Rolled turf is well on the way to overtaking traditional lawn seed in private ornamental gardens. Experienced hobby gardeners outsmart the higher costs by laying ready-made lawns themselves. The guide below explains how to do it right.

When is the best time to lay out turf?

The time window for laying out turf is open from mid-March to mid/end of September. The mature, perfectly manicured ready-made lawn is waiting to be used in special lawn schools. The ordered amount of green space is peeled off mechanically by professionals, including a thin layer of soil and rolled up. The powerful roles are between 40 and 50 centimeters wide and about 200 to 250 centimeters long.

Harvesting, transport and laying must take place quickly, because rolled turf does not last longer than 24-36 hours. Professional providers therefore use the pre-cool process. The turf is cooled down to 3 degrees Celsius in order to survive longer journeys without damage. When you receive the delivery, the finished turf has adapted to the ambient temperature. Long storage times are therefore not possible.

Simply peel off old lawn - this is how it works

Before you create a new rolled turf yourself, the old turf must be completely removed. Small areas up to 50 square meters may need to be cleared with a shovel. Areas that go beyond this are ideally removed with a lawn sod peeler. How to do it right:

  • Borrow a lawn peeling machine from a hardware store
  • Mow the old lawn as short as possible
  • Start with the sod cutter along a lawn edge
  • Roll up and discard the peeled sheets

This is how a substructure in professional quality succeeds

Whether you lay out a turf yourself as a replacement for an old lawn or on a new property; the professional substructure is always a fundamental prerequisite for good growth. According to these instructions, start preparing the soil about 14 days before delivery of the ready-made turf so that the soil can settle. The following tips will show you how to handle it properly:

  • Dig the ground deeply, either manually or with the help of a tiller
  • Remove rhizomes, stones, roots and all weeds
  • Enrich sandy soil with mature compost
  • Optimize loamy-clayey soil with 1-3 cubic meters of sand per 100 square meters
  • Spread a layer of lawn lime on the rough subgrade, provided the pH value is below 5.5

After the rough leveling, smooth the substructure with a roller in order to then create the fine leveling with the rake. The result should be a flat surface in this phase, free of any bumps. If in doubt, grab the roller again and repeat the fine planum.

Initial fertilization rounds off the substructure in a sensible way

If you want to create a perfect substructure for turf, the starter fertilizer must not be missing. Apply the special preparation with water storage granules evenly using a spreader. Then carefully rake up the rolled and fertilized substructure so that a finely crumbly surface is created for the finished lawn.

Mole net is more than luxury

When turf experts give their tips, reference to a mole net is not missing. The little beasts are magically attracted to the wonderfully soft substructure. So that the ingenious tunnel builders do not declare your new turf to be a hunting ground, the robust, close-meshed mole net effectively prevents this disgraceful attempt in an environmentally friendly way. You can lay out the practical plastic net yourself. That is how it goes:

  • Lay out the mole net on the finished substructure
  • Lay out the edges of the net so that they overlap
  • After a three-week growth period, the material is impenetrable for moles

The diggers quickly realize that there is no way for them to get through. So the moles throw in the towel and run away. You can therefore safely do without the use of chemical pesticides or other defense methods.

tips

A location for turf needs to be chosen with care. The light and temperature conditions play just as important a role as the nature of the soil. A soil analysis should therefore be commissioned before making a costly investment in ready-made turf. This provides detailed information about which type of turf and which substructure is recommended.

Lay out the turf yourself - this is how you handle it correctly

Give the finished substructure at least 2 weeks to set. Upon delivery, insist that the fresh turf rolls be ready for laying in the morning hours. Storing rolled turf overnight should only be considered in exceptional cases. This is how you can lay out ready-made turf yourself:

  • Lay out the first panel along a straight edge
  • Always lay out the lawn rolls end to end
  • Ideally, lay them in an offset manner, similar to bricking a wall
  • Avoid cross joints, gaps and overlaps at all costs
  • Never step on free ground areas before laying them out

Lay out wooden slats on the laid turf so that the next rolls can be laid from here. With this trick you avoid punctiform loads on the turf, because dents in the rolled turf can hardly be repaired afterwards. The end pieces of the webs are cut to the right length with a sharp knife. Last but not least, stabilize the finished turf yourself by rolling the fresh green lengthwise and crosswise.

tips

Do not throw away leftover pieces of grass after trimming. These are excellent to use to fill in the gaps that arise.

Is it worth the effort? - Advantages and disadvantages at a glance

The previous instructions clarify the physical requirements for a proper laying of rolled turf. Reason enough to pause at this point to weigh all the pros and cons.

Turf Benefits Turf Disadvantages
Ready laid in 1 day Expensive to buy
Dense sod from day one Strenuous laying work
No moss and weeds from the start Transfer under great time pressure
Hard to walk on after a few days High water consumption in the initial phase
Fast growth in sun and shade
It can also be laid on old lawns
Premium quality new lawn

First care on the day of installation

At the end of the undoubtedly strenuous day of laying, after the final rolling of the turf, there is still no time to take a breather. An important first care measure is still important. In order for the ready-made lawn to grow after it has been laid, the focus is on an adequate water supply. How to get to work properly:

  • Thoroughly water the rolled turf on the evening of the laying day
  • Irrigate every square meter with at least 15 to 20 liters of water
  • Continue in this manner for 2 weeks, blasting the green every 2 days
  • Do not water the finished lawn in direct sunlight

Of course, the rolled turf can be stepped on to place the lawn sprinkler (€26.95). For loads like a children's birthday party or a barbecue party, the ready-made lawn is of course only robust enough after 4-6 weeks.

tips

If you lay out turf in high heat, the strips are watered immediately after laying. Otherwise there is a risk that the turf will suffer from drought stress by the evening.

Mowing right from the start - that's what matters

If you have done everything correctly according to these instructions, laying out and watering the turf will result in a dense turf that happily puts down roots. After an average of 14 days, the noble grasses have reached a growth height of 10 centimeters, so that you can mow the finished lawn for the first time. The following tips show how this can be done in an exemplary manner in the future:

  • Only mow the turf in dry weather
  • Cut off no more than a third of the stem height
  • The ideal cutting height is 4-6 centimeters (shaded lawn 8-10 centimeters)
  • Allow the grass to grow taller during summer droughts
  • Do not mow the lawn after the first frost

Stay true to the one-third rule for mowing turf even after your vacation. Ideally, cut a very high lawn in several stages back to the ideal size of 4-6 centimeters, or 8-10 centimeters for shady lawns.

tips

Field tests have shown that rolled turf can also be laid using the sandwich method. With this technique, the worn-out lawn is not peeled off. Instead, it is mowed very briefly. Level out any unevenness with a thin layer of topsoil and apply a starter fertilizer. You can then lay out the lawn rolls yourself on the substructure according to these instructions.

Category:

Garden design