Is my soil prepared correctly for turfing?

hi,

Please see attached picture of my garden.

Does the soil look prepared enough for turfing? I'm worried as there are quite a few large clumps of soil. Some around 3 or 4 inches in diameter.

I have dug the garden with a fork. I plan to tread the soil down, and rake prior to laying the turf.

The soil was quite compacted in places (due to foot traffic) prior to digging.

Should I consider using a tiller to break down the clumps of soil further?

Thanks in advance!

 

Treading & Raking (when dry) should break them down to a fine tilth. (It IS too lumpy to lay turf, at present)

If you need to get the surface "smooth" ("flat" but it may be on a slope, if you see what I mean ...) then use a ladder with a rope attached to the rungs at each end and drag it end-to-end and side-to-side - if it skates over the surface then put a few blocks on it to weigh it down (so that it drags an inch or two of soil in front of it)

 

Thanks Kristen.

Given the recent weather, and therefore the likelihood of the ground sufficiently drying out over the next week or so, would tilling be a recommended option to obtain that elusive fine tilth?

 

You could rotavate it, but not sure I would bother. You'll have to level it again, and you'll still have some clods to break up. If you can catch it at just the right moment between wet and bone dry it will crumble easily. I walk on it in a bird-shuffle sort of a way. Left foot down, right foot with heel in the instep of the left foot (i.e. half-a-foot forwards), then Left foot up and replace in the instep of the Right foot. This way you will walk the whole length of the plot, treading it down (no need to stamp, or dig your heels in etc., you are just firming it). you want to do this when it is just dry enough that the clods crumble. When you get to the end of the plot turn round and come back to do the ext row. You can also do it cross-wise if you need to. Then rake to get a fine tilth.

 

Many thanks for the detailed advice!

The ground is too wet right not to do anything so have postponed my turf delivery and will wait till it dries out before treading and raking.

Cheers!