Just laid some turf

Got it free from a neighbour, and have used it on a thin strip of soil either side of my front path. The turf itself looks more mud than grass though - it's been rolled up in the neighbour's garden for a couple of weeks - it's really only green around the edges. Does it have a chance of improving and is there anything I can do to encourage it?

 

If me I would over sow with grass seed, turf rolled up dont last more than a couple of days/a week at most they need sunlight to grow.

Spruce

 

Thanks Spruce - off to buy grass seed tomorrow then.

 

If it's still green around the edges that would say to me the roots are still alive throughout the turf. I'd give it a couple of weeks just to see if it will recover.

 

I would expect it to be fine, albeit that it will take a while to recover. This time of year temperatures are low-ish, and it won't have been drying out excessively.

I stacked some rolled up turf fro a couple of weeks in August, and then relaid it. It looked dreadful, but recovered. it was watered (best as I could given it was a large stack) during its rolled-up period though, but was also baked by the sun inbetween.

Having said that, I think over-seeding it would be a good idea.

Here's what my effort looked like on August Bank Holiday that year:


that same grass the following June (looking from-the-Right in the above picture). You can make out the different shade of green where the "yellow grass" was!



http://kgarden.wordpress.com/projects/ponds/2/

 

Hi Sheal and Kristen, many thanks for your replies.

Didn't get to the shops for seed today as couldn't face town on a rainy Monday, but will get out of the office at lunchtime tomorrow for some with a bit of luck.

Kristen your photos fill me with hope for my teeny weeny strips of grass (though am currently suffering from garden envy of your place ). The turf was quite damp when I put it down, I watered it and then it got a good downpour of rain last night - probably drowned the poor stuff!

Just one question, if I overseed the turf should I just chuck the seed on top or rake the turf over a bit first?

 

I would just chuck it on top - although I would use a seed-spreader so that it went on evenly. If you have some top soil and can spread a thin layer (1/4" will do, no more than 1/2") so that it is "loose" then seed that you could then gently disturb the topsoil so that the seed is somewhat covered ... but I don't think it will matter if you don't do that - unless others disagree?

 

Great stuff - thanks Kristen.

 

The seed has been scattered, if you'll pardon the expression.