Your Guide to a New Lawn

If your lawn is looking tired and jaded, and repeated attempts to spice it up a little have failed, the time may have come to hold up your hands, admit defeat and lay a brand new lawn using lawn turf.

You can turn a shapeless patch of grass with threadbare patches into the kind of gorgeous new lawn your local lawn green bowling club would even cast envious eyes over.

In truth, laying a brand new lawn works out more expensive than sowing a new lawn using grass seed, but the benefits you receive will easily outweigh your expenditure.

You receive almost an instant and perfectly usable lawn that's free of weeds, moss and bald areas.

Fortunately laying turf is not an onerous task, although it is one that must be done carefully. You can save money by doing the turf-laying yourself, rather than hiring a professional.

The first thing to understand is that a new lawn cannot be laid at any time of the year. The best time to lay lawn turf is during spring or autumn, and then only during a warm spell.

The UK receives more rain at these times which will help the new grass gain roots into the underlying soil in time for the harsh summer sun or winter frosts.

When it comes down to the actual physical process of laying the turf, the first stage is preparation. Your new surface must be level, and be free of big stones or any other unwanted items.

If you cannot obtain an even surface, buy some topsoil and add it to the lawn area. Smooth the surface down using a rake.

The next stage is to firm down the soil surface by walking up and down on it. Use small but heavy steps. If you create holes in the surface fill them in using topsoil.

Once you've attained as compact and as level a surface as you can, give your new lawn area one last raking.

At this point you may wish to spread a layer of fertiliser over the ground. If you can, leave the surface one week before laying the turf.

When you actually come to lay the turf, make sure the surface is smooth, compact and flat once again, and get your trusty rake out for one last scrape.

Rolls of turf are called turves. Lay the turves on the soil. Make sure you stagger the joints, just as if you were laying bricks. Try not to walk directly on the turf as you are laying it.

Use a plank of wood to walk or kneel on. If your lawn is neither square nor rectangular, leave the awkward areas until the end.

Create a clean edge to your new lawn by cutting off the excess turf, using a sharp knife. Once that is complete, use the end of your rake to butt the turves all over.

This is to make sure the turves make decent contact with the underlying soil. Give the whole lawn a good watering.

Your lawn will take a few weeks to bed in. During this time, you must not let the turves dry out. Watering on a regular basis is a prime necessity. Don't mow your new lawn until the grass is about four to five inches high.

When you do mow make sure you never remove more than the upper one-third of the grass.

Once laid, and if done properly and effectively treated, your new lawn should last decades.

For all your lawn growing needs, please visit http://www.turfgrowers.co.uk

to find the best topsoil shop.