Old Geezer the Gardening Guru: Lawns – how to lay turf and plant seed
Friday, 27 January 2012 3:37 PM
By Old Geezer
I often speak at gardening clubs and allotment societies and one thing that I have been asked a lot recently is this:
"I've just moved into a new house and want a decent lawn. The advice I've been given is rotovate then roll it! Do you agree?"
Easy answer to that: No! Not for a normal sized garden anyway.
A rotovator will simply chop up any perennials roots into little bits, most of which will then grow. It will also leave a glazed pan at the maximum depth it went into, which is not good for roots or drainage.
Rolling it will then exacerbate the problem as a roller will make the holes deeper. It is quicker and better to learn 'the gardener's shuffle'.
Whether you're planting seed or laying turf the ground should be prepared in the same way. What we need to achieve is a level, evenly firm surface, free of perennial weeds and significant stones.
The first job is to clear off any surface rubbish. This should be obvious enough, but it is surprising how many people don't bother.
Having cleared the site, it now needs digging. I tend to use a spade but in many cases a fork would be better for this job.
Take your time, taking small spits (spade lengths) of no more than six inches. Dig a trench, about a foot wide at the top is about right. Break up the biggest clods with the fork then you can remove all the roots you find along with any big stones. Try to leave it fairly level.
This takes time, but it really is worth it. If you get it right the rest is easy.
The next job is to firm it all down, not with a roller, but with your feet. You need to develop 'the gardener's shuffle'. Stand with your feet together, then slide one foot forward until the heel is level with your other toe, slide the other one forward then shuffle up and down your plot. You can use your feet to fill in minor holes and break up clods as you go.
Now rake it (teeth down) to remove roots, stones etc and fill in any low spots. Now shuffle over it all again, moving at right angles to the first 'shuffle'. By now you should be getting close to what you are seeking to achieve, the perfect conditions for good grass. Now rake it again, this time with your rake pointing upwards. Fill in any low spots and tap them down the rake held vertical.
The surface should now be good enough for a basic utility lawn of either turf or seed. For a high quality lawn then look for a mixture of turf and seed with things like creeping red bent and brown fescue.
For a 'perfect lawn' (i.e. one not getting a regular trampling around on from the kids) then it is worth firming and raking once or even twice more to get it 'spot on'.
If you are laying turf use a couple of scaffold boards to walk on, keep these on the laid turf and do not walk on the soil.
Start with an edge, then the first straight row. Fill in the gaps before working across the rest of your patch, avoiding using little bits, especially on the edge.
I always use a carving knife to cut turf or alternatively an edging iron.
You can make a decent turfing tool yourself. Take a 10 by five inch (one inch thick) piece of board and put about a dozen two and a half inch nails through it. Nail a strap to the top the board so you can wedge your hand underneath it.
Use this to pull the turf tightly together and the edge of the board to tap down the edges and ends of the turf.
If you try to pull turf with your hands you will tear or stretch it, but if you use a board with enough nails then you should have no problem. There are many little tricks to laying turf on irregular shaped lawns - feel free to ask for a few of them as there isn't room here!
When sowing seed I once again use boards. I move them back over the unsown patch a yard at a time, gently raking the seed in as I go. The rake shouldn't go in more than half an inch.
Be careful when watering, in particular on freshly sown seed, as there is potential for the seed to float and end up in clumps. Then if there are any depressions left the water will go straight to the lowest point and take the seed with it!
It is a case of very little watering but very often. Try to achieve what is in effect a heavy mist. Evenings are the best time to water, or maybe early mornings.
The important first cut should be done on a dry day and with a sharp mower set about two inches high (with a grass box attached).
Don't worry about the weeds which will abound in the seeded lawns, they only appear annually so cutting a couple of times will kill them off. After the third cut then you can have a closer look and remove any particularly persistent ones.
Good luck with your lawn!
All the best, Old Geezer.
Old Geezer (Paul Rix) is the author of 'Beyond the Potting Shed' a comprehensive guide to growing your own. Available from all good book shops or Amazon.
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