Turf Shop, Lincolnshire UK

The problems that arise from turfing in wet weather are related not to the laying itself but rather to the preparation of the soil beforehand.

In preparing a bed for the turf great care should be taken to avoid compaction. What do I mean by compaction? A compacted soil is the opposite of a well-structured soil – and it’s the well-structured soil that is what we’re aiming at for optimum grass growth. A well-structured soil has got lots of air spaces interspersed between the soil particles so that grass roots can grow uninterrupted down through the soil. Compacted soil, on the other hand, has very little air space between the soil particles. Root growth is restricted leading to poor, stunted plants that are prone to the affects of drought and heavy wear.

It’s difficult to compact dry soil, but when it comes to wet soil compaction can occur very easily. There is a further complication in that wet clay soils are much more prone to compaction than wet sandy soils. But why should this be?

In simple terms, all soils are made up of a range of particle sizes, but clay soils are characterised by having a high proportion of very fine particles with tiny air spaces between them. Sandy soils, on the other hand, are made up of larger particles with larger air spaces between them. And loamy soils are somewhere in between.

When a clay soil is dry it has great load-bearing strength. But when it’s wet it becomes soft and sticky, and very easy to smear and squash. And when you squash a clay soil you squeese out the air spaces leaving a dense “poorly-structured”, or compacted, soil. In these conditions grass finds it very difficult to grow. However, a wet sandy soil is not as easy to squash and is less prone to compaction.

So, going back to our original problem, you can see why care needs to be taken in preparing soil before turfing. During wet weather it’s best to stay off clay or loamy soils. If you put machinery over them and try to work them into a fine bed you will smear and squash the soil and cause compaction. Even walking over wet clay soils will cause problems. The best thing to do is to wait until the soil is dry enough to work without sticking to machinery and boots. Patience is a virtue – many of the problems associated with lawns and turf can be traced back to the preparation of the soil in wet conditions. And it’s very difficult to correct compaction once a lawn has been laid.

If you’re considering improving your garden, right now is one of the best times to do so. People are always asking, ‘Can I lay turf now?’ or ‘When is the best time to lay turf?’ The honest answer is that you can lay turf all year round. There are, however, more favourable conditions found at certain times of the year.

If you consider what turf needs to establish well, then you can easily see why now is the best time to lay turf. Once turf is laid it requires plenty of moisture in order to keep the grass going until the turf has put its roots down into the underlying soil. Turf also requires sufficient warmth to grow its roots into the underlying soil.

In winter, you have the benefit of lots of moisture to keep the turf wet until established, however the cold weather can reduce the rate of growth of the roots, meaning you may need to wait longer until you can use your new lawn.

In summer the warmer weather gets the grass growing quickly and ensures the roots grow down into the soil over a short period of time allowing you to use you lawn quite soon after laying. The compromise is that summer is drier (or is meant to be) than the rest of the year, therefore irrigation is required until the grass has become established.

In both spring and autumn, the conditions are perfect for laying turf. There is plenty of rainfall to help with the irrigation and the temperatures ensure a good steady rate of establishment allowing you to use your lawn fairly soon after laying.

I know it seems daft to lay a new lawn in autumn as the time to use the garden is fast drawing to an end. However if you consider that the turf will be established and ready to use within about 2 weeks of laying, this gives you plenty of warm weather left to enjoy in your newly turfed garden. Also, having rejuvenated the garden and improved the drainage of the soil by doing the ground preparation before turfing, your lawn will remain useable right through winter, perfect for fireworks on bonfire night or new year's eve.

Take a look through our range of 4 turf types. Each turf mixture offers a different quality and is designed for use in your garden.

Laying lawn turf couldn’t be easier and all the information you need is available in Turfshop’s information pages – How To Lay Turf.

What is the difference between normal fertiliser like the ones I see on TV and Turfshop’s Controlled Release Fertiliser?

Traditional Fertilisers have all the nitrogen available to the grass straight away.

Controlled Release Fertilisers are small pellets of nutrients that would normally be available to the grass straight away, but are instead coated in a hi-tech polymer coating which releases the nutrients gradually depending on weather conditions.

Traditional lawn feeds make all their nutrients available to the grass in one go. Under the influence of precipitation, a large percentage of the nutrients leach away (approx. 30% of the nitrogen).The remaining nutrients cause the grass to grow quickly above ground in a sudden boost, creating a lot more mowing. As there is never a consistent level of nutrients, creating a consistent rate of growth, root development is minimal. Re-application is normally required after about 6 weeks.

Controlled Release Fertilisers are designed to release the exact nutrient levels required by the plant each day. Only a negligible amount of nutrient is lost through leaching (approx. 5% of the nitrogen). The grass grows at an even rate due to the constant and regular release of nutrients from the granule. Root development also benefits from more consistent nutrient levels, leaving an overall much healthier plant. Despite daily releases of nutrient the granule has sufficient to last up to 8-9 months depending on the particular fertiliser you choose.

If you were to order All-Round Controlled Release Fertiliser from Turfshop this would last you 4-5 months.

If you were to feed your lawn with a traditional fertiliser over the same length of time you would need to re-apply every 6 weeks. This is an additional 3.5 applications.

Baring in mind most fertilisers on the market are boxed in quantities sufficient for 100sq.m, less than half of what our Controlled Release Fertilisers will cover, the equivalent cost on average is approximately £45.10, DOUBLE the cost of the most expensive Controlled Release Fertiliser!!

Not only are Controlled Release Fertilisers better value, they have far more benefits, only needing to apply once, not having to mow more regularly after application, having a more consistent lawn and most importantly having a healthier lawn.

So it is clear to see that there is only one choice to make when choosing the best lawn feed for you and your garden!!

Monthly Lawn Care Tips

Can I lay turf in wet weather?