Recent work

[dig dug dan]

I once worked for a builder who insisted I lay his frozen turfs on snow covered ground. Amazingly, they grew quite well!

[lutonlagerlout]

I have seen existing grass scraped off with a spade and turf laid on it
and it grew well
and on the other hand I have seen the full monty ,rolawn ,drainage etc everything and it dies a slow death
never 100% with nature
LLL

[John156]

It can be a bit random though It often comes down to aftercare. The failures I've seen are where people aren't cutting them enough.

Rolawn used to be brilliant turf but has been crap round here for years. Latest one I've used is Tillers turf and it was really good.

[Forestboy1978]

I once chucked a couple of off cuts of turf onto a pile of limestone scalpings and they grew like crazy.

[lutonlagerlout]

I meant the rolawn topsoil john from st albans area
i get the turf from ivinghoe turf when needed seems to work ok
LLL

[sy76uk]

Can this be classed as recent work?

[Forestboy1978]

Seen as for once you guys are talking about something I know well for a change I thought I'd chime in.

Wakering shouldn't be done mate sorry. It'll encourage shallow rooting and the grass wont benefit in the long term. Rotavate and improve, rake and level, heel in, and then re level if necessary. Can kind of screed off with the back of the landscape rake if you want really level ground. I always make it 1cm proud anyway for some settling. If you added perlite or vermiculite to the soil several inches down you might get away with wacking but even then it's not advisable. Keeping a good lawn is about keeping the soil aerated over time as it tends to compact itself. Whacking would just accelerate that process. Other than that the work looks grand.

https://www.dropbox.com/s....pg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s....pg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s....pg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/venn34zwe0vjcof/20121004_153531.jpg?dl=0

[mickg]

looks good to me Simon

[sy76uk]

Cheers Mick, that kind of work should never be undertaken sober

forestboy, I just Googled compacting soil and I found this on the first page I came to that explains exactly the way I prepared and laid this turf.

Assuming that no land drainage is required, or that it is already in place, and the essential soil preparation has been done, the area can now be levelled. At this stage, this needs only be done quite roughly, as the worked-over ground will need some time to settle. Use the spade to grade off the soil to an approximate level. You can use a long straight-edged timber to check your level, or use a taut string line to check that there are no noticeable humps or hollows. Use your body weight to trample the soil, consolidating it, but not overly so. A lightweight (ie less than 100Kg) garden roller can be used, if required, but don't use a vibrating roller or plate compactor, unless you are on very sandy free-draining soil.

Here is the site address it came from http://www.u-r-g.co.uk/faqlawn.htm
I've been trying to explain this since the first post about the wacker, I'mm sorry if I didn't explain it as well as it's explained in the article but I can't really say anymore on the subject.

[Forestboy1978]

Sy your work looks good and I've skimmed that website and still can't see where it says use a whacker plate. I'm up early tomorrow so will look again after work cos I will be happy to be proved wrong on this one cos it just goes against everything I've learn't.

[sy76uk]

I copied and pasted the centre paragraph in my last post from the site. A plate compactor is a wacker.

[dig dug dan]

Seen as for once you guys are talking about something I know well for a change I thought I'd chime in.

Wakering shouldn't be done mate sorry. It'll encourage shallow rooting and the grass wont benefit in the long term. Rotavate and improve, rake and level, heel in, and then re level if necessary. Can kind of screed off with the back of the landscape rake if you want really level ground. I always make it 1cm proud anyway for some settling. If you added perlite or vermiculite to the soil several inches down you might get away with wacking but even then it's not advisable. Keeping a good lawn is about keeping the soil aerated over time as it tends to compact itself. Whacking would just accelerate that process. Other than that the work looks grand.

https://www.dropbox.com/s....pg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s....pg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s....pg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/venn34zwe0vjcof/20121004_153531.jpg?dl=0

Most golf courses and football pitches are hollow core areated every year to allow for free drainage to relieve compaction. To avoid the shallow rooting you describe.

[r896neo]

I have to say i am in the no wackering camp.

The one thing you can't fix once the turf is down is soil structure.

I would rather top dress a few low spots in 2 years time than compromise the soil structure and end up with a poorer lawn long term.

As dan said its a very different thing when your laying on rootzone or heavily managed turf which is aerated every year.

[sy76uk]

Finished this one today.
The pictures aren't great because it's a dull day, some or the pavings a bit damp and it's still dusty.
Going to go back in a few days to take some better pictures.
7 manholes and 3 gulls in there.

[dig dug dan]

Did you have to dig a new soakaway or use an existing?