In this slide, Jon Hill TUrf describe some information about how to estimate a lawn turf amount. It is also about how to maintain a lawn.

1. WELCOME

2. Turf Establishment and
Maintenance

3. Learner outcomes
 List the main uses of grass in amenity horticulture
 Describe the most appropriate site and soil conditions in
which to establish grass from seed and turf
 State the main merits and limitations of establishing
grass from turf and seed
 List the main equipment required when sowing grass
seed and laying turf
 Describe the preparation and establishment of a sward
from seed or turf

4. Introduction
Grass will grow in a range of habitats and
conditions, depending on the species. Some fine
– leaved, others course, some form clumps, others
‘tiller’, and a few become weed species. Grass
establishes best when the ground is well drained,
the soil is a slightly acid sandy – loam, in full
light, and free from weeds.

5. Uses of grass in amenity horticulture
 As a foil for plants
 In the pursuit of non – sporting leisure
activities
 Sitting on, and a range of other alfresco
activities
 Picnics
 Play areas

6. Uses of grass in amenity
horticulture .............Continued
 Play areas
 Football
 Cricket
 Rugby
 Golf
 Bowls

7. Turf establishment
 A grassed area may be established from either
turf or seed, the following is an outline of the
merits and limitations of establishment from
both.

8. Seed
Advantages / Merits
 Relatively cheap to establish
 There are a range of seed mixes available for
different situations
 Seeds can be sown when the weather is dry
 Grass seed can be stored for months in a dry
cool place
 Light in weight and easy to handle

9. Disadvantages / Limitations
 Seed may not germinate
 Seed may be eaten by the birds
 Takes longer to establish
 The ground must be more thoroughly prepared
and level
 Susceptible to bad weather conditions, drought
or very wet
 More likely to have competition from weeds
during establishment

10. Turf
Advantages / Merits
 Instant effect
 Quicker to establish
 Its usability is quicker
 Turf can be laid at any time of the year
provided the weather conditions are suitable
 Ground preparation does not need to be so
accurate in terms of fineness of tilth, but must
be level and properly consolidated

11. Turf
Advantages / Merits ..............continued
 Less likely to have competition during
establishment from weeds
 Easy to create neat edges

12. Disadvantages / Limitations
 More expensive than seed to establish
 Some turf may be of poor quality, containing
weeds
 More difficult to lay, and skill required when
laying
 Ground needs to be moist at time of laying
 Maintenance commences shortly after laying
 Turf cannot be stored for long periods
 Heavy to work with

13. Ground preparation
 The basic ground preparation for establishing
grass from either seed of turf is more or less
the same except that the tilth does not need to
be quite so fine when laying turf.

14. Equipment and Materials
 Fork
 Spade
 Half-moon edging iron

15. Equipment and Material
......continued
 Rotary Cultivator

16. Equipment and Material
......continued
 Wheelbarrow
 Landscape rake

17. Equipment and Material
......continued
 Iron rake
 Tru-lute

18. Equipment and Material
......continued
 Brush
 Wooden planks or boards to stand on
 Garden line
 Seed distributor

19. Equipment and Material
......continued
 Scales
 Fertilizer
 Top-dressing

20. Ground Preparation
 Ensure the ground is thoroughly drained
 Cultivate the ground to a suitable depth, usually about 20
– 25cm for top quality lawns established from seed, but
less than this when from turf: add top-soil where
necessary, but it is expensive. Ground preparation may
be done using hand-tools for small areas, however a
rotary cultivator is often the preferred choice when large
areas need to be prepared, and tractor-mounted
equipment for sports-turf areas.
 Remove all rubble, and perennial weeds

21. Ground Preparation
.......continued
 Consolidate the ground by foot ‘treading’ the
ground systematically, in both directions if
necessary, and NOT when the ground is too
wet, usually in April or September
 Prepare a level surface by raking, using a
landscape rake, the tilth does not need to be so
fine when establishing turf
 Add fertiliser and rake in , the rate will depend
on the fertility of the ground, however an
average application would be 50-gm2

22. Establishment from seed
 Sow the seed at the recommended rate which is
determined by the sward that is to be establish, for
fine turf about 20-30gm2, for coarser swards 30-50gm2
 The seed should be scattered evenly over the surface
and raked in lightly with a landscape rake
 Some protection from birds is usually erected or
placed over small areas
 If a prolonged period of drought is forecast it may be
necessary to water the area periodically until the
sward is established

23. Establishment from seed
....continued
 It may be necessary to lightly roll the grass
when about 2.5cm tall, has the effect of
consolidating the ground end preventing the
seedlings being torn out when mowing
 The first cut should be when the grass has
reached 5-10cm tall and not cut too low ,
leaving 2.5cm of grass, gradually lowering the
blades until the grass is well established,
using a rotary mower

24. Establishment from turf
 Arrange for the turf to arrive on site, and be placed
either rolled or stacked grass to grass, soil to soil, near
where it is to be used
 Ensure that the site is level
 Work from the longest area to be laid if possible
 Place at one end of the site a garden line, and string out a
straight edge
 Place the first row of turves along the line and tap down
lightly with the back of the iron or landscape rake

25. Establishment from turf
......continued
 When the first row is complete, place a board
on the laid turf and working from the board,
adjoin the net row of turf to the row laid, in a
stretcher bond pattern, butt up tightly and tap
down, cut a straight edge if necessary as work
progresses: using rolls of turf reduces the
number of joints on completion

27. Establishment from turf
......continued
 Work in top dressing into the cracks from the planks using a tru-
lute of brush, this helps to conserve moisture, and level out minor
undulations in the turf surface
 Continue until the whole area is complete
 Cut the turves, as required using a half moon edging iron
 Water if the weather is dry until the turf has established, turves
have a tendency to shrink when dry, and find it more difficult to
knit together
 Avoid walking on the area until the turf is settled and established

28. conclusion
 Establishment of a sward by either seed or turf requires some physical
effort, since thorough ground preparation is essential.
 The site must be level, even when on a slope, and must be properly
consolidated; this avoids undulations appearing later, at the surface, as
the ground begins to settle.
 The ground should also be warm and slightly moist to aid either
germination of the seed, or extension and penetration of the new roots
from the turf into the soil, this is why either April or September is
generally recommended for sowing or turfing. However, operations
should be determined by the prevailing weather conditions, and can be
carried out, outside these times.

29. Thank You