A successful new lawn is one of the ultimate challenges. These instructions show you the practical way to a lush green lawn. How to create a new lawn by sowing seeds or laying turf is no longer hidden from you here.

Preparing the soil for sowing lawn seeds - this is how it works

Creating a new lawn by sowing works in the same way as when you grow vegetables in the garden. In order for the sensitive lawn seeds to thrive, ideally cultivate the soil in autumn of the previous year for perfect preparation. Here's how to do it:

  • Spread the topsoil from the excavation on the planned lawn area on a new property
  • Dig or mill the earth at least 2 spades deep on existing areas
  • Carefully remove stones, roots and weeds
  • Optimize loamy-clayey soil with fine, washed sand and peat
  • Improve sandy soil with compost and horn shavings
  • Rake the prospective lawn and let it rest through the winter

Conduct a pH test to determine the acidity of the soil. If the result is below 5.5, add an adequate amount of garden lime (€9.70) to the soil.

When is the right time to sow lawn seed?

Two appointments a year are recommended if you are creating a new lawn by sowing. From early May to early June and from mid-September to early October, the weather conditions are ideal for rapid germination. The most important prerequisite for a good success is a constant soil temperature of more than 10 degrees Celsius.

Each sowing date scores with individual advantages. When you plant a new lawn in the spring, the grass roots have plenty of time to grow. If you grow the seeds in the fall, Mother Nature will take care of the necessary watering with frequent rains.

The seedlings sprout in this fine planum

After the rough planum for the new lawn has been created, the soil is given its finishing touches shortly before sowing. Whenever you grow young plants with seeds, the soil should have as fine a crumbly consistency as possible. In this regard, lawn seeds are no exception. How to cultivate the soil with expertise:

  • Thoroughly weed and superficially rake the soil
  • Work the soil with a rake until a fine crumb forms
  • If necessary, roll the lawn once in an intermediate step to level out larger clumps

If you grow the lawn seeds on such a fine, crumbly soil, you will be able to look forward to a particularly short germination period.

Perfect sowing - step-by-step instructions

If you cultivate the soil in advance of sowing according to these instructions, there are excellent prospects for the further successful progress of the new lawn. Ideally, a spreader or a battery-operated hand spreader is available as a working device. Follow these steps:

  • Thoroughly mix the seed and pour it into the spreader
  • Distribute the lawn seeds in a checkerboard pattern without large overlaps
  • Only work in the light germs with the rake superficially
  • Roll the future lawn lengthwise and crosswise
  • In the last step, water the seedbed with a fine spray

In the following 3 weeks, the new lawn is gently watered 4-5 times a day for 10 minutes each with the lawn sprinkler. The bed should only be entered for this purpose, so that the seeds can germinate in peace.

tips

Don't puzzle over the optimal sowing quantity per square meter. If you do not have the specific information for the selected type of lawn, you are in the green with 20-25 grams per square meter of lawn.

The first care - this is how the new lawn thrives

If you have done everything correctly according to these instructions, the new lawn will result in a densely overgrown lawn area, littered with busy spreading seedlings. To ensure rapid growth, cultivate young lawns after they have been planted as follows:

  • Mow the noble grass for the first time when it has grown to a height of 8-10 centimetres
  • Immediately afterwards, fertilize the lawn according to the findings of a previous soil analysis
  • Then water repeatedly until the fertilizer has been completely absorbed by the soil

If you plant the lawn in the spring, we recommend a fertilizer with plenty of nitrogen for growth and phosphate for the rich green colour. Planting a new lawn by sowing in autumn, on the other hand, requires a potassium-rich nutrient supply to strengthen frost resistance.

New lawn installation with rolled turf - this is how the substructure succeeds

Even if you follow the instructions for laying a new lawn by sowing them to the letter, the procedure still takes a few weeks. If, on the other hand, you lay out a new lawn with rolled turf, wasteland will be transformed into a velvety green carpet within a day. Before you lay ready turf, cultivate the soil into the perfect substructure. That is how it goes:

  • Dig or mill the earth about 2 weeks before delivery of the rolled turf
  • Thoroughly remove weeds and debris and work the soil with the rake
  • Work mature compost, rock dust and sand into the top layer of soil
  • Roll the surface and smooth it out with the rake
  • Apply a special starter fertilizer for turf and water the area

The new lawn with rolled turf offers the unique opportunity to put a stop to cheeky moles in advance. To do this, spread out a close-meshed mole net on the substructure so that the edges overlap on the ground. Within 3 weeks material has developed into an impenetrable barrier for the burrowers.

Remove old lawn - how to do it right

If the new lawn with rolled turf is used to replace a worn-out lawn, this must be removed before the substructure is created. The machine rental company has a sod peeler available for this purpose. How to handle the device:

  • Mow the old lawn as short as possible
  • Place the lawn mower on a lawn edge
  • Switch on the device and walk slowly in lanes across the lawn

In the end, the ingenious machine divided the disused lawn into strips and peeled off a few centimeters of soil along with it. These are quickly rolled up and disposed of. Then prepare the substructure as explained in these instructions.

Prioritize suppliers with pre-cool processes

The new lawn with rolled turf is under a certain amount of time pressure in terms of harvesting, transport and laying. Immediately after peeling off on the lawn school field, the ready-made lawn begins to wither. To counteract this, knowledgeable suppliers have developed the pre-cool process. The finished turf is cooled down to 3 degrees Celsius, which extends its shelf life from 12 hours to 36 hours.

In this way, the turf survives a longer transport route without damage. Regardless of this, you cannot avoid laying it on the day of delivery, because overnight storage is likely to prove problematic.

Lay turf yourself - that's how it's done

Fresh out of lawn school, turf has a quick sell-by date. The green rolls are therefore to be laid promptly for the harvest. The delivery should therefore take place early in the morning and the soil should be completely prepared. How to lay the green splendor correctly:

  • Lay the first roll along a straight edge
  • Then lay the rolled turf end to end and offset
  • Avoid overlaps, gaps and especially cross joints
  • Do not walk on open ground before laying
  • At the end of each lane, cut the turf roll to the desired length with a knife
  • Finally, roll the lawn in both directions

Work your way forward on the lawn, lay wooden slats there. These distribute the pressure evenly. Point loads could cause dents in the finished turf that cannot be repaired afterwards. Leftover pieces of grass are kept until the end to close any gaps.

Care begins on the day of installation - that's what matters

If you lay rolled turf according to these instructions, you will be presented with a breathtaking new lawn at the end of the day. To keep it that way, care begins on the same day. How to properly cultivate ready-made lawn:

  • Thoroughly water the lawn in the evening hours of the laying day
  • Apply at least 15-20 liters of water per square meter
  • Continue like this for 2 weeks, watering the turf every 2 days

If you lay new lawn, it should only be walked on in the first 4-6 weeks to place the lawn sprinkler. It was only afterwards that the new lawn was rooted so far into the ground that the barbecue party for its inauguration could take place.

tips and tricks

No matter how the new lawn is laid. It is important to note that the soil should rest for at least 14 days before sowing or before laying turf so that it can settle. Otherwise, the ground will sag and an uneven lawn will result - a shortcoming that is difficult to repair.

Category:

Garden design