Laying a lawn: turf or seed?

The eternal debate: turf or seed?

Laying a lawn sounds straightforward. Level the ground, throw down seed, wait. Or roll out turf like a green carpet. Reality is messier than the photo on the seed packet. The choice between turf and seed depends on your budget, your patience and the time of year.

Tools like GardenWorld let you visualise your garden with a new lawn. It helps you get the balance right between grass, patio and borders.

Turf: instant gratification

Turf is nursery-grown grass sold in rolls that you lay on prepared ground. Within a day you have a green lawn. That's the big advantage — no six weeks of staring at mud.

Turf costs

• Material: £3–7 per m²
• Delivery: £40–80 per pallet
• Professional laying: £7–13 per m² including groundwork

For a 30 m² lawn, DIY turf costs £90–210 before ground preparation.

When to lay?

Best seasons are September–October or March–April. Summer dries turf out too quickly. Winter stops growth. Lay turf within 24 hours of delivery — it yellows fast in the roll.

Seeding: cheaper but slower

Grass seed costs a fraction of turf: £1–2.50 per m². But you pay with time. Allow 4–6 weeks for a dense lawn, and the first months it's vulnerable to drought, birds and weeds.

Which seed mix?

Not all grass seed is equal. RHS partner gardens and good garden centres stock specialist mixes:

• Hard-wearing: robust, fast growth, handles foot traffic
• Ornamental: fine-leaved, dense but more delicate
• Shade: for spots with less than 4 hours sun
• Repair: for patching bare spots

Use 25–30 grams per m² for a new lawn. Overseeding needs 15–20 grams.

When to sow?

September is the golden month. Soil is still warm, rain is plentiful and weeds slow down. Spring works too but seeds compete with emerging weeds.

The soil beneath: the real secret

Whether you turf or seed, the ground beneath determines 80% of the result. A poorly prepared base gives a bumpy, uneven lawn full of moss within a year.

Soil preparation in 5 steps

1. Clear everything: old grass, weeds, stones, rubble
2. Dig or rotavate to 20 cm depth
3. Work in soil improver: compost or well-rotted manure, 2–3 cm thick
4. Level: rake smooth and remove bumps. Use a straight board to find dips
5. Lightly firm: walk the whole area with a lawn roller or flat shoes. Firm but not compacted

Drainage check

Does water pool after rain? Fix drainage before laying a lawn. Grass in a swamp never thrives.

After laying

Turf: water daily for the first two weeks, mornings only. Don't walk on it until the turf roots have bonded (tug gently — if it stays put, it's rooted). First mow after 2–3 weeks on the highest setting.

Seeded lawn: keep moist but not waterlogged. Stay off until the grass reaches 8–10 cm. First mow at 6 cm, then gradually lower.

Turf vs. seed: the scorecard

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