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Laying turf upside down in raised border?

LeadFarmerLeadFarmer Posts: 1,500
in Garden design
I'm about to turn half of my lawn into a large raised planting area, and will be stripping away the turf which I can stack elsewhere to turn into decent soil in the future.

But to help make up the height difference in the raised planting area, I was thinking of laying the turf in the bottom, grass side down with about 20cm of topsoil on top.

Any reason why I shouldn't use the turf in the bottom of the border? I'm thinking it should kill off the grass with the soil on top?

Posts

  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    This was done by either Garden Rescue or The Instant Gardener in one of the programmes. They did it for exactly the reason you said to bulk up the height before putting in the top soil/compost.
  • LeadFarmerLeadFarmer Posts: 1,500
    Thanks bertrand-mabel.
    It seems to make sense to use it this way, though I'm not always 100% convinced that programmes like Garden Rescue do everything correctly.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Agree. When they plant out from pots they never tease out the root ball as we have been told we should.
    Do wonder what the gardens look like some months/years later.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I've done this a few times. As long as you scalp the grass hard first, and keep the edges well covered, it's no problem   :)
    I often do the same in my pots of sweet peas too. It has the added bonus of preventing them drying out too quickly.  
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • KiliKili Posts: 1,104
    I did exactly what you propose in my 20ft raised bed. Got rid of all the turf the bed now occupies in the bottom and alls well and Dandy  :D

    'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.

    George Bernard Shaw'

  • LeadFarmerLeadFarmer Posts: 1,500
    I'll crack on then, reduces the amount of topsoil I have to buy in.
  • Patsy FPatsy F Posts: 53
    I’ve recently done this with a new border and in the past have also put them at the back of a border, then mulched, to suppress weeds.
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