want a lawn!-require some advice please

Hello, I'm just about to move in a new house in next two weeks, and the rear garden has no lawn, just a low maintenance gravelled area.
Can someone give me some advice on how to prepare the ground, lay the turf and aftercare.
I know its a lot to ask, but lawn isn't cheap and its for the kids to enjoy so I want it to be right in time for summer.
PS: any ideas where to get cheap decent turf from (I live in Nottinghamshire), and no don't say Sherwood Forest!!!.
Thankyou.

Hello Frixter, may I suggest removing the gravel first and then assess the area for 'flatness' by that I dont mean level. A table top is flat even when its on its side! Some may recommend that you dig over the area but I wouldnt as you would only bring weed seeds to the surface and then have to deal with those.
Insert a garden fork as deep as you can and give it a little wiggle to loosen the compact soil beneath the surface. Repeat at 150mm intervals.
using a rake, scarify the soil surface down to about 50mm deep removing stones and any roots etc. you're looking to produce a fairly fine crumb structure . Then try to produce a flat surface by either adding soil to holes or by raking higher spots to lower. If you rake from north to south working across the plot then repeat working west to east it should go nice and flat.
Buy some 'Growmor pelleted fertilizer and spread at no more than one handfull per sq.m. Rake lightly into the surface. Work over the soil treading to produce a firm 'bed'. Walk as if you're feet are tied together. go up and down and then left to right as with raking. When you're happy with that buy your turf.
Turf comes in lengths about 250mm x 1000mm rectangles and is laid like bricks on a house. No joints should be in line with another. Fill in the joints with peat or a potting compost. Lay the turf about 75mm beyond the boundary of the lawn. Turf edges may probably die back and so doing this will mean that when you trim back after you're sure the turf is rooted and growing, you'll have a lawn the shape and size originally intended.
Cut laid turf with a long knife against a board.
If your going to do this now rather than sept/ Oct I suggest that you buy a Superpray hose end sprayer, mail order from their website, and using a liquid fertilizer like Maxicrop Plus complete garden feed, liquid feed the lawn every two weeks to get the roots quickly established.
Grass grows from the bottom rather than the top of the leaves so mowing will give you a thicker lawn. First couple of cuts just scim off the top. Lower the cut as the turf starts to really grow.

Most garden centres sell it but make sure its 'hard wearing' if its for your kids. You can get various grades of turf up to putting green standard that look super but not very hard wearing.
Hope this helps.

remove the gravel and any wees that are present. As well as buying the turf buy some sandy loam levelling soil. you want a minimum thickness of 75mm over the area. If there are any big high spots or low spots lower these first. Cover the area with the sandy loam, and rake it out roughly level. Then walk across it as mentioned above to firm it down. Give it a light rake over again. Now get a piece of 4 x 2 timber, and use this to draw across the soil to screed it off. deal with any high spots or low spots as you come across them. the longer the piece of timber the better, but if you have a wide garden you need a person on each end. Make sure you finish at the end of the garden where you have the access for the turf to be bought in. You will now have a perfectly level base to put the turf on. Start laying the turf in the manner stated above working from across the topsoil so you walk on the newly laid turf not the screeded topsoil. Make sure you use scaffold boards to walk on over the turf. You need to put the sandy loam down on a dry day, and make sure you keep it dry once delivered. It will cost about £65 m3 but it is well worth the effort for the finish.

decent turf is normally grown on sandy loam and this will ensure that it has the best start to begin growing. With regards watering it, deluge each area of the lawn with water, dont use a sprinkler. You want to encourage the roots downwards and soaking the soil will achieve this. Avoid walking on it for a couple of weeks as well if possible. Dont use any feed on new grass for 6 months. It doesnt need it and it can harm the grass.

Thanks very much for replies guy's, it helps a lot.

Not sure if I'm allowed to advertise a company on here, so PM me for a good source in Notts (I live there too)

Moderator 4

if youre suggesting a company thats fine.
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Lynda, moderator

What PM facility? (forum rules, genereal information item d )