Preparing for new turf is easy, but it requires patience and the right approach. We will show you step by step how to achieve the best possible result.

In a nutshell

  • old lawn must be thoroughly removed
  • It is best to start the preparations in the previous year
  • Fertilizing is necessary
  • Green manure can be useful
  • digging is necessary in any case

clear lawn

The first step in preparing for your new turf is removing the old grass plants. A lawn peeling machine is ideal for this. The procedure is as follows:

  • the lawn is mowed as short as possible
  • the green area is cut into lanes with the lawn peeling machine
  • each sheet is rolled up and disposed of individually

Hints: A corresponding machine can be rented in a hardware store, for example. Alternatively, the old lawn can also be cut off with a spade. However, this requires more time and means more effort.

digging up

So that the roots of the grass plants can grow optimally, the soil must be loose and well aerated. For this, the earth should be dug at least 30 centimeters deep.

Tip: During this measure, it is advisable to use lawn edging stones or an irrigation system. Since the earth is already loose and excavated, appropriate changes can be carried out very easily.

clean surface

Removing the old lawn is not enough. If you want to get the best results, you'll need to clear the soil of other debris as well. These include:

  • moss
  • stones
  • weed
  • root

The easiest way to remove these is to use a sieve. You can either buy one or build one yourself. Four strips and a piece of fine-meshed wire are sufficient for this.
Another advantage of this measure is that the soil can be sieved very finely. Larger clumps, stones, twigs and even any plant bulbs that may be present can be removed very easily. The substrate becomes loose, well drained and receptive. This allows the roots of the rolled turf to grow particularly easily.

Tip: Sieve the earth multiple times. Even if it means more effort, it is worth the effort. If the substrate is very loamy, you can also mix in sand to loosen it up.

fertilization

There are several options for fertilization. These include:

  • finished fertilizer
  • horn meal
  • compost

A combination of sieved compost and horn meal is ideal and also environmentally friendly. The best way of distribution is a spreader and then working it into the ground.

Tip: SYou can also rent a spreader. In the long term, however, the purchase is cheaper because the necessary nutrients can be distributed more evenly and precisely dosed.

horn shavings

Alternative: green manure

If you start preparing the subsoil for the turf in the spring or summer of the previous year, so-called green manure can be a valid alternative to applying additional nutrients. This involves sowing plants such as:

  • broad beans
  • lupine
  • Persian clover

You can also apply a mixture of them. The plants ensure good aeration of the soil, help soil dwellers and microorganisms to settle and provide nutrients. In autumn you can mow the plants and work the green waste directly into the substrate. Over the winter, the components decompose and enrich the soil with nutrients. The disadvantage of this is that the lawn cannot be used for a long time and initially looks overgrown. The advantage, however, is that the preparation is particularly thorough and creates optimal conditions for a long time.

rake

In order for a level, smooth lawn to develop, you must smooth the area in advance. A simple calculation is sufficient for this. A positive side effect of this measure is that the surface is loosened up again.

Water

Before new turf is spread, it must be watered several times. This is important so that the nutrients can be distributed evenly and penetrate deeper into the soil. A renewed watering should also take place before the application of the individual tracks.

deploy

A definite benefit of sod turf is that you don't have to wait for the seeds to germinate. It grows quickly and therefore greens the area in a short time. Lay out lane by lane and make sure that there are no grooves between the rollers. This should be followed by watering again so that it grows faster. In addition, you should not enter and use the green area at the beginning. The plants need at least one to two weeks to be resilient.

turf

frequently asked Questions

When should the preparation take place?

The previous year is ideal. In this way, the soil is optimally prepared and new rolled turf not only grows quickly, but can also be loaded without any problems shortly after it has been laid.

When is new turf laid out?

Rolling out can take place from spring to autumn. The only thing to avoid is frost. However, spring after the last frost is best. In this way, the lawn can grow well and be hardened.

What alternatives are there to turf?

Of course, new turf is not the only way to green an area. Sowing grass or wild herb meadows is also useful. It takes longer and the effort can be higher until these areas are accessible. However, the deployment is cheaper in terms of price.

Category:

Garden design