Many hobby gardeners dream of having a good-looking, continuous lawn in their garden within a few hours. If you want to create a new lawn, it usually takes a long time until you have a real lawn. With turf it is much faster. The subsoil has to be prepared for this, but it’s quite easy. Turf does not only have advantages. The speed of having a lawn in the garden is one thing. However, one must not forget that turf is significantly more expensive than seed. In addition, a lot of water must be used for the lawn to grow. That costs too. We have summarized the advantages and disadvantages of rolled turf.
Table of Contents
Benefits of turf
The most decisive advantage is, of course, how quickly the lawn can be laid. If the ground is well prepared, the rollers only have to be brought into the right position. Then you roll them out, fit the ends together and lay out the entire area.
- Rolled turf is laid in no time.
- You can lay out almost all year round, although winter is not ideal.
- Rolled turf can be walked on after it has been laid. However, it takes a few weeks before you can fully claim it.
- Rolled turf is so dense that even weed seeds have a hard time gaining a foothold in it. Weeds from below can hardly get through, the root network is so dense.
Disadvantages of turf
The main disadvantage of turf is its price. For this reason, many interested people opt for the slow process of seeding. The price is many times higher. So if you have to do the math, especially after building a house, turf will be too expensive.
- Soil preparation is also more complex than when a lawn is sown normally.
- The subsoil is usually treated with nutrients.
- With some providers you pay extra for everything, the turf itself, the preparation (if done by the same company), transport and laying it out if you don’t do it yourself. All sorts of things come together there. It is better to base yourself on the all-inclusive price.
- Rolled turf is not good for shady areas. Mossing often occurs there.
- This lawn is also not ideal for constantly damp areas. The ground needs to be improved!
preparation
If you want to lay rolled turf, the subsoil must be prepared accordingly. In most cases this is not difficult. You can certainly do this yourself and save money as well.
- Unevenness must be eliminated!
- Weeds should also be removed and stones picked out!
- It is good to loosen the soil. A tiller is ideal for this. Such a device can be borrowed.
- If the subsoil is not ideal for rolled turf, it must be prepared!
- Sandy soil needs to be enriched! Topsoil is suitable, but humus also serves well.
- Heavy or very loamy soils must be loosened! The admixture of sand is well suited.
- The entire prepared area must be leveled with a lawn roller! In this way, the lawn can be unrolled particularly well and joined together appropriately. This device can also be borrowed.
- Many companies that offer rolled turf recommend applying a starter fertiliser. As a rule, the fertilizer can be supplied by this company.
- At the end, it is advisable to lightly raise the surface of the earth with a rake. This allows the laid lawn to root better.
The relocation
Once the subsoil has been prepared, the supplied turf can be laid out. The installation is not difficult, you can do it yourself. It is important that you work exactly end to end. There should be no gaps between the lanes!
- You pick the longest straight edge and start there!
- The turf is laid end to end in a bond.
- Overlaps can be easily cut off with a large knife.
- The lawn can be trimmed as desired, especially when it comes to curves or corners.
- Once the lawn has been laid, it must be rolled. The entire area is rolled with a lawn roller. This is the only way for the roots to make good contact with the ground. The roller can in turn be borrowed.
- Watering, which should be carried out immediately after laying, is also important. Approximately 20 liters of water should be calculated per m².
The care of the laid turf
Until the turf has grown properly, it needs a lot of water. It should actually be kept fairly moist at all times. However, this can result in hat fungi settling. In the vast majority of cases, they disappear as soon as normal watering resumes.
- The lawn can be walked on, but it shouldn’t necessarily be. He can get over a single person walking over him, but not a child’s birthday party.
- It is best to treat the fresh lawn with care and protect it for a while.
- Water abundantly daily for 7 to 10 days. The lawn should have grown by then.
- The first lawn cut usually takes place after 14 days.
- After 4 to 6 weeks, the turf can be fully loaded. It is now cared for like any other lawn.
