Are you no longer happy with your lawn? Have you lost control and it’s time to start over? In this article, we’ll explain the steps to follow so that you can get your beautiful, green and healthy lawn back!
Steps to follow
-
The best time
-
Ground preparation
-
Laying peat
-
Lawn maintenance
1. The best time to lay peat
A question that often comes up is: “When is the best time to lay turf?” The short answer is, anytime except during the heatwaves . The least likely time for a heatwave is early in the season (April-May) and late in the season (September-November) . For this reason, it is advisable to install during these months.
2. Preparing the ground
The excavation
A crucial step in laying sod is to remove the old layer of sod as well as at least three inches of soil . It is possible to do this by hand, but a router will save you a lot of time and energy. It is also important to remove rocks and branches from the ground.
Adding soil
Once the ground is excavated, it is time to add at least three inches of new soil to your land . We suggest using top soil (black soil with sand to help with drainage). The nursery will be able to help you with the quantity to order otherwise the calculation looks like this:
Number of square feet of area x thickness of soil in feet / 27 = Total number of yards to order
Example: 2500 square feet with 3 inches of top soil
Calculation: (2500 x (3 / 12)) / 27 = 23 yards of top soil
Leveling
A very important aspect is to ensure that water does not accumulate on the edge of the house. It is then necessary to level the ground with the top soil to avoid these accumulations of water. Once the slopes are well done, use a lawn roller or a vibrating plate to compact the new soil which will avoid spongy ground when watering.
Last step before laying, we suggest adding a rooting fertilizer * to the ground to provide extra nutrients to the new lawn.
3. Laying peat
How to lay peat?
Finally, it’s time to lay the sod! It is highly recommended that you install the sod rolls as soon as you receive them . The correct way is to lay the rolls so that they “interlock” with each other . This is done by laying the first row and when starting the second, unroll the roll from the middle of the first roll of the first row.
It is important not to leave any space between the rollers.
The last step of laying is to add seed to the entire surface of the peaty ground.
4. Lawn maintenance
Watering
The most important thing remains: maintenance.
Once the new turf is laid, it is crucial to water every day (permit required depending on the region) for two weeks . Make sure that the soil under the lawn is well moistened.
Mowing
Before mowing, make sure the rollers are firmly rooted in the soil. The length of time depends on several factors, but we suggest waiting at least 14 days before mowing . Give your lawn time, a lot of effort and money has been put into it, so be patient! The first few mowings will require you to raise your mower so that the height of the cut grass is 4 inches. Continuing this for a few weeks will allow the lawn to adjust to its new environment and give you better results. Maintenance is the most important part of this process.
General grounds maintenance
Here are some tips to ensure you keep your lawn looking beautiful and healthy:
-
Stubble cultivation and top dressing with seeds in April-May
-
Weekly lawn mowing with a minimum height of 3 inches and even more during periods of heatwave
-
A 4-step fertilizer addition or by a specialized company
-
Watering as much as possible
-
Aeration + top dressing in October-November
Now you know how to lay peat properly!
