how to create the perfect lawn

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Anastasia Dixon
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1 how to create the perfect lawn the lawn makers d12 Q Lawns A5 16pp Buyers Guide A jonnie

Carpet the room outside with a lawn A vibrant and healthy lawn is an asset to any garden whether it is large or small, contemporary or traditional, for work, rest or play.

2 Carpet the room outside with a lawn A vibrant and healthy lawn is an asset to any garden whether it is large or small, contemporary or traditional, for work, rest or play. Grass is probably one of the most sustainable ground cover materials there is; nothing has been cut down, killed or dug up to produce grass seed or turf. A lawn won t need painting with preservatives; it absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and releases oxygen; unlike paving or decking a lawn soaks up rainwater instead of diverting it into drains; it acts as a living air conditioner on hot days and for sporty types, the surface of a lawn is like a shock absorber reducing stress on muscles, joints and cartilages. Q L a w n s i s o n e o f t h e U K s largest producers of turfgrass for amenity lawns. Our products are used nationwide to create elegant but practical lawns for prestigious homes, parks and gardens, commercial landscaping projects and show gardens. Q Lawns turf has been the first choice for landscape professionals for almost two decades. Why? Because we pay attention to detail from the very beginning of the growing process before we even start sowing the seeds. And then we keep paying attention to detail until our turf is delivered safely into your hands. At Q Lawns, we pride ourselves on our high standards of customer service. As our business has grown, we have introduced quality new products to make it easier for you to create and maintain a beautiful garden. Topsoil, grass seed, woodchip mulch and NutriFusion lawn feeds can be ordered online via our secure website and are available from your local Q Lawns stockist. Preparation As with most DIY projects, the secret to creating a lovely lawn lies in the choice of materials and in taking great care at the preparation stage. First, thoroughly clear the area for your new lawn. Remove all vegetation (especially the roots of perennial weeds such as dandelions) and any rocks or stones that are bigger than a matchbox. This is the time to correct problems with drainage. On a heavy, clay type soil incorporating some fine gravel will help make the soil texture more homely for grass roots. Rotovate or dig the area to at least 15cm depth if your soil is thinner than this, or is in poor shape, consider mixing in some Q Lawns topsoil to ensure your lawn gets off to a really good start. Q Lawns recommend that you also rake in a pre-turfing feed at this stage to help your lawn establish quickly. Rake until the soil is level and has a fine, friable texture (a bit like the topping on an apple crumble). Firm the soil by walking across it with a kind of shuffling step, then rake it again to get the seed (or turf) bed just right. For more information about preparing the ground for a lawn, visit our website or phone to request a copy of our step by step guide Once your soil is prepared, you need to choose whether you will use seed or turf to establish your grass. Both have their good points. 100m2 lawn will absorb 7.9kg of carbon per year, helping to offset your carbon footprint.

3 Turf Seed Turf provides an instant answer to hiding that muddy patch and can change the whole appearance of your garden in just an afternoon. It s slightly more expensive than seed but a good quality turf will be weed-free and, depending on the time of year and the weather conditions, your lawn can be used in as little as 3 weeks after installation. Turf can be laid at any time of year except in frosty or snowy weather. Q Lawns turf is grown on some of the finest soil in the country. It is rich, fertile and weighs far less than sand or clay soils. That means that not only are Q Lawns turves easier to work with and less likely to cause back strain, they also have a really vigorous root system that will very quickly establish into any type of soil. The choice of grass seed used in turf production plays an important part in how the finished lawn will look and how it will perform. Q Lawns buys only the best seed from a carefully selected mixture of grass species. We choose varieties that have been tested by the Sportsturf Research Institute (STRI) and we select for the best possible colour, disease resistance, durability and growth habit. Q Lawn grade turf contains a mixture of grass species chosen to make sure you get the best of all worlds: dwarf ryegrasses for a hardwearing lawn with a deep green colour, fescue grasses for a soft velvety texture, and smooth stalked meadow grass to help your lawn recover from extreme wear and tear. The TGA Standard is the Turfgrass Growers Association specification for good quality turf and is referred to by landscape architects and commercial specifiers. The standard, in part asks for a weed-free sward, evenly sized pieces of a regular thickness, nice strong turves and a declaration of the species present. Q Lawn grade turf is grown to TGA Standard and is checked for roll strength and sward purity. For peace of mind and a small extra charge we can test your turf before it leaves the farm and provide you with a TGA quality certificate. We believe we are the only UK turf grower that offers this service. Seed is cost effective and there are plenty of types to choose from. Q Lawns seed mix is chosen for its ability to adapt to almost all situations with the exception of deep shade or very waterlogged soils. If the weather conditions are right, Q Lawns grass seed will germinate within days of being sown and will be able to cope with reasonable wear and tear within 8 weeks. However, you may need to weed your new lawn more than once before it is fully established and you will need to protect the seeds from birds and cats (who love to dig in the freshly turned soil). photo of turfed lawn after laying Q Lawns grass seed is available in two different formulations; RTF mix is more tolerant of shade and drought. A 20kg bag covers approximately 750 square metres

Ordering your new lawn At Q Lawns, we do our best to make sure that your turf leaves our farm in the best possible condition.