The first lawn cut
If the lawn is firmly attached to the ground, it can be mowed. This is usually the case after two weeks. It is important that the cutting blades of the lawnmower are very sharp. This prevents blunt blades from ripping out grass sods that have not yet grown properly.
- The cutting height for rolled turf is between 3.5 and 4.5 cm.
- The first cut should be made when the growth height of 8 cm has been reached.
- Do not cut off more than 1/3, otherwise there is a risk of thinning!
- Turf should be mowed at least once a week!
The care of overgrown rolled turf
Rolled turf that has grown properly hardly differs in terms of care from a normally sown lawn. In the growth period from March to October mowing takes place once a week. Cutting too short can burn the lawn. Sometimes the first cut is due in March. The last cut is usually at the end of October, sometimes a little later.
- It is important that nothing is left on the lawn for a long time.
- Three fertilizer applications per year are ideal.
- In spring – rich in nitrogen, magnesium and iron, between March and mid-April
- Beginning of summer – mid-May to mid-June, fertilization with emphasis on potassium or
- In July – nitrogen-based slow-release fertilizer
- The last fertilization is a potassium-rich fertilization, which helps the lawn to get through the winter unscathed. late August/early September
- When it is dry, the lawn is watered once or twice!
- To keep evaporation low, it is best to water in the morning or evening.
- Don’t skimp on watering! Lawns evaporate about 20 liters of water per m² every day in summer.
- You water when the lawn leaves no longer straighten when you step on it. 10 to 20 liters per m² are ideal.
- With normal water pressure, this means running the lawn sprinkler for about 1.5 hours.
- 1 to 2 waterings per week are sufficient.
- It is wrong to water the lawn every evening and not so much. The roots do not grow into the ground and are very sensitive to drought.
- In spring (April) scarifying is done to prevent thatch and moss formation. Sometimes it makes sense to scarify again in the fall, even though that weakens the lawn. Don’t start too late!
Buy turf
There are turf dealers in almost every federal state. In the “Yellow Pages” and on the Internet you can find out where the nearest dealer is to be found. Since there are not only reputable providers, one is well advised to inquire about recommendations.
costs
Rolled turf is significantly more expensive than sowing the lawn normally. The advantage is that you immediately have a lush green meadow around the house. There are different lawn seeds that are used for rolled turf. The prices depend on these varieties.
- Normal family lawn, with high density and extremely hard-wearing, costs from 2.50 euros per m².
- Premium turf, with similar properties but extremely easy to maintain, is slightly more expensive, starting at 3 euros per m².
- Sports turf, regenerative and resilient, fast-growing is priced a little higher, at around 4 euros per m².
However, these prices only apply to self-collectors. If you have the lawn delivered, you have to dig extra into your pocket for this. Prices are based on quantity, but mostly on distance from the manufacturer to your garden. You have to reckon with about 1 euro per m². Growth fertilizer also costs extra, around 0.25 euros per m². Soil preparation is expensive when done by a professional. Here you can expect around 5 euros per m². That’s why it’s better to do it yourself. The laying itself costs 5 to 7 euros per m². You can save a lot of money by doing it yourself.
sample calculation
This calculation refers to an area of 100 m² at 3 euros per m².
€300 for lawn at €3 per m²
€20 for fertilizer
€500 for soil preparation
€100 for delivery costs
€500 for laying at €5 per m²
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€1420 in total or €14.20 per m².
tips
- Before you decide to buy, you have to do some research. Is the floor suitable? How much shade is there on the desired area? What is the reputation of the delivery company? Are there empirical values from other users that can be used? Is the company serious? The prices should be compared, of course the all-inclusive prices! It is beneficial to visit reference objects!
- As you can see from the example calculation, it is worth the effort to do a lot yourself. The lawn is not the most important thing. The costs for the specialist staff are higher than the turf itself.
- Prepare the ground a good 2 weeks before laying the turf. Then you can pluck out the remains of the weeds again shortly before delivery.
- Grass clippings must be removed from rolled turf. Lawn mulch is not for turf!
