Seven Top Tips for Caring for Garden Turf

Laying turf creates a lawn very quickly, rather than having to wait for grass seed to grow. However, new turf needs proper care to ensure it takes root and flourishes. As turf suppliers based in Cambridge, Madingley Mulch also provides a whole range of products to care for your grass, including top dressing for lawns.

Here are seven top tips for looking after turf.

1. Prepare the Soil – For good results, it’s essential to have a good soil base ready before the turf is laid. The sand and soil mix provided by Madingley Mulch is ideal for creating the right conditions, because it is light and has a good level of drainage. Digging or rotovating the ground can help to improve its condition, as can digging in well-rotted manure or other organic matter. Preparation work also includes getting rid of weeds such as couch grass or bindweed, but you need to avoid residual weedkiller, as this could potentially stop the grass from being established.
2. Lay within 24 Hours – We offer turf for both collection and delivery, which is all grown in the local area within East Anglia and of good quality. Some times of year are better for laying turf than others, particularly spring and autumn. Ideally, new turf should be laid within 24 hours of delivering or collecting it, as this leads to the best results. This means it’s important to have the ground prepared in time for its arrival. Before the turf is laid, it should be stacked up and stored in a shady area, as this will help to avoid it drying out too much.
3. Avoid Walking on the New Turf – Walking on new grass before it has had time to establish itself can damage it, with footmarks sinking into the turf and causing dead patches. However, it’s possible to guard against this by using boards or planks when you need to access the lawn and making sure you only stand on the boards. It can be difficult to keep pets and children off the new turf, but they will also need to steer clear for at least the first week!
4. Watering – To take root properly, new turf needs to be kept moist. This is one reason why spring and autumn are more popular seasons for laying it than summer, with the higher risk of drought. When watering new-laid turf, you will need to use a hosepipe to be sure of getting enough moisture into the ground. Once the turf has been laid, it should be watered every day, but, if the weather is very hot, watering might need to be carried out twice daily.
5. Mowing – The first cut will usually be needed after about a week, but first check that the roots have gone into the soil properly. To guard against cutting away too much of the new growth, you need to adjust the mower’s blades to a higher setting for the first cut. It’s also advisable to mow in a different direction each time during the first few cuts.
6. Top Dressing – Top dressing for lawns can also help with the condition of the turf, especially if there are dry patches showing. If you want advice about lawn top dressing mix or other products which could improve the condition of the grass, please contact us by phone at our site in Madingley, Cambridge, for a reliable and friendly service.
7. Ongoing Care – Even after the turf has taken root and turned into an established lawn, it will still need ongoing care. Regular fertilising can help to create a beautiful green lawn, with many gardeners feeding the lawn for the first time within 4 weeks of laying the turf, and then applying fertiliser every 2 or 3 months after that. As well as fertilising, watering and mowing regularly, you also need to watch out for any lawn pests or diseases. If you notice anything you are worried about, then it’s best to get advice early so you can tackle any problem before it becomes established.

Top Dressing for Lawns Cambridge – Click to see Madingley Mulch’s range of garden products and tools, or click here to learn more about our turfing supplies. We supply customers from areas including Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire.

 

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