area in need of seed/turf of around 4x10m. It is largely level but a bit bumpy - how do I get it dead level to accept seed or turf?
And are there any pros/cons to seed v turf we need to consider regarding quality? How long would seed take to produce a lawn?
If it's not too far away from level you may well get away with adding some decent screened topsoil into the low areas, treading it in, and levelling with a rake. You could also try dragging something like an aluminium ladder across the area with ropes on each end to get a good level (Does that make sense?)And are there any pros/cons to seed v turf we need to consider regarding quality? How long would seed take to produce a lawn?
Turf v seed is a fairly simple equation. Turf pretty much guarantees a good finish (if looked after), and is quicker but costs more. Seed is cheaper, but slower and trickier to get a perfect finish. You could get a good lawn from turf in a couple of months, but seed may take 4-6 months or longer. It all depends on soil, weather etc etc, but that's a rough guide.
As a guide I pay just under £2 per square metre for a good quality 'lawn' type turf. Don't head off the local garden centre and pay £5 per metre for their shabby stuff!
Monkey Nuts said:
Having said that I threw a bit of seed down in a few bare areas last week!
Mate, you feed us lines like that?On a serious note - have a similar issue. Front and side garden remain bare following an extension build last October. I managed to turn the soil over a couple of times but is still clay-clod-lumpy. Worth top soiling before turfing?
OOH, i am going to be smoothing my ground and returfing soon.
Is it even worth me harbouring the dream of making my lawn an area i can putt on?
On the off chance i managed to get the ground flat enough, would i then require specialist grass and mowing equipment and me out there mowing it twice a day or some guff like that...
Is it even worth me harbouring the dream of making my lawn an area i can putt on?
On the off chance i managed to get the ground flat enough, would i then require specialist grass and mowing equipment and me out there mowing it twice a day or some guff like that...
StevieBee said:
Monkey Nuts said:
Having said that I threw a bit of seed down in a few bare areas last week!
Mate, you feed us lines like that?On a serious note - have a similar issue. Front and side garden remain bare following an extension build last October. I managed to turn the soil over a couple of times but is still clay-clod-lumpy. Worth top soiling before turfing?
Always worth improving the soil as much as possible before turfing as you can't do it once the turf is down. I know what you mean by clay-clod lumpy, and it's not good, so topsoil if you can.
Monkey Nuts said:
hornetrider said:
Minor hijack. We have an area in need of seed/turf of around 4x10m. It is largely level but a bit bumpy - how do I get it dead level to accept seed or turf?
And are there any pros/cons to seed v turf we need to consider regarding quality? How long would seed take to produce a lawn?
If it's not too far away from level you may well get away with adding some decent screened topsoil into the low areas, treading it in, and levelling with a rake. You could also try dragging something like an aluminium ladder across the area with ropes on each end to get a good level (Does that make sense?)And are there any pros/cons to seed v turf we need to consider regarding quality? How long would seed take to produce a lawn?
Turf v seed is a fairly simple equation. Turf pretty much guarantees a good finish (if looked after), and is quicker but costs more. Seed is cheaper, but slower and trickier to get a perfect finish. You could get a good lawn from turf in a couple of months, but seed may take 4-6 months or longer. It all depends on soil, weather etc etc, but that's a rough guide.
As a guide I pay just under £2 per square metre for a good quality 'lawn' type turf. Don't head off the local garden centre and pay £5 per metre for their shabby stuff!
The only time NOT to lay turf is when the weather is very hot ,as its hard to get water on it quick enough and keep it moist until its rooted, especially if you only have one sprinkler and you have to rotate it.Ive had Rolawn turn up in the morning and weve had to chuck it by 3pm as it started to compost!Those huge rolls are worse.
There again wouldnt lay it on frozen ground.
There again wouldnt lay it on frozen ground.
Hedders said:
OOH, i am going to be smoothing my ground and returfing soon.
Is it even worth me harbouring the dream of making my lawn an area i can putt on?
On the off chance i managed to get the ground flat enough, would i then require specialist grass and mowing equipment and me out there mowing it twice a day or some guff like that...
Making a putting green is possible, but probably far more work than you'd want to do!! Is it even worth me harbouring the dream of making my lawn an area i can putt on?
On the off chance i managed to get the ground flat enough, would i then require specialist grass and mowing equipment and me out there mowing it twice a day or some guff like that...
You can buy greens grade turf quite easily (look for the species Fescue 'Festuca' for a very fine bladed grass - this is often mixed with Bent 'Agrostis' to give the perfect putting surface. Golf greens are generally cut every day at a height of around 3-5mm in summer, and about twice a week at 6-8mm in winter, and it's difficult to do that with the average domestic mower. To give you an idea our walk-behind greens mowers cost around £4,000 each, and if you fancy a ride-on version with three cutting units, that'll be around £20,000 please sir!
You may well have to factor in some form of irrigation if you're in a dry area, and maybe a little fertiliser, a bit of aeration, perhaps some top dressing to keep it nice and smooth. Believe me, you can't make a golf green just by mowing out a piece of grass and slapping a bag of fertiliser on every now and then. To get a contractor in to build a single golf green around 500-750 square metres would cost around £25,000!!!!
You can get decent quality artificial greens these days, a few of the pros have them in their garden - but again, not cheap. PM me if you really want to give it a go and I'll help out as much as I can.
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