Preparation of Topsoil and Turf Lawns

You may want to spray your old lawn with a herbicide to kill vegetation and roots so that your new turf and topsoil will not be re-infested. Remove the old turf either by hand using a spade or with a turf cutter. We can provide this service or you can get one from a hire shop. Dig over or rotovate your topsoil, removing debris, i.e. stones and roots from the topsoil. It is recommended that you have at least 100mm of topsoil.

It is a good idea to add compost or well rotted farmyard manure to improve the humus (organic matter) level in your topsoil; mixing this in evenly. To level and shape your topsoil you will need to HEEL and RAKE your site. Rake your topsoil, and then walk up and down your site in very small steps applying your weight to your heels, repeat until you are happy that it is thoroughly compressed. Finish this process with a final raking of the topsoil. At this stage you can rake in a pre-turf fertilizer to the topsoil if desired.

Turf Laying

Lay your turf in straight rows on top of the topsoil, butting them together, never stretching the turf and in a brickwork fashion. Do not stand directly on the turf or topsoil, but always on wooden planks. Make sure all areas of turf are tamped down lightly making good contact with the topsoil, standing on a plank or tamping the turf with the head of a rake will do fine.

Never use a garden roller on turf at this stage. After laying your turf and topsoil, water it in, making sure water has soaked through the turf into the topsoil. Do not walk on your new turf and topsoil until it is rooted, this can take any time between a few days and a few weeks depending on the time of year. If you have to walk on your turf and topsoil before it is rooted, i.e. to water it, and then use the planks for spreading your weight, avoiding any damage to the turf.