3 Mistakes to Avoid When Laying New Turf on Your Home's Lawn
Posted on: 20 October 2015
New turf grass can be a great choice for a new home construction, as it means a lush and green lawn without having to wait for seeds to germinate. Turf grass can also fill in dead and dry patches in your lawn where grass just isn't growing as it should.
When you put down new turf on your home's lawn, you need to ensure you do this properly so that the turf can take root and thrive. Many homeowners mistakenly think that they only need to unroll the turf on bare dirt and it will somehow just grow on its own, but this isn't the case. Note a few mistakes to avoid when laying new turf on your home's property so you ensure you have a lush and green lawn in no time.
1. Don't assume your soil is ready
It's always good to have your soil tested for its pH balance and other features before you lay down turf. You may need to add lime to tone down the acidity in your soil or run an underground irritation system through the property to hydrate the soil if it's too dry and sandy. If you treat the soil before you put down the turf, that new grass will be more likely to thrive without withering before it can even take root.
2. Always till the soil
Your new turf cannot take root if the soil is compacted; those roots need to break through the soil in order to grow. It's always good to till the soil before you put down turf, especially after new construction, as heavy-duty equipment and all that foot traffic can easily tamp down the soil and make it inhospitable for your new turf. Rent a tiller from your local hardware store if needed in order to make the job quick and easy, rather than trying to do this by hand.
3. Don't overlook hills and valleys
While you want to till the soil to break it up, you also want to ensure that it's level and even for your new turf. Many homeowners assume they can tap down any small bumps in the turf after it's installed, but your new turf needs a level surface to be installed properly. If you don't level the surface of your property, the turf can bunch up or start to slide once those small hills start to fade under the weight of the turf. Use a heavy-duty rake to carefully level the surface without actually tamping it down and causing it to become compact again.
For more information, contact your local turf supplier.
Share