Can Turf be Laid in The Rain?

British weather during spring can be relatively mixed. Temperatures gradually rise, but there is no guarantee we will not experience a shower or two. What does this mean for people looking to lay turf? Generally, it’s absolutely fine to lay turf on a rainy day, you just need to make sure you’ve done your soil preparation before you order your turf, you have laying boards to work from, and a coat!

We get it – when you see that final roll of turf laid out, completing your lawn or the last part of your landscaping project, all you want to do is run around and celebrate on it! But with fresh new turf, this is the last thing you should be doing.

A lovely-looking lawn doesn’t come from simply mowing or watering your grass when the weather is warm. It takes a lot of TLC throughout the year. Your turf is impacted every month, whether it’s heavy rainfall, high footfall, drought or frost. So, it’s important to keep an eye on your turf and know what to do to look after it, but also when to do it.

When it’s time to update your lawn, where do you start? You know you want high-quality turf and have found a great supplier with George Davies Turf, but how many rolls of turf do you need to order to complete your project? Gardens come in all shapes and sizes, so there’s no set formula. But there are easy ways to accurately measure the different types of lawns which this article will talk you through.

A lush, thick lawn with rich shades of green can breathe life into any garden or landscape, attracting more wildlife while bringing new sights and smells into your garden. A well-maintained lawn will also provide a safe place for children and pets to enjoy the outdoors, but how can you keep your lawn fresh, thick and vibrant? Many believe that the key to success is constant mowing, but is this true?

When nurturing a healthy lawn, top dressing is a crucial part of the equation. It’s the process of applying a mix of mix of topsoil, compost, and fine sand to the surface of your lawn. Ideally, the top dressing should closely match the composition of your existing soil, matching your rootzone profile. If you’re not familiar with top dressing, don’t worry – we’ll take a closer look at how you can do it and why it promotes a healthy, green and luscious lawn.

Like all of us, grass and plants struggle with the heat, especially when there’s a lack of water. The first half of this year has officially been the driest since 1976; receiving only a fifth of the rainfall we’d usually expect. Which essentially means we’ve missed out on 2-3 months worth of rain. A visible reaction to this is that our lawns start to look more like the Sahara Desert rather than the rainforest green we’d prefer. So why has our grass changed colour?

The entire UK averages ten days of rain or snow in April, but there’s also usually plenty of sunshine, hence the saying “April showers bring May flowers”. 

It’s heartbreaking to see the turf you’ve invested time and money in turn into a complete muddy mess! Sometimes, you don’t even know you have turf drainage issues until it’s too late.

It is possible to lay new turf on top of old grass; however, you’re not going to achieve the best possible result. Therefore, we highly recommend you never lay fresh turf on top of old turf; otherwise, your lawn’s condition will deteriorate over time as the old grass dies. There are plenty of other reasons why you shouldn’t lay new turf on top, and we’ve touched on some of the key points below.