Before ordering turf, please read the information in the following pages carefully so that you can be sure of getting the best lawn possible.

Add an extra 5% to allow for trimming and wastage. So: if you have prepared an area 12 metres long x 5 metres wide The area is 12m x 5m = 60m 2, then add 5% for trimming.

To calculate the amount of Q Lawns grass seed you will need, multiply the area by 50 grams.

4 Ordering your new lawn At Q Lawns, we do our best to make sure that your turf leaves our farm in the best possible condition. However, it is a living product which means it can be affected by things outside of our control, most notably the weather. Turf quality is also affected by what happens to it after delivery. Before ordering turf, please read the information in the following pages carefully so that you can be sure of getting the best lawn possible. Calculating Turf The first step is to carefully measure your lawn to work out how much turf you need to order. Multiply the width by the length to find out the area. Add an extra 5% to allow for trimming and wastage. So: if you have prepared an area 12 metres long x 5 metres wide The area is 12m x 5m = 60m 2, then add 5% for trimming. So area 60m 2 x = 3m 2 this gives you the 5% for trimming. Calculating Seed The first step is to carefully measure your lawn to work out how much seed you need to order. To calculate the amount of Q Lawns grass seed you will need, multiply the area by 50 grams. So: if you have prepared an area 12 metres long x 5 metres wide The area is 12m x 5m = 60m 2, So area 60m 2 x 50 = 3,000g To then change grams into kilograms 1000 There is a turf calculator on our website at alternatively, phone one of our staff on for help calculating the amount of turf you need. Seed or turf can be ordered online at direct from Q Lawns by phoning or from your local Q Lawns stockist. Delivery is normally 1-2 working days after placing your order. Please ensure that you will be able to install your turf within 8 hours of delivery. Don t forget to order your preturfing fertiliser and any topsoil that you may need. You will need at least 60m 2 + 3m 2 = 63m 2 of turf. You will need 3kg of Q Lawn grade seed for your new lawn.

Laying Turf Caring for your new lawn As long as your ground has been well Avoid walking on newly laid turf Watering Turf more than one third of its length.

half an hour of installation. Give the turf reduced to its optimum height. For a a really good soaking and check that the family lawn this is between 1.

5 Laying Turf Caring for your new lawn As long as your ground has been well Avoid walking on newly laid turf Watering Turf more than one third of its length. Once prepared, laying Q Lawns turf is quick boards should be placed on the ground Newly laid turf must be watered within established, the grass height can be and easy. for working on or walking along. half an hour of installation. Give the turf reduced to its optimum height. For a a really good soaking and check that the family lawn this is between 1.5cm and First, rake 30 grams of NutriFusion Pre- Ensure that the turf has full contact with water has seeped through the turf and 3.5cm. Turfing feed in to each square metre of ground. This will encourage the turf to the soil. into the soil below (turn up a corner to check this has happened) Feeding push its roots deep into your soil to look If you have used a pre-turfing or pre- for nourishment. This watering MUST be repeated until seeding feed, your lawn will not need any the turf has established. Weather feeding for the first 8 weeks. Q Lawns Begin by laying one strip of turf around conditions will dictate the frequency of recommends using the formulation the outside of the lawn. watering required. of NutriFusion Granular Lawn Feed that is appropriate to the time of year. Avoid having small strips at the edges as Ensure that your new lawn has enough Autumn-Winter formulation is best these could dry out and perish. moisture to survive hot, dry or windy between September and February and weather. If laid during a hot, dry period, Spring-Summer formula can be applied Q Lawns turf can be easily shaped to watering should be repeated at least between March and August. follow curved borders. three times a day, otherwise twice daily. If there are any signs of the turf drying Be sure to follow the manufacturer s Lay the first row along the longest out or shrinking water it immediately. instructions. Using too much fertiliser, or straight edge and work across the lawn staggering the joints in each row as in a Mowing the wrong formula could encourage lawn diseases such as fusarium patch, brickwork fashion. We recommend that you do not mow red thread disease or rust. your new turf until it has rooted in. This Butt and push the edges and ends can be checked by tugging at one corner More about lawn nutrition over page. against each other but do not stretch of the turves, if the whole turf can be the turf. Use a serrated knife or half lifted, then it s too soon to mow. moon spade to cut and trim the turf if Newly turfed lawns can still be necessary. If you have created a lawn from seed, it watered when hosepipe restrictions can receive its first cut once it reaches are in place, contact your water about 5cm tall. board for up to date information. The first cut should do little more than take the top off the grass. Never remove

