Turfing advice

[Matt42]

Hi,

So in this picture I have now removed the concrete and measured up that I need 8 £6.99 rolawn turf rolls.

My plan is to dig it over, breaking up the big clods and remove all stones, I will then level with a rake and stamp down all over it before laying turf rolls.

Does the above plan sound ok? What happens if I stamp down the earth and then realise it's not level, I don't want to dig it over again?

Advice really appreciated as never laid turf before!

Matt

 

[bolst3r]

No easy quick way from what I've read... Dig it over probably 18-20" then break it all up, once in a reasonably fine powder walk across it with your weight on your heels. When trodden down get a length of 4x2 and drag it across the top making sure to check the levels with a bubble. You'll find you have to do this a few times taking off and filling in low spots but well worth the time. Finally a decent topsoil 1" with additive to help the lawn start is a good way to go, again walk this in but making sure to lightly rake the soil before rolling out your turf.

This is how I did mine but I used a rotarvator as I had to do 250m2 and it took ages levelling it up but well worth it

 

[Matt42]

Is 20" 20 inches? That's 50 cube metres of soil to turn to fine dirt, that'll take a week? How do the pros do it in a day?

 

[bolst3r]

sounds worse than it is, you'll do it in a day if you get up early... How do the pros do it? Well real pros get a rotavator in, other people probably level it and put a skim of top soil on before turfing it. You get back what you put in though. Here's some pics from my garden, did most of this in a week including laying 250m2 of turf myself. We had to move massive amounts of soil to level it up, 8" in places...

Might not be the most interesting of gardens but it's only takes 20mins to mow and it's pretty child safe

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[Matt42]

Makes my tiny patch seem easy

 

[HERTS P&D]

WOW!

That's a garden!

Andy

 

[HERTS P&D]

WOW!

That's a garden!

Andy

(It's so good I said it twice!)

 

[ezekielbuzi]

You are all on the right line more or less, yes remove all the bigger stones and clumps, as for gravel sized stones these help with drainage so as much as you like wont be a bad thing.
When laying turf your best to get some bags of sand and use two lengths of wood or poles same width screed over to level then lay turf on this, this also aids drainage. The more you prepare the better the end result. Although I am a painter to trade I studied landscape design in Oatridge college west lothian, this works

 

[Matt42]

Thanks for all your help guys, this is my bible as I go along!

 

[Matt42]

Okay so after 2.5 hours look how little I have done! This is harder work than I thought, I keep finding stones after I think I have finished an area so keep back tracking! And I realise I will have to keep back tracking as well as it's not fine enough yet. This is the third bucket of big stones, there's loads of brickwork under the soil, it's like it was a Victorian dumping ground!

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• Matt42
• 20 Jun 2013
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[kingandy2nd]

Keep on going mate, it'll be worth the effort in the end

 

[bolst3r]

Good effort. A long day and you'll have it done...

 

[ezekielbuzi]

You can always remove the top soil down as far as the sub soil then pick up a bulk bag of top soil to replace this should get shot of most of the bigger stone the odd farmer is happy to have the money youd pay for a bulk bag just watch where you buy your turf, watch there is no yellowing around the edges as that usually shows its not been looked after, when you lay the turf water well for the first week then every other day the next. Once its down must be followed by a few cold beers, im sure the latter must be adhered to

 

[Matt42]

Problem is also it's making the rest of the lawn in dire need of replacement. We just thought we'd do this bit under the old decking but it was 800 quid or something to do the whole lawn which is not forthcoming at the moment!

 

[Matt42]

I could nail this if someone could look after my kids! Two more hours in. I am finding most of the bricks by the sleeper and along the verge with the rest of the lawn. I am taking them out by wondering if the sleeper will fall away! Still I need to fix that as well. Today, I re dug over what I did yesterday, surprised the dirt compacts again so quickly.

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• Matt42
• 21 Jun 2013
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