How to Prepare SOIL for Laying TURF

[@steveg7739]

Can’t wait to see this new turf…. I’ve over seeded mine twice now about a month apart with a bent fescue mix, aiming to over ride the rye. Have to say the weather has been very much on my side, and my lawn is looking amazing this year at this time, it wasn’t as bad as your bottom lawn but not far off the top one… could of cried for the amount of effort put in over the last 2 seasons… A lawn that regenerates itself has got to be good 👍

[@NoviceGardener]

It’s slow going with the bent and fescue seed, but it will be worth it. Plus, like you said, weather has been perfect for germination! Hope all goes well with yours over the next few weeks 👍🏻

[@romestunna_1227]

Can't wait to see the new turf laid down mate,great video again

[@NoviceGardener]

Nice one 👍🏻 Laid it last week - just got to edit it now! I'll make sure I get an update out next week too with how it's looking a couple of weeks in.

[@romestunna_1227]

@@NoviceGardener lovely mate,exciting times I bet

[@dannymatthews2967]

Been watching your videos for the past couple of months and picked up some great tips and knowledge along the way. 2 months ago i treated our heavily leatherjacket infested lawn and pleased to see the results after using your tips along the way 😀

[@NoviceGardener]

Glad the videos have helped! A lot of lawn care I find is trial and error, but once you get it right, it's perfect 👍🏻

[@stevenbelcher5658]

How many times a day are you watering the bent fescue lawn? I have been doing 3 times a day ( 9am, 1pm & 5-6pm)for 3,5 weeks. I took the fleece of a week ago but this morning noticed a sudden infestation of fusarium after a couple of misty nights. I should have held off watering for more germination until the damp nights passed . i have full even coverage at least. hopefully only a few area die off and i can reseed. I'm only watering in the morning once a day for this week before focusing on just the bare areas from die off which I guess ill reduce that to once a day to prevent further issues.

[@NoviceGardener]

I'm watering maybe 3 times a day if it doesn't rain. How long are you watering for at a time? I'm only watering for around 1 minute with the hose.

[@stevenbelcher5658]

@@NoviceGardener usually 5 minutes over a 40 m2 space with the mister setting on the hose to cover the entire surface. It doesn't pool etc as it drains straight through. Shouldn't really matter if it went for longer as it drains well. The grass has been covered I dew for the oast few days.

[@NoviceGardener]

Sounds like your watering is absolutely fine. Have you fed it yet?

[@stevenbelcher5658]

@@NoviceGardener I fed it last weekend with true lawn, pre-seed micro granuals and some mycorrhizal fungi. slightly higher than expected at 45 g/ ms combined, but a lot went in the road , on the driveway etc as it was a hand spreader. Keep an eye out for spider web like clusters in the mornings. If you see those stop watering as much and leave an initial day without watering at all. I may have missed the first sign of those the day before.

[@Arietje]

Seeing this process, made me think the Glyphosate may not even be necessary, if you scalp & verticut and even aerate it, there's not much left. And with sod on top all sunlight is gone, most grasses would not be able to pop backup I would think.

[@NoviceGardener]

That should work too, just wanted to take the extra precaution.

[@biglee9584]

Hi mate liking what you are doing, keep up the good vids for us novice diy gardener's. I have a similar project i am doing in my garden. I want to do exactly what you have here in this video. So my question is, have you a specific type of cartridge in the scarifier to remove pretty much all the grass there? Thanks in advance.

[@NoviceGardener]

Cheers mate, appreciate that! The cartridge is just the bladed scarifier, but I think the one I have works so well with this kind of job because the blades are quite thick. It's usually too aggressive when scarifying a lawn for that reason, but it's great for creating a decent seed bed. Granted, it worked better earlier in the season with the soil being softer.

[@jackcsmith91]

I’ve just laid my new turf after resurfacing my lawn, it’s 3 weeks in now, can you recommend a good fertiliser for new turf please?