6 Caring for an established lawn NutriFusion Range of Lawn Feeds Never forget that your lawn is a living Mowing NutriFusion Balanced Lawn Food is a that are vital to promote strong, healthy thing and it needs a certain amount Regular mowing will help maintain the range of easy to apply granular feeds growth. of TLC in order to thrive. The grasses growing at the side of the road or out lawn s thick velvety texture. Never scalp a lawn and always make sure the mower which, when correctly applied, will improve soil conditions and provide your NutriFusion contains: in the countryside are not the same blades are very sharp and very clean. lawn with all the nutrients it needs to Organic Carbon (C) is not often species as lawn grasses, they don t grow Blunt or dirty blades tear the grass rather keep it in the best possible health all found in off the shelf lawn as close together as the plants in your than cut it. This speeds up water loss by year round. feeds. It nourishes the soil lawn, they re not walked or played on as evaporation and allows diseases to get microbes that keep soil healthy much and they re not mown anywhere into the plant. There are three formulations for near as often so they survive without extra feeding. Unless you want your Weeding NutriFusion. Pre-turfing, Spring-Summer and Autumn-Winter. All are available Nitrogen (N) is for vigorous growth and a vibrant green colour too lawn to look like a road verge, you need If all perennial weeds were removed in handy 2.5kg tubs to treat up to 120 much Nitrogen though can lead to give it a bit of support. before the lawn was seeded or laid square metres of lawn. Or, if you have to soft, sappy growth with little then these shouldn t present a problem. a large lawn, we can also supply 25kg resistance to frost or disease Regular feeding: grass plants can t nip If any do pop up then dig them out bags of NutriFusion. down to the supermarket to buy food. or spot treat them with a systemic Phosphorus (P) is important They rely on us to ensure they get the weedkiller (being careful not to get any NutriFusion has been developed by for root development right balance of nutrients in the right on the grass). Soil Harmony in conjunction with amounts to keep them vibrant and Q Lawns. Not only does NutriFusion Potassium (K) promotes all- healthy. Applying NutriFusion lawn If you have inherited a really weedy feed your grass, but it also nourishes round hardiness and health feeds every 6-8 weeks throughout the lawn, often the best thing to do is take the microscopic creatures in the soil that year will not only feed the grass, it will it up and start again. keep plants healthy and vibrant. We Magnesium (Mg) is an essential nourish the microscopic life forms that believe that using a holistic feed such ingredient of Chlorophyll which help keep the soil healthy and fight off Visit the Q Lawns website at as NutriFusion leads to better long term is what makes grass green lawn diseases such as fusarium patch for more information results than using some of the cheaper, and red thread. on caring for your lawn quick fix lawn feeds available from Sulphur (S), Manganese (Mn), retail outlets. Boron (B), Zinc (Zn) Copper (Cu) Iron (Fe) Calcium (Ca) and As plants cannot go shopping for other trace elements all play food, they enlist soil microbes to a vital role in keeping grass help them find a range of chemical strong, green and healthy. building blocks from the soil and air and, powered by sunlight, they use those blocks to build the proteins, carbohydrates, enzymes and hormones

Frequently Asked Questions Q: I installed a turf lawn about 3 weeks ago. It has rooted in well and the grass looks healthy but recently I ve noticed a lot of toadstools growing amongst the grass.

All soil contains a quantity of dormant weed seeds and fungal spores. Some of these germinate after years and years of lying in the soil. Some of them never ever germinate.

Don t worry though, the toadstools will disappear after your lawn has been mown a couple of times and they won t do any permanent damage.

Most have been tested and so far, none of them have proven to be poisonous, but please don t try eating them unless you have them identified by an expert first.

