Create The Perfect Lawn

How to create a beautiful lawn

Rolawn's "How to create a beautiful lawn" video will show you everything you need to know about how to lay turf, from planning and preparation, through to the finished lawn and aftercare. Step by step instructions are detailed below along with separate videos of each stage in the process.

Why Rolawn turf is the very best

Rolawn turf is the first choice for both professional landscapers and experienced gardeners who demand the best. Rolawn use the finest blend of seeds and take exceptional care in sowing, cultivating and harvesting. Rolawn is also the only company that submits turf for regular independent testing by the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI).

Medallion® turf is specially cultivated to produce a turf with an outstanding fine leafed appearance that is hard wearing, slow growing, easy to maintain and drought tolerant. It is ideal where a high quality appearance, strength and low maintenance are important.

Minster Pro® turf is a premium fine bladed fescue turf for a lawn with an outstanding appearance. Minster Pro is ideal for feature lawns and formal gardens and its deep rooting characteristics give improved tolerance to drought and shade.

Getting started

Rolawn turf can be laid all year round, however frosty conditions should be avoided and laying turf in extended periods of hot and dry weather will require additional care and attention.

Removing an existing lawn

Using a proprietary non selective weed killer recommended for killing grasses, treat the existing lawn at the stated application rate. For full effectiveness you may have to leave this for approximately 14 days.

Remove the existing lawn using a turf cutter, which are available from all reputable hire shops.

Determining the required quantity

Measure the length and width of the area to be turfed, multiply one by the other to give you the amount of rolls required. Measuring in metres is easiest as each standard roll of Rolawn turf covers 1m². Then add 5% for shaping etc. Click here to go to our turf calculator.

Topsoil you can trust

Ensuring you have high quality topsoil is essential as it will provide early establishment and development of turf. The soil should be turned over, and free from surface stone, other debris and perennial weeds. Digging over or rotovating the existing soil is important to break up any compaction, ideally to a minimum depth of 150mm (6").

Rolawn Turf & Lawn Seeding Topsoil is a free flowing friable topsoil, hence is easy to spread, even when moist. It is blended with Rolawn GroRight® Lawn Establishment Fertiliser to help ensure a lawn gets off to the best possible start.

Rolawn Turf & Lawn Seeding Topsoil provides the ideal base on which to lay turf. Alternatively Rolawn Soil Improver can be used to enhance existing soil.

Click here to go to our topsoil calculator.

Lawn Establishment Fertiliser

After digging, walk to and fro using small steps over the whole area to firm down the loose soil. If not using Rolawn Turf & Lawn Seeding Topsoil as a base, apply Rolawn GroRight Lawn Establishment Fertiliser to the soil to give your turf the best possible start by incorporating it into the top 25mm (1") of soil. Rake to a fine tilth to create a consistent level surface to ensure contact between turf and soil. Two days before your turf arrives, ensure soil is moist to a depth of 75mm (3").

You are now ready to lay your turf.

Laying Rolawn turf

Click here to view How to lay turf video

Only a few tools are actually needed to lay your turf; a wheelbarrow, a rake, a long knife a spade, some planks plus a means of thoroughly watering the turf.

In Spring & Summer turf must be rolled out immediately after delivery and within 24 hours in Autumn & Winter.

Start laying turves preferably along a straight edge, butting closely end to end. On subsequent rows stagger the joints in brickwork fashion, to minimize the risk of drying out.

To ensure the prepared soil remains level work from planks placed on your newly laid turf. Lightly press down the turves with the head of a rake or a piece of wood to ensure firm contact between the soil and the underside of each turf. Never use a roller on freshly laid turf.

In hot weather try to start watering areas laid first prior to completing the whole area, to prevent it from drying out.

Always push the turf into joints. Never stretch the turves by pulling them. Any remaining cracks can be filled with a light soil (Rolawn's Turfing & Lawn Seeding Topsoil is ideal) and pressed down.

Use a long knife or hand saw to trim the ends of the turf and shape around paths, beds and trees. Where the outer edges are exposed, protect them from drying out with some soil. This can be removed after a few weeks.

Seeding with Rolawn Lawn Seed

If you prefer to seed your lawn, the optimum time for seeding is spring and autumn, depending on the weather conditions and temperature. Rolawn Lawn Seed is the same mix used to produce Rolawn turf.

For new lawns prepare your soil the same as you would for laying turf. Apply the seed evenly over the area at a rate of approximately 35g/m² for Medallion Lawn Seed. It is preferable to apply the seed in a number of passes to ensure an even spread.

Lightly rake the seed into the top 12-25mm (½ - 1 inch) of soil, firm down and water well. Keep slightly moist until grass plants have established.

Start mowing when the grass is 50 to 80 millimetres high then gradually trim down to 25 millimetres as the lawn thickens up.

When seeding a new lawn, weeds need to be controlled and removed.

Immediately after laying

Water

Watering your new turf is the single most important step you need to take to establish a beautiful and healthy lawn.

Start watering on the day turf is laid. On hot days, you may need to commence watering large lawns prior to laying all the turf.
Ensure that the new lawn is never short of water. Lift corners of the turf to confirm water has percolated through to the underlying soil.
Water repeatedly until the turf is well established.
If rainfall is experienced you still need to check that the lawn is receiving sufficient water.
It is best to water turf in the early morning or during the evening so that less water is lost to evaporation.
Once established, occasional watering during dry periods should be adequate.

Soon after laying

Mow

Be prepared to mow your new lawn within as little as 3 days, provided this can be done without dislodging the turf. Check by gently trying to lift it and if it can be lifted easily, replace it and allow the turf more time to establish before recommencing mowing.

Don't delay. Most people allow turf to get too long. Mowing encourages establishment. Although this should be the only traffic in the first few weeks.
Never remove more than one third of the grass blade length.
For the first few cuts remove just the top quarter of the grass blade. Over the next few cuts gradually lower the mowing height down to 25mm (1").
Alternate the direction in which you mow your lawn.
Clippings do not have to be collected if they are minimal, provided sunlight is reaching the blades of grass. Clippings in small amounts return nutrients to the soil encouraging a healthy lawn.

Careful maintenance is the key to a beautiful lawn

The appearance of your lawn will be affected by the environment it is living in and the treatment it is receiving. A healthy lawn requires a balance of air, food, water and light. An appropriate maintenance programme helps to keep these elements in balance.

Mowing

Your Medallion® turf is used to a cut height of 25mm (1") and Minster Pro 12mm (1.2"). You should aim for the same without ever removing more than one third of the grass blade length at any one time. Adjust how often you mow your lawn dependent on how quickly the grass grows. In the peak growing seasons frequent mowing can dramatically enhance your lawns appearance.

If your lawn becomes too long you must gradually bring it back down to the correct height. Mowing a lawn from 75mm (3") down to 25mm (1") in one cut will result in a weak, sparse, pale lawn.

Whatever type of mower you have it must be well maintained, with blades sharpened at least once a year.

Feeding

It is vital your lawn receives sufficient nutrients. Rolawn's range of lawn fertilisers provide the optimum balance of nutrients to promote a healthy, green and hard wearing lawn.

Rolawn GroRight Lawn Fertiliser, Weed & Moss Killer should is a triple action granular product which will give a greener lawn, whilst helping to ensure it stays weed and moss free. Apply anytime between late spring and early autumn, when grass and weeds are actively growing.

Other lawn maintenance procedures

For further information on over seeding, topdressing, scarifying and other lawn maintenance procedures, please visit our Aftercare Page, in the Lawn Advice Centre.