Laying out a lawn properly requires intensive planning, from budgeting to perfect soil preparation. This premise applies equally to new lawns and lawn renewals. Sowing lawn seeds is easy on the wallet, but requires a lot of work. Rolled turf scores with a lush green carpet from day one, but drives the prices up. This guide covers all aspects of making an informed decision, including a table of costs per square meter of lawn.
Instructions for soil preparation
If the budget for the new planting or lawn renewal is very tight, we recommend preparing the ground yourself. As the following instructions for the fine planum and rough planum show, no extensive experience is required to put the brakes on costs in this way.
Necessary machines can be borrowed inexpensively from hardware stores, often in conjunction with a trailer for transport. The procedure for sowing seeds and laying turf is largely the same. The following work steps are each supplemented with the costs per square meter, based on a 100 square meter lawn.
rough planum
Whether you want to create a lawn on a previously unplanted property or you want to renew a disused patchwork quilt - the use of machines makes the heavy soil work easier for you. You can break up the compacted soil on a new building site in no time at all with a tiller. Remove an old lawn using a special peeling machine. The aim of the work is to loosen the topsoil at least to the depth of a spade. A professional rough subgrade ensures that your new lawn grows well and does not later suffer from waterlogging and soil compaction.
How to do it right:
- the best time is late March/early April when the ground has completely thawed
- to renew, remove the old lawn with a rented lawn peeling machine
- break up the area with a tiller for the new system
- dig up the peeled or milled soil to the depth of a spade
- throw the excavated soil through a throw-through sieve to remove weeds, roots and stones
- enrich the soil with sifted compost, horn shavings and sand
- Alternatively, incorporate a starter fertilizer for lawns according to the manufacturer's instructions
In the following 2 to 3 weeks the tilled soil has to rest to settle. This resting phase is also useful because during this time all weed seeds dormant in the ground germinate and can therefore be removed in good time before sowing or laying the lawn strips.
Rough planum costs
Costs for the creation of the rough planum
- Rent a tiller/motor hoe: EUR 49.50 per day
- Rent a lawn peeling machine/turf cutter: EUR 72.00 per day
- Pass-through sieve with support: 22.50 euros
- Compost: free
- Horn shavings: 5 kg (50 g per m²) or 2.5 kg starter fertilizer for 100 m²: 9.90 euros
- Total prices for 100 m² of rough subgrade with tiller: 81.90 euros - corresponds to 0.82 euros per m²
- Total prices for 100 m² rough subgrade with lawn peeling machine: 104.40 euros - corresponds to 1.00 euros per m²
fine level
At the end of the resting phase, the final tillage aims at a finely crumbly soil so that the noble grasses take root quickly.
Here's how to do it:
- raking, weeding and raking the area
- smooth with a slat
- Walk down with a (rented) lawn roller
The use of a lawn roller at this time is recommended when the soil is so loose and airy that even light rain can cause scouring. Please only settle for the fine planum when an even, weed-free surface has formed.
Fine planum costs
Costs for the creation of the fine planum
- Rent for a lawn roller: 8.80 euros per day - corresponds to 0.09 euros per m²
Sowing lawn seeds
The quality of the seed is decisive for the successful course of a lawn renewal. The prices should not be the sole criterion for the purchase decision. You should also not let yourself be ensnared by euphonious product names. Choose a lawn mixture that is precisely tailored to the site conditions and contains at least a proportion of the meadow grass Poa supina. Furthermore, slow growth is considered a benchmark for premium quality with dense turf and infrequent mowing.
This is how the sowing proceeds professionally:
- in the fine planum, the ground temperature is over 10 degrees Celsius even at night
- spread the seed by hand or with a spreader
- sow lengthwise and crosswise at a rate of 20 to 25 grams per square meter
- rake the light germs superficially into the soil with a rake
- Consolidate with a lawn roller for a good ground contact
Experience has shown that the need for lawn seed increases if you sow the seed by hand. If the seeds are very fine, mix in some bird sand beforehand for a more even distribution. In wind-exposed locations, sprinkle a thin layer of peat or sand over the seedbed to protect against drifts. In the last step, water the freshly sown lawn extensively with a fine spray. Investing in a lawn sprinkler only pays off for an area of more than 100 square meters.
cost of sowing
- Seeds 2 kg for 100 m² (e.g. Loretta Supranova): 38.50 euros
- Rent a lawn roller: 8.80 euros per day
- Spreader (e.g. substrate Easygreen Universal centrifugal spreader): 29.90 euros
- Total prices for sowing: 77.20 euros - corresponds to 0.77 euros per m²
turf laying
Laying of turf
If a dreary area of ground is transformed from one day to the next into a lush green, dense carpet, ready-made turf performs this small miracle. This variant for renewing lawns or for new plants scores with speed compared to sowing lawn seeds. As a practiced home gardener, you have the option of laying it yourself, which noticeably reduces the costs.
Since ready-made turf is threatened by drought stress from the moment it is harvested, ideally have the green strips delivered in the early morning. The rough and fine subgrade should be finished so that the laying is complete by the evening.
This is how the work goes:
- slightly moisten the fine planum before laying
- Lay the first roll of sod along a straight edge
- continue laying using the butt-to-butt method and offset
- Avoid gaps and joints
- Lay slats first on freshly laid lawns and only then step on them
Once all the lawn rolls are in place, roll your new lawn lengthwise and crosswise. Do not enter a lane until it has already been compacted. Point loads at this stage cause irreversible dents. Finally, blast the turf piercingly and repeat this action at 2-day intervals for the next 14 days.
Cost of turf
- Prices for premium quality decorative lawns: from EUR 7.75 per m² (including delivery)
- Prices for playing and sports turf: from EUR 6.75 per m² (including delivery)
Protection against moles
Optionally, you can protect your new lawn effectively from the start against moles turning it into a crater landscape. To do this, spread out a fine-meshed mole net on the moistened subgrade. The material is so finely structured that the roots of the lawn can easily penetrate it. Within a few weeks, the net has grown so tight that moles, voles or grubs can no longer get through.
Mole Fright costs
- Price for 100 m² mole net: 198.90 euros - corresponds to 1.99 euros per m
- Price for 100 ground anchors for attachment: 6.20 euros - corresponds to 0.06 euros per m²