7 Frequently Asked Questions Q: I installed a turf lawn about 3 weeks ago. It has rooted in well and the grass looks healthy but recently I ve noticed a lot of toadstools growing amongst the grass. What has gone wrong? Nothing has gone wrong, this is a natural phenomenon that is sometimes seen in newly laid turf, particularly in autumn time or when the enviroment is warm and wet. All soil contains a quantity of dormant weed seeds and fungal spores. Some of these germinate after years and years of lying in the soil. Some of them never ever germinate. It seems as though harvesting turf and re-laying it can sometimes stimulate fungal spores into growth. Don t worry though, the toadstools will disappear after your lawn has been mown a couple of times and they won t do any permanent damage. There are several different types of toadstool that appear in newly laid lawns. Most have been tested and so far, none of them have proven to be poisonous, but please don t try eating them unless you have them identified by an expert first. Q: My turf is being delivered on Friday but something s come up and I won t be able to lay it until the next day. How should I store it? First of all, please be aware that this is really not an ideal situation and very few turf growers would recommend that turf is stored for any longer than 8 hours after delivery. The grass plants really do need to be exposed to sunlight and fresh air otherwise they start to lose vigour and could even die. Ideally, if you cannot install your turf as soon as it is delivered, it should be unrolled and lightly sprayed with water. If you have no space to unroll your turf, keep it in a cool shady spot in the smallest stacks possible. Ideally no more than 3 turves high and with plenty of air space between piles. DO NOT COVER ROLLED TURF, it s important that air can circulate. NEVER WATER STACKED TURF this tends to generate high temperatures inside the rolls and will kill the grass. Q: What are these pale green patches in my lawn? Without seeing your lawn, it s difficult to identify the cause of the uneven colour. If you have internet access, the website has a wealth of information on diagnosing and treating lawn problems. An excellent lawn care book is Lawns, Grow and Maintain Healthy Grass by Martin Fish. ISBN x A common cause of circular yellowgreen patches in lawns is poa annua or Annual Meadow Grass. This is a naturally occurring grass species that appears in most lawns from time to time. Turf at the TGA standard may contain a small proportion of annual meadow grass. For reassurance you can ask for a TGA consignment certificate when ordering your new lawn there may be a small administration cost to this.

Making sure you get the best results from your newly delivered turf - and what to do if you are worried. Q Lawns turf is grown outdoors and is exposed to the prevailing weather in East Anglia.

8 Making sure you get the best results from your newly delivered turf - and what to do if you are worried. Q Lawns turf is grown outdoors and is exposed to the prevailing weather in East Anglia. If it s raining here when your lawn is harvested, the turves may be heavier than usual and they may need extra care in handling. If it s hot, then we will harvest your turf before dawn before field temperatures get too hot, but it may be drier than usual and it will definitely need laying immediately after Concerned about your turf? Q Lawns quality control team do everything possible to ensure that you are delighted with your turf. Provided that it is laid on the same day as delivery, it is unusual for there to be problems with the quality. However, if you do have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us as soon as If your supplier cannot provide you with a satisfactory solution, please contact Q Lawns, preferably in writing or by . Technical Advice Q Lawns can provide general advice on creating and caring for your lawn. We have leaflets available for you and there is lots of information on our web site. The right weather for laying turf delivery because overheating in the roll is one of the most common causes of turf failing to establish properly. possible. Because turf is greatly affected by the conditions where it is installed weather, soil type, mowing regime etc Stockists too, are able to give tips based on experience and local knowledge. For really specific advice, Mike Seaton of Q Lawns turf can be harvested and laid Q Lawns will only be in a position to The Lawn Company is able to help with all year round, the only weather that Q Lawns will not take responsibility for deal with complaints received within 24 most queries regarding lawn creation will prevent us from delivering your problems with turf caused by a delay in hours of delivery. and maintenance. Visit his website at new lawn when you want it is sharp laying it. frost. However, we assume that you know what the weather is going to be Cancellation Policy If you are unhappy with any of our products, please contact the supplier, like where you live and that you are Turf is harvested to your order. Your whether that is Q Lawns, a local stockist, confident you can install and care for turf will normally be harvested the day agent or landscaper. The supplier will your turf in those conditions, so please before it is delivered to you (or on the want to help if there is a problem and check the weather forecast for your area same day as you collect it) and once it is more often than not they will be able to before you place your order on the pallet, it is very difficult for us to find a simple solution for you. cancel an order without incurring a loss. Bear in mind too that the weather in East They will need to know, delivery note Anglia where Q Lawns turf is grown, Q Lawns reserves the right to charge number, delivery date, date the turf might not be the same as it is where you in full for orders cancelled less than was installed and a brief outline of the live, and expect your turf to show signs 2 working days before the expected problem, ideally with photographs. of what s been happening here. delivery date.

9 For sales enquiries or to find your nearest stockist T F E sales@qlawns.co.uk W A Corkway Drove, Hockwold, Thetford, Norfolk, IP26 4JR

Preparing your site. Turf can be harvested and laid all year round, the only weather that will prevent laying is a sharp frost. 1.

Preparing your site. Turf can be harvested and laid all year round, the only weather that will prevent laying is a sharp frost. 1. LAWN CARE GUIDE Preparing your site 1. Equipment For the best results we recommend the following: Pre-turfing fertiliser: Give your new turf the best start by feeding the soil in advance. Our pre-turfing