Laying turf on grass, soil and other materials: what to do and what not to do

Laying Turf | Posted on August 26, 2020 at 4:29 pm by carbuttsturf

We’re often asked how to lay turf on different surfaces like soil, grass and hard materials like stone or concrete.

The results you get will vary depending on what type of material is under your newly laid turf, and how you prepare turf before hand, so here’s our rough guide to some of the most common surfaces to lay a new lawn on.

Soil

Soil is the ideal surface and we’ve covered it in detail in our Turf Guide, but here are a few of the main do’s and don’ts to help you remember how to lay turf on soil:

Do aerate the soil before laying turf on top, to help the grass put down roots.
Do add compost to fertilise the soil, manure to retain water or sand to improve drainage.
Don’t compact the soil too firmly when levelling it off, or your turf may struggle to root.
Don’t add partially rotted compost, as the lawn may sag as this continues to rot down.

Grass

In a perfect world, it’s better not to lay turf on grass. This isn’t just because the old grass and weeds might grow through – it’s about preparing soil for fresh turf.

Removing the old grass exposes the soil beneath so that you can rotavate and aerate it, and this again improves the new turf’s chances of bedding in better.

If you must lay over old grass:

Do try to remove as much as possible by mowing it very short and removing the clippings.
Do rotavate the soil if possible before laying new turf on top.
Don’t leave old grass under new turf – as the old grass dies it may damage the turf’s newly laid roots.
Don’t forget the aftercare. New turf laid on old grass will perform better if you water it in well and keep it well fed as the old lawn below dies away.

Stone/Concrete

New turf has a layer of soil and roots attached, but it’s not enough to sustain the grass for the long term – it needs something to grow roots down into.

Hard surfaces like stone and concrete are not suitable for a permanent lawn; however, if you want natural green grass for a special event, it’s easy to unroll a few turves on to a solid floor.

Do clear the ground of any surface debris so you can unroll your turf in seconds.
Do lay your turf neatly as it may be more likely to move on a hard surface.
Don’t forget to water it well, to keep it looking healthy for as long as possible.
Don’t expect a permanent lawn – laying turf on hard surfaces will only give a temporary effect.

Green Roofs

Finally, laying turf on green roofs is an increasingly popular option on eco-friendly properties, so remember:

Do prepare the roof and make certain it can support the weight of soil, turf and future grass growth.
Don’t forget to plan how you will access the roof in future, especially if you need to get a lawnmower up there (hand shears are an easier alternative on small roofs).

Where can Carbutts Turf be laid?

Laying Turf | Posted on July 29, 2020 at 2:34 pm by carbuttsturf

When choosing the types of grass to grow at Carbutts Turf, we know you need your lawn to serve many different purposes.

That’s why our Gold Standard Turf is designed to be visually appealing with lush green grass, but also hard-wearing underfoot so you can get good use from your lawn.

Here we’ll look at some specific locations where Carbutts Turf can be laid, and the characteristics that make our Gold Standard Turf such a versatile option.

Heavy footfall areas

Our turf is ultra hard-wearing, thick and glossy, which makes it the perfect choice for areas with heavy footfall.

That can include gardens at home if you have children, pets, or you just like to spend time outdoors on your lawn.

It’s also good for grass verges and other lawn areas where pedestrians are likely to walk on the grass regularly.

Sports fields

Grass shoots in our turf recover quickly from being trodden on, which makes it a good option for sports fields.

Use our Gold Standard Turf for sports pitches like football and rugby, as well as for general playing fields and grassy athletics tracks.

Commercial lawns

Our Gold Standard Turf needs very little maintenance, only occasional feeding and can go a good length of time between being mowed.

This makes it an excellent choice for commercial lawns, from show homes to courtyards, or manicured grassy areas in front of business premises.

Uneven ground

Carbutts Turf is carefully cut and rolled to make it easy to lay, even on uneven ground, so you don’t need to worry about getting the soil surface absolutely flat in order to get a good standard of finish.

Just even out the ground as best you can, and unroll your freshly cut turves on top. With a little tamping down and the right amount of watering in, the turf will set down roots and create a smooth and level lawn.

Large lawns

For larger areas including large lawns, playing fields, parks and commercial gardens, we can offer a discount on orders for more than 50 turves.

Just let us know what area you need to cover and we can make sure we have enough freshly cut turf for what you need, ready for collection or delivery.

Who is Carbutts Turf good for?

Carbutts Turf is versatile, low-maintenance and looks great on the ground. It’s good for areas of heavy use, ornamental lawns and commercial settings too.

Some examples of who Carbutts Turf is good for include:

All kinds of families
Households with pets
Parents with young children
People with a busy lifestyle
Elderly individuals
Gardening enthusiasts
Landlords of domestic and commercial premises
Sports pitches e.g. football and rugby
Parks, stately homes and landscaped gardens
New housing developments and show homes

The list goes on and on – in general if you need turf for a lawn, pitch or other grassy area, it’s likely that Carbutts Gold Standard Turf will give you the look and durability you need.

To find out more or to place an order, contact us today and we can have your turf freshly cut and rolled for you to collect, or deliver to your home, workplace or construction site.

Preparing to lay new turf

Laying Turf | Posted on March 6, 2019 at 4:58 pm by carbuttsturf

Preparing to lay new turf

Preparing to lay new turf takes a little time and effort but it’s worth it to give your turf direct contact with fertile soil and good drainage – it will root faster and better, and should look lush and greener for a long time to come.

The key things to remember are:

Good turf to soil contact.
Good fertilisation and moisture.
Well aerated and uncompacted soil.

With these things in mind when preparing to lay new turf, you can be more confident that the roots will grow to a good depth, allowing them to draw valuable moisture and nutrients up into the grass. Where you lay new turf is also important, and your preparations will vary according to this.

Preparing soil for turf step by step

Some of the main stages in preparing soil for turf include:

Remove old grass and other organic material from the surface to leave bare soil.
Rotovate the soil to a good depth and allow to settle, ideally for a few weeks.
Level the surface to remove bumps and hollows, but do not compact the soil.
Water well to get a good amount of moisture into the soil and test drainage.
Incorporate well rotted manure or compost if you need to retain more moisture.

Again, when preparing soil for turf, you want a well aerated soil for roots to penetrate, but not so much that it will subside; good direct sod-to-soil contact; and good moisture and fertiliser content.

Laying turf on prepared soil

Once you’ve gone to the trouble of creating a turf-friendly environment, there are a few more precautions to take when it comes to actually laying turf on prepared soil.

Use turfing boards to spread your weight any time you need to walk across the soil, and to gently tamp down the laid turf so it’s nice and flat and in good contact with the soil underneath.

Butt the turves up against each other without any gaps or stretching and gently flatten down the joins, which should be staggered like brickwork for the best finish. Water well to help the turf establish itself into the soil.

Get help from the Carbutts Turf Laying Service

The Carbutts Turf Laying Service is a complete lawn laying service that removes the need for you to prepare the soil yourself, as our team of experts can handle it instead.

Our complete turf laying service includes digging out the soil and preparing the area for the turf to go down, to ensure good root contact and help the turf to establish itself properly.

We can also lay turf on to soil that you have prepared in advance, if you want to keep control of that part of the process but would prefer us to provide a professional lawn laying service once your turf itself is delivered.

You can of course lay your turf yourself or use your own lawn laying contractors to do the job, and we can happily provide you with complete guidance on how to care for newly laid turf in the following weeks and months for the best results.

If you’re preparing your garden or any other outdoors area for fresh new turf, contact Carbutts Turf today on 01477 532 594 or email info@carbuttsturf.co.uk