If you want an instant new lawn without all the waiting around for seeds to establish, finding somewhere with grass for sale and grabbing yourself some turf is the way to go.

Garden turf can provide you with the lawn of your dreams, but you must make sure that you lay it correctly,which starts with a little bit of hard labour.

Digging your Garden

Before buying your turf, you need to make sure that the surface is right for it to be laid on. For the best results, you should lay turf in the spring or autumn; however, providing the ground is not waterlogged or frozen, you can lay it at any time of the year.

To get the smooth surface needed for turf, you will need to firstly dig over, or rotovate the area to a depth of around 15 centimetres, and get rid of any weeds, rocks and roots.

Raking the Surface

The next step is to flatten out the ground by raking over it and firming down the soil using your feet until it is even. The ground can also be firmed down by using a roller, but you may have to hire one of these.

Fertilising the Soil

The final partof preparing the surface is the fertilisation of the soil; this helps the rooting process and allows the turf to become established quicker. Use some good quality pre-turf fertiliser and rake it in at a rate of around 70 grams per square metre.

Laying the Turf

Now your soil is ready you can go out and purchase your turf. It is best to buy your garden turf direct from a reputable turf supplier, this way you can be assured that you are getting a long-lasting product.

Always lay turf beginning at the long edge of the lawn and stagger each roll as you go to avoid a single line of edges or joints (imagine a brick wall). Use a knife to cut the rolls as required and make sure to butt the edges together (do not overlap). Once you get going, it really is a simple process and you'll be done in no time.

When all the turf is rolled out, fill any gaps with topsoil, and patch in any large gaps with left over turf.

Next, water you turf immediately to soak the layer of topsoil and continue to water three times a day for the next four weeks. After the first watering, it is not necessary to soak the topsoil and the amount of water used canbe gradually reduced once turf can be pulled without lifting.