Time and time again, you get bored with taking care of the places around your house. One of the most common areas that demand your attention is your lawn. When neglected, your yard can quickly become tedious and unruly, making it extremely important for you to ensure you upgrade it when you get the chance.
One of the best ways you can give your lawn a new look is through its turf. Essentially, there are three ways you can do this. The first two ways, i.e. sowing grass seed and planting small seedlings, look great but take time to show results. Apart from these, though, an affordable and fast way to create a new lawn is by laying turf.
Turf laying is a simple way to get a brand new lawn and, the best part is, you can do this in any season. While the prices for laying turf vary according to the turf you choose and the labor costs, it’s a worthy investment. This option may be simple, but it does require a few considerations from your end to ensure you’re getting the best lawn possible.
To get an absolutely stunning lawn by laying turf, here’s what you need to know.
Preparing your soil
Many soils across the country can’t grow grass unless you invest time and effort into them. While some have pH levels that are too acidic or alkaline, others are full of compacted clay, making it incredibly difficult for water and air to pass through to the roots.
Luckily, if your soil’s facing any of those issues, you can quickly fix it before you start laying the turf. Here’s what you can do:
The first thing you need to look out for is your soil’s pH level. You’re ideally looking for a sandy loam that has pH levels between 5.0 and 7.0. If your soil’s too alkaline, you can add sulfur or gypsum to fix it. If the soil is too acidic, then you should add lime.
Ensure you eliminate the weeds; otherwise, you’ll be spending too much time weeding after you’ve laid the turf. The process may take a couple of weeks, and you’ll need to use excellent weed killer spray to ensure the weeds aren’t bothering you later.
Create neat edges to ensure you don’t have a bumpy, uneven lawn later on. Your turf should preferably be 25 mm thick and sit higher than any edges or paths. Leveling your yard is an essential part of making sure your lawn looks attractive.
Laying the turf
You’ll get your turf in either slabs or rolls, after which you’ll need to water your soil lightly. Once your soil’s hydrated, you need to lay your turf in a staggered brickwork pattern to ensure the short ends don’t align with each other. Apart from this, you need to push the strips together to overcome any stretching, overlaps, or gaps.
During this process, you need to ensure the turf’s not stretching or you’re not kneeling on it. Ideally, you should start at the edges and then work towards the center to ensure the smaller parts of the turf aren’t on the perimeter where they could dry out.
Additionally, you should have a knife or a pair of scissors handy to make sure you don’t rip out the turf and cut it properly instead. Apart from this, if you need to place the turf on a slope, you need to lay it across. This is done to ensure that water doesn’t run down between the turf rolls and affect your soil.
To roll out the turf, you should use a lawn roller and even out any bumps and eliminate air pockets to improve the overall quality. When your turf’s all set, you need to water it to activate your chosen fertilizer and make sure the turf doesn’t dry out.
Watering your new lawn
For the first month or month and a half, you need to water your lawn every day to ensure the roots can settle in. If neglected, your turf can easily die, so you need to ensure you don’t skip out on this. Moreover, don’t give pets and people the chance to walk on the turf for a month, at least.
As the roots begin to settle down, you can reduce how frequently you’re watering the turf to allow for deep rooting. However, remember that your turf will demand water in dry and hot conditions multiple times a day.
Mowing & maintaining the turf
Once your grass is more firm, which will probably be two or three weeks after laying the turf, you can begin mowing the lawn. For the first time, you only need to remove the tips by ensuring the blades are razor sharp and the mower is on the highest setting.
Mowing your lawn regularly also helps boost the growth and encourage freshness and greenery by strengthening your lawn’s roots. Your lawn’s mowing requirements will vary from season to season, with your turf being more demanding during the summer.
Lastly, you should aim to fertilize your lawn a month after you’ve laid it. Fortunately, there is a wide variety of fertilizers to choose from, so you should consult a gardener or local store to determine what’s best for you.
Final thoughts
Revamping your garden and creating a new lawn is an exciting time. By following the tips to laying turf and ensuring you’re not missing any significant steps, you can enjoy your new turf for years to come.