Winter is surprisingly one of the best times of the year to lay garden turf. Many people assume that it should be spring or summer but actually when it’s wetter, it is far easier to encourage your garden turf to settle. And by the time it comes round to spring and you want to spend more time outside, your lawn will look stunning!
This article will outline the correct process for laying garden turf, that will be sure to transform into a beautiful lawn by the spring.
1. Make sure to choose a good quality turf that has been raised from seed. There are different types of turf available depending on your soil and needs so be sure to ask around if you’re unsure about which type you need.
2. Try to aim to lay your turf within 2 days of delivery at the most. During the winter, try not to let your turf get too wet. Store is somewhere that is sheltered, although the moisture in the air should be enough that it does not dry out which is an advantage!3. Next you need to prepare the soil. Remove any rogue bits of existing grass and stones, and then try to make the soil as even as possible. Use a rake to level out the soil, then firm it again by walking over it, placing more weight on the heel of your foot. It is a good idea to use some fertilizer at this point if you haven’t already, however if it has been wet, you will not need to water it again.
4. Now you come to lay your turf. It is helpful if you have a straight edge to work from for your first piece. Roll it out along the edge and then press it down using the back of
your rake. Make sure each new piece along the perimeter is closely butted to the next. After you have pressed it down, lay a wooden board on top so that should you need to walk on it, the weight becomes more evenly distributed.
5. You should lay garden turf in a brickwork pattern. This avoids there being a very obvious joining line later on. Make sure that no strips of turf next to each other finish at the same point. Repeat the above process of pressing the turf down and placing a board on top for each piece of turf.
6. Try to avoid using smaller pieces of turf around the edges of the area, as these are more likely to yellow.
7. Lay the turf so that it is larger than your lawn area. Then trim the edges using a half-moon cutting tool. Make sure they’re even!
8. Once you’ve laid your turf, there are several top tips for making sure that it settles well:
- Put a few handfuls of soil around the edges of the turf to ensure that it does not dry out
- During the winter, you will most likely not need to water your garden turf. The cold weather will not affect your turf’s growth, in fact the damp weather is a major advantage!
- Try not to tread on your turf while it is freshly laid. This is another benefit of laying it in winter because you will be less likely to want to spend time outside.
- Only cut the grass if you really have to. During the winter you should always cut your lawn less because you risk taking off too much grass and the roots are then unprotected.
By taking good care of your garden turf over the winter and spring, you’ll be sure to have a lawn that any neighbour will be envious of in the summer!
Q Lawns provides garden turf, soil, garden feed and more throughout the UK. To make it easier, you can 
