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Lifting turf- reuse in border?

Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
in Problem solving
Lifting turf just now to create a new border in the lawn and the grass roots are much deeper than expected.

Could there be any sense in relaying the turf upside down to rot away into the new border or is that a non starter?


Posts

  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    The usual practice is to stack the turf by itself, grass side down, in a discreet corner of the garden.  This is said to produce very good soil a year later.  I'm in the process of lifting turf and digging over the soil underneath, prior to levelling it and re-seeding in hopes of a better lawn.  I'm stacking the turf in one of those cubic meter builder's bags behind the garage.  If you put it in your border, I don't think it will rot down; I think it would just take root and be an unwelcome nuisance.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I agree with @josusa47 with the addition that you can bury the sods upside-down in the border, as long as there is a good depth (6"+) of soil above them, in the case you don't have room to stack them elsewhere.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
    Looks like it's a Gumtree ad for free turf then...
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    edited July 2020
    You could glyphosate it and then turn it over as soon as it starts to yellow off. I'm pretty sure I read someone suggest glyphosating and then simply planting into the dead lawn without even bothering to turn it over. Probably Roger Brook, the 'no dig gardener'. It would be a shame to lose all that soil with your turf, the subsoil looks very sandy. Soil is a very valuable resource.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    You could probably get away with removing half that depth as grass won't grow from the severed roots, which can just be dug in.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
    I'm half way through digging it up...

    Got a lot of manure to add to it all once done.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Loxley said:
    You could glyphosate it
    Why would you do that?

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