Laying Turf in March

Is it possible to lay turf in the spring?  Yes, of course it is, and here are some top tips to ensure that your new lawn turf will not just survive but thrive!

1. Preparation is (still) key
2. Just in time ordering (we deliver turf next day, get a price here)
3. Looking after your lawn once it’s laid

The quality of your lawn will depend on the quality of your preparation. Luckily for you, there are very few perennial weeds growing at this time of year, although the mild temperatures mean that more are around than usual this year. Make sure you clear them all away, using a good systemic weedkiller if like most of us, you’re not confident that you can dig out every last root. The ground is pretty wet for digging over at the moment, and you’re likely to compact it if you try to stand on it, so wait for a reasonably dry period, say a week or two, before you start.

It’s a bit like stock control in factories, odd though that sounds. You don’t want your lawn turf standing around for any length of time, as it’s not good for the turf. So buy turf or order it from your turf suppliers just before you want to lay it. That may mean monitoring the long-term weather forecast for a while. You don’t want to lay turf when it’s very wet or very cold, that is, when the ground is frozen. So don’t order the turf until you’re confident that you have a few days’ grace when it’s not forecast to rain or freeze.

If the weather does turn against you, and you have to leave the turf unlaid for a few days, unroll it and leave it flat, instead of in rolls.

Over the last few years, we have had some pretty extreme weather, including long spells of both wet and dry weather, even in the spring. Both could be problematic, so let’s deal with them in turn.

First, wet weather. If it’s really wet, try to avoid walking on your lawn if possible. Regular foot passage in the wet will damage any lawn, but a new one is particularly vulnerable because the roots have not yet established, so it won’t come back after damage.

And if it’s very dry, you’ll need to water your new lawn more often, say every couple of days, instead of once a week, until you’re confident that it’s well established. If you’ve invested in good quality turf, it’s best to safeguard your investment, at least for the first few months.