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Laying new turf

Becky ScrivenerBecky Scrivener Posts: 4
in Problem solving
looking for advice please. I’m going to take up all the old turf from my front garden as it’s completly full of moss, uneven and ruined in parts (from building aggregate etc). Should I just rake it after, put some new top soil down, a bit of general purpose fertiliser and then lay my turf or is it really worth cultivating it first (I could hire a tiller and do this I suppose?). I’m doing it on my own so don’t want to make myself work if it’s not needed but equally will put the effort in if it really improves the new lawn/turf. 
Thank you for reading. 

Posts

  • DampGardenManDampGardenMan Posts: 1,054
    If it's full of moss, you need to work out why otherwise it will just return in your new lawn. Is it very shady? Is the drainage poor?
  • Becky ScrivenerBecky Scrivener Posts: 4
    Thanks for your reply. Yes possible poor drainage due to the natural position of our garden (we are a few 100 metres from the sea and I think the water comes off the golf course behind us). We had a french drain put in our back garden but nothing with the front. Next doors front lawn looks good and they look after theirs well. Maybe ours needs more care and attention in the future? 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi Becky - it's a common problem, but - assuming it's not a huge area, you can make it much better by putting down some topsoil [also assuming the lawn is contained by a border of some kind] levelling to fill in lumps and bumps, firming down, raking lightly and sowing seed. Best done in another month or so when it'll be warmer, for quicker germination. Much cheaper than turfing too, but you'll need to protect it a bit from interlopers etc. until it grows on. Alternatively, you can turf at that point.
    Regular cutting [not too short] and a feed every year will keep it looking pretty decent. 

    If you want a bowling green/Wimbledon centre court/St Andrews golf course greens, you'll want to spend more on getting drainage right and so on. Regular spiking to improve drainage, scarifying, and so on would be required if you go down that route.

    It really depends on how particualr you want to be about it.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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