How To Lay Turf Step By Step
From choosing good rolls to the first weeks of watering here's how we turned bare soil into a striped lawn.
The short answer
To lay turf, clear the ground of weeds and stones, level it with topsoil and a roller, then rake it to a fine finish. Lay the rolls along a straight edge with the joints staggered like brickwork, butting each one tight without stretching. Water straight away and keep the turf moist every day until the roots have gripped the soil below.
Turf is the quickest way to get a new lawn, and laying it yourself is well within reach of anyone handy with a rake and a wheelbarrow. You get green cover the same day, and there's no wasted seed blowing away or being eaten by birds.
Garden centres and turf growers sell it by the roll, and every roll deserves a quick once-over before it goes in the car or comes off the delivery pallet. Start with a sniff, as fresh turf smells earthy rather than musty or mouldy. Look for rolls that hold together when you lift them, with no thin, patchy or badly cut pieces, and pick the greenest you can find. Yellowing grass has been sitting rolled up too long.
Order a few more rolls than your measurements say, as trimming around curves and borders eats into the total.
Tools You'll Need To Lay Turf
- Turf
- Topsoil for filling dips
- Rake
- Garden spade
- Wheelbarrow
- Garden roller for firming and levelling
- Sharp knife for cutting the turf
- Hose or lawn sprinkler
The Best Time Of Year To Lay Turf
Autumn is the best time to lay turf in the UK, with spring a close second. The soil is still warm and damp, so the roots knit in quickly and you won't be battling to keep the rolls watered. Grass grows more slowly then too, so the new lawn can sit undisturbed by the mower while it settles.
You can lay turf in winter as long as the ground isn't frozen or waterlogged, and in summer if you're ready to water every day without fail. Just don't buy turf until you're ready to lay it, as rolls start to yellow within a day or two of being cut.
How To Lay Turf Step By Step
1. Prepare The Ground
Good preparation is what makes a turfed lawn look flat and stay green. Strip out weeds and any old grass, then rake out stones, roots and other debris until you're left with clean soil.
Some people spread a general-purpose fertiliser over the soil 5 to 7 days before laying. It's optional, but it gives the new roots something to feed on.
2. Level And Firm The Soil
Spread a layer of topsoil over the area, adding extra wherever there are dips. Then run a garden roller over it, as in the photo below, to firm the soil and show up any low spots that need more filling. Finish with a light rake so the surface is firm underfoot but loose on top for the roots to grab.
3. Lay The Turf
Start along a straight edge, such as a path or a line of paving, and roll out the first row. Lay each following row with the joints staggered like brickwork, which you can see clearly in the photo below, so there are no long seams for the turf to shrink along.
Butt each roll tight against the last and push the edges together rather than stretching the turf, which only makes it shrink back and open up gaps. Work from a plank laid on the turf you've already put down so you don't leave footprints in the prepared soil. Trim to fit around curves and borders with a sharp knife, and brush a little topsoil or offcuts into any gaps.
4. Water And Look After It
As soon as the last roll is down, give the whole lawn a thorough soak with a garden hose on a gentle spray. New turf mustn't dry out, so water it every day until it's established, skipping only the days it rains. Early morning or evening is best, as less water is lost in the heat of the day.
Our guide to looking after new turf covers the weeks that follow, and you'll find advice on when to give new grass its first cut separately.
The Same Lawn Three Years Later
The turf we laid in the steps above is still going strong three years on. Now it's established, it needs far less attention than in those first few weeks, and the photo below shows it with fresh mowing stripes on a sunny day.
Can You Lay Turf On Existing Grass
Laying new turf straight on top of an old lawn saves a few hours, but we'd steer clear of it. The new roots need loose, freshly prepared soil to grow into, and a mat of old grass underneath stops them getting there, so within a few weeks the new turf starts to discolour and never knits together into a proper lawn. Lift the old grass first and prepare the ground as described above.
How Much Do Gardeners Charge To Lay Turf?
The cost of having a gardener lay turf depends on the size of the area, how much preparation it needs and whether you supply the turf. As a rough guide, MyBuilder's turf price guide puts labour and preparation at £5 to £12 per square metre if you buy the turf yourself, which works out at £50 to £120 per 10 square metres. Larger jobs come out cheaper per square metre, while a lot of levelling or clearing pushes the price up.
Laying Artificial Turf Instead
Replacing a lawn with good-quality artificial grass is a different job altogether. The existing grass has to be dug out, then a compacted base of granite dust goes down with a weed membrane, before the artificial grass is laid and the joints are glued and finished. Homebase has a clear step-by-step walkthrough for anyone going down that route.
Turfing Your Own Lawn
On a typical garden, laying turf is a day's work for most homeowners, with bigger lawns taking longer. The bit that decides how it looks in three years' time is the ground underneath, so don't rush the levelling, and keep the water going for the first few weeks while the roots take hold.
Still deciding whether turf is the right route? Our comparison of grass seed vs turf weighs up the cost and time of each.
Other Questions We Get Asked
Can you lay turf straight onto soil?
You can lay turf straight onto soil, and that's exactly where it should go, as long as the soil has been cleared, levelled and raked first. Turf laid on compacted or uneven ground struggles to root and leaves bumps in the finished lawn. A layer of fresh topsoil over poor ground gives the roots a better start.
How long before you can walk on new turf?
Keep off new turf for at least the first couple of weeks, apart from walking on it to water. It's ready for light use once the roots have taken hold, which you can check by gently lifting a corner. If it resists and won't peel up, the roots have gripped the soil and the lawn can start taking normal use.
Which way should you lay turf on a slope?
Lay turf across a slope rather than up and down it, with the joints staggered like brickwork. Running the rolls across stops water channelling down the seams and washing soil out from underneath. On a steep bank, wooden pegs pushed through the turf hold it in place until the roots have gripped.
Should you water turf straight after laying it?
Yes, water turf straight after laying it, and keep it moist every day until it has rooted, unless it rains. Turf dries out quickly in the first few days and shrinks at the joints if it's left thirsty. Give it a good soak rather than a light sprinkle, ideally in the early morning or evening.
How do I pick good rolls of turf?
Good turf smells earthy, holds together when you lift a roll and is a rich, even green. Pass over anything that smells musty or mouldy, falls apart, or has thin, patchy or badly cut sections. Yellow grass is a sign the rolls were cut a while ago and have been sitting around, so it'll struggle to root.
How did your turf look three years on?
Three years after laying it, our lawn is thick and green, and our photo shows it freshly striped on a sunny day. It needs far less looking after now than it did in the first few weeks. If we had to pick what made the difference, it's levelling the soil properly and keeping the water going early on.
Can I lay new turf over my old lawn to save time?
No, lift the old lawn first. Turf laid over existing grass can't root into the soil below, so after a few weeks it starts to discolour and never knits into a proper lawn. The few hours you save at the start aren't worth a lawn you end up relaying.
How much does a gardener charge to lay turf?
If you buy the turf yourself, MyBuilder's turf price guide puts labour and preparation at £5 to £12 per square metre, or £50 to £120 per 10 square metres. The cost depends on the size of the area, how much preparation it needs and whether you supply the turf. Larger jobs come out cheaper per square metre, while a lot of levelling or clearing pushes the price up.
Archie is our gardening specialist. He started out as an apprentice at a gardening firm, built up his own knowledge from there and now writes most of our garden content.