Laying a turf do-it-yourself

Every owner of a large area wants to put it in order and give him a minimum of time, while he must always be in good condition. One of these options is the lawn, but for independent sowing and cultivation it will take a lot of time and effort, and, most importantly, only next year you can get a high-quality and thick coating. That is why many are considering the purchase of turf, which is quickly laid on the prepared surface of the earth. In order to lay the turf with your own hands properly, it is necessary to follow some rules. How to correctly lay a turf without the involvement of experts and will be discussed in this article.

General Information

The finished lawn roll is presented in the form of a twisted layer of turf with a germinated grass of small height. The lawn got its name because of transportation, since it is in this form that it is transported for convenience. Due to its advantages, the lawn has a fairly large popularity throughout the country and the world. Among them, the most obvious are:

obtaining a decorative coating in a few hours;
the possibility of laying on a relief surface, in particular, on slopes;
high rates of frost and drought tolerance;
during the first years weeds are completely absent;
atmospheric phenomena and heavy rainfall do not affect the turf;
it can be laid from early spring to late autumn.

Each roll weighs about 30 kg, which allows any man to easily cope with the transfer and laying. But, for reinsurance, it is better to perform this process together. For convenience, special pallets can be used.

Specifying the exact weight of the lawn in rolls is quite difficult, since it directly depends on the weather. So, if the cut was made after the rains, the mass will be larger, and if it is less in drought.

Lawn roll quality

Laying a turf do-it-yourself

Going to the store, you need to carefully inspect the roll, because when laying a lawn, not only technology is important, but also the high quality material. So, in a specialized store you can get acquainted with a huge assortment, but all the bays will look the same. Most often they have standard parameters:

length - 2 m;
width - 40 cm;
plant height - 6 cm;
turf - 2 cm.

To purchase this information will not be enough, as it is important to check the technology of growing the lawn: the bay is rolled out and carefully viewed layer from both sides. It is necessary to pay attention to the following criteria:

The presence of weeds and pests.
Uniform lawn height: no voids.
Root system strength: the edge of the roll pulls towards itself a little and if the grass layer moves away, it means that the roots are poorly developed. Such a lawn will settle down very badly.
The quality of the roots (on the reverse side of the roll, you can study the density of the weave of the roots; the higher it is, the better).

Also, don't forget about the big variety. So, there are not only park, but also sports lawns, which can be:

shade-tolerant;
resistant to trampling;
drought-resistant.

This criterion will depend on the types of seeds and technology that was used for cultivation.

Even visually, you can determine rolls for quality. Just look at the cut and determine: is the thickness of each turn the same? If yes, then you can be sure and buy, and if not - it is worth considering other options.

Preparation - the key to quick laying of the lawn

Laying a turf do-it-yourself

After making the decision to lay the lawn on your plot, you should not immediately go to the store for a purchase. The installation instructions indicate that it is first necessary to carry out the preparatory work, since the green material has a short shelf life.

The entire territory on which the green carpet will be laid must be cleaned of stumps and various types of construction debris. The top layer should be removed not less than 5 cm, this will be enough. Particular attention should be paid to weeds, rhizomatous, which have deep roots and can damage the formation of the lawn. These include:

coltsfoot;
dandelion;
plantain;
nettle;
wheatgrass ;
sleep and others.

If there are a lot of them, we need to treat the weeds with special means, such as Roundup, before removing the soil. After the work associated with the removal of the upper layer, it is necessary to dig up the soil by hand or with a cultivator, and also tamper with a special roller. Only after that it will be possible to start laying the turf.

A drainage system is equally important. This is found in clay soil.The right decision will be the construction of a drainage cushion from a mixture of sand and gravel. Its height should not exceed 10 cm. 5-7 days before it is supposed to lay the lawn it is necessary to apply complex fertilizer. This will increase the fertility and rapid growth of the lawn, as well as reduce the level of acidity in the ground.

In no case should you bury garbage in the ground. Due to rotting processes, the rooted lawn root system may not settle down and die.

Features of self-laying

Laying a turf do-it-yourself Work stages

As it was already The above mentioned lawn can be practiced from spring to autumn, but the best time is the middle of each season. It is at this time that the required amount of moisture is in the soil, and the air temperature is not too high. These are optimal conditions for a good strengthening of the root system.

When considering various technologies, it is necessary to know exactly how to lay a turf on your territory. The main condition is the lack of coincidence of joints in the rows, which resembles brickwork during the construction of houses. Starting to unwind the lawn roll should be from the side where the plants are folded. Do not bend the edges or wrap plants. If necessary, create a shape with a knife cut the necessary elements.

It is important to make calculations correctly: at the edges and ends, the length of the roll must be at least 1 m. Small segments and pieces should be laid inside the green area. This will give the lawn uniformity. After the first row is laid, it is necessary to tamp it with a press (can be made from a wide board). If there are holes or grooves, raise the layer, remove surplus or fill the ground. Subsequent rows are laid tightly to the previous one - butt. During the next month it is not recommended to walk on the lawn. Also, during the first two weeks, you need to water the green cover generously. For this fit an automatic irrigation system.

The integrity of the root system will depend on the speed of installation, so do not constantly slow down the coating and drag it in different directions.

Tips and recommendations

Laying a turf do-it-yourself

In fact, the list of recommendations is quite large, but if you take into account the 5 main ones, then you will have a high-quality and durable green coating :

The most favorable period for the work is May. It is this month that the vegetation shows great growth activity, and, therefore, it will quickly take root in a new area.
Store lawn rolls preferably in the shade. At high temperatures, air must be carefully watered.
Shelf life should not exceed more than 3 days, and it is best to start laying immediately after delivery.
If the rolled coils have not been laid, then they should be rolled again overnight and water well to humidify.
After all the elements of the designated zone are fully laid, they carry out abundant watering. Water should fall under the lawn layer. To check this, it is enough to lift the edge of one of the layers.

If you do not adhere to at least one of the rules, as a result, the lawn cover will be spoiled. Since this gardening is worth a lot of money, you should listen to simple recommendations and do everything according to technology.

Care

Laying a turf do-it-yourself Watering the Lawn

If you check the statistics and the amount positive feedback on roll lawn, we can say that it is an excellent option for the formation of green lawns. However, it must be remembered that only with the organization of proper care can you enjoy a thick green coating over the years:

Haircut. It is carried out with the help of any type of lawn mower. The frequency of conducting will depend on the growth rate as soon as the height is exceeded by 1/3 of the norm. So, in the summer, the lawn is cut once a week; in spring and autumn, the procedure is carried out less frequently.
Watering. Orientation is necessary for weather conditions.
Fertilizers. Special complex fertilizers are made on a nitrogen basis every month during the spring and summer. To prepare the lawn for the winter is to apply phosphate-potassium fertilizers.
Weeds. The presence of such will spoil the appearance and attractiveness of green lawns, so you need to deal with them with the help of herbicides or hoes.
Aeration. In order for the grass to grow well it is necessary to carry out aeration. To do this, the turf should be pierced with special sharp devices to a depth of about 10 cm. The distance between each puncture should also be 10 cm. This will improve water exchange and air circulation. Carry out the procedure in spring and early autumn.

In the dry period, watering is organized 2 times a week. You should not forget about the calculation of water: for 1 m ² you need about 10 liters.

As you can see, each of the processes for laying rolled turf can be performed on its own without the involvement of specialists and special equipment. In just a couple of days, the plot around the house will be fully landscaped and at the same time a sufficiently large amount will be saved.