[@NoviceGardener]

There fertilisers I currently use are True Grass and A1 Lawn's spring summer mix

[@SecondWindStories]

I would greatly appreciate if you were to put all of the tools that you used within the description of your video. I am looking to lay some turn in my lawn, but since this is my first time even having a garden, all of the tools (outside of the lawn mower) are foreign to me. That would be a big help for those using your video as a reference. Great video by the way.

[@NoviceGardener]

Just put a couple in there for the lawn lute and the hollow tine aerator. The only thing I haven't linked is the scarifier as they don't sell it anymore unfortunately. Good luck with your renovation though!

[@adamlunn6062]

What brand and where did you get the lawn leveller tool from please? Ripped up the old front lawn had 4 tonnes of top soil delivered and now need to level it all and don’t fancy a whole afternoon on my knees just using a plank of wood to level it all out 😂

[@NoviceGardener]

I don't blame you! 😅 It's the Lanzie lawn lute from Garden Imports. It's boss!

[@Thomas-gg3yy]

What make is your lawn dethatcher? Looks like it has done a superb job

[@NoviceGardener]

Ferrex - it was only about £70 a few years ago - doesn’t half rip it to bits!

[@markeverett2010]

You aerate then filled thr holes back in?

[@NoviceGardener]

It’s just about aerating the soil profile. Pulverising them with the scarifier isn’t a problem. Any soil that falls back down won’t be compacted as it was. It will let water through more easily and the new roots too.

[@jamesieadams]

Looked like Michael Jackson moonwalking when you aerating 😂

[@NoviceGardener]

🤣

[@craiglandy2011]

I would definitely put a edge down that border bed with wood or all that turf of bent and fescue will be sure to creep and you won’t have a border bed , be interesting to see both lawn comparisons…I see exactly what you have done here and to compare your seeded lawn to a pro turf company will be interesting to get the same or close results with the bent fescue lower lawn 👍🏻

[@NoviceGardener]

That's exactly why I've gone with it. Seeing the difference between the seeded and the turf (hopefully I can get the sward as tightly packed as the turf is!)

[@stephendye6729]

Thanks for the tip with gloves when using the aerator !!!

[@NoviceGardener]

My hands might have cooked in the heat, but they helped! 😅

[@marklockwood8386]

Can't wait to see pleased your putting it down before it gets to hot best of look

[@ZippeeKaiYay]

Interesting to see the process.

[@NoviceGardener]

It's something different. It will be a good comparison between my seeded bent/fescue too.

[@deadlymantis4210]

Got to edge that flower bed

[@NoviceGardener]

It's ok, with the turf adding some extra height to the lawn, it will help define the border better.

[@peterwalker7611]

Why would you go with pro super duper lawn when the surrounding plants in that area look like kak?…..

[@NoviceGardener]

The plants by the wall are new so will need time. The ones in the bed on the retaining wall are being replaced in the next couple of weeks. Mentioned in a few videos. Box blight did its thing.

[@peterwalker7611]

@@NoviceGardener won’t you have to stand on the lawn in order to fix it up though

[@danludlam1562]

I thought this was sort of a lawn care channel? And so I'm very surprised to see you laying turf? No judgement and I must have missed a video but why are you laying turf rather than growing a new lawn?

[@mrchips1795]

Turf is still lawn 😮

[@danludlam1562]

@@mrchips1795 true...but you know what I mean. No lawn care channels describe the process of picking the best turf from their local shop... generally it's considered that laying seed is 'better' in the long run.

[@mrchips1795]

@@danludlam1562 haha, I knew what you meant but couldn't help myself.

[@Arietje]

@@danludlam1562 He got it offered I believe, besides he's also growing it from scratch in the other patch right next to it.

[@NoviceGardener]

It started by getting some for the neighbours lawn (the initial plan was for it to be a quicker fix for the mess their lawn was in), but thought it would be worth putting some down in my own garden too. Main reason, just curious as to how it will differ from the bent/fescue lawn I've seeded at the bottom. With seed, you've got more control, especially in the early days. But turf is just an alternative.