Installation

Ground preparation for turf-laying:

Loosen up the area to be laid with turf deeply; verticulate soil finely; level and pre-roll. Then apply fertiliser (100 g/m2 turf fertiliser e.g. Schwab Rollrasendünger® and 30 - 50 g/m2 soil fertiliser e.g. Schwab Bodenstarter®). Level the surface again, working the fertiliser lightly into the topsoil layers, and then roll again. The surface should be sufficiently firm so that a footprint leaves no trace. Order the turf so that it will be delivered when you have finished preparing the ground. Calculate about 5% shrinkage through trimming. As soon as the turf arrives, remove the foil packaging and lay the turf, roll and water. Lift one of the turfs to check whether the ground is well moistened to a depth of about 5 cm.

The latest development: turf rolls in sandwich style

The latest results of lawn research indicate that best results are achieved by laying new turf rolls directly onto an existing old lawn without ground preparation. An investigation by the department of soil care at the Bavarian State Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture in Veitshöchheim has discovered that this method of laying turf has no disadvantages compared with conventional turf laying including soil preparation. Quite the contrary: test areas on which the existing grass was simply mown and then covered with the new turf rolls looked at least as good, if not better, than the turf which had been laid in the conventional manner. Eight weeks after laying the old grass had completely disappeared and was only visible in a ground sample as a slightly darker strip. This proves that the so-called “turf roll sandwich” functions very well indeed and that labour-intensive ground preparation before laying a new lawn with turf rolls is not essential.
In practice this means that new turf rolls can be laid directly on top of the old lawn without preparing the ground beforehand. The only preparation which is necessary is to mow the grass; any irregularities can be evened out with fine topsoil or lawn substrate, and the area should also be fertilised. Any edges where the lawn abuts paved areas, the edge of a flower bed or another expanse of lawn should be reworked because the new lawn will lie about one centimetre higher than the old one. This is an inexpensive and time-saving method of laying a new lawn; depending on the area covered, it is about one-third cheaper than the conventional turf-laying and ground preparation process.

Immediate care after laying the turf:

Freshly-laid turf should be kept damp at all times for the first 2 - 3 weeks after laying. After that it will have produced enough roots to be able to absorb water from the soil. If the weather is dry and hot you should water the new lawn daily. Only water it sufficiently to ensure that the turf and 5 cm of the ground beneath are damp, but not so wet that the lawn cannot be walked on.
If the weather is cloudy or rainy you can reduce the irrigation accordingly. The grass should be cut for the first time about 5 - 8 days after the turf has been laid. Once the new lawn has taken root (after 2 - 4 weeks) you can reduce the irrigation. That means you should water the lawn 1 – 2 times per week if the weather is dry and sunny, using about 15 - 20 litres per m2. We can supply you with a rain gauge and sprinkler for watering your garden.