Making Loam from Turf

Hi everyone!

I'm digging up the last of my old neglected lawn to turn it into a large border. I was just wondering if there are any tips to success that other members can offer me. Also do I need to keep the pile in the full sun or shade? Or keep it covered with something like an old carpet.

Thank you

 

I'm gradually ripping up our lawn Jane. Every year another section goes. My tip would be to make sure you get the pile stable from the bottom then it won't topple over, and preferably put it against a wall or something you can lean it against. I also found it much easier to manage square pieces the width of a spade. I keep mine in a semi-shady place, covered with black plastic. I would also check it occasionally as the top turves can sometimes become a bit dry. But yes, after about 12 months I had decent loamy stuff. One year I also found a vacated mouse nest in the middle of the pile. Good luck!

 

Carpet will rot ... and then merge with the turfs, making separating them a nuisance. Personally, if I am planning to use soil near Veg crops I avoid things like old carpet - lots of plasticisers in the carpet's foam backing etc. (Although best quality Wilton may just be wool but it will still get entwined with the plants as it rots ...)

Nowadays I only use old carpet as a mulch under newly planted hedges - which are going to be there indefinitely and I ain't planning to eat them!

You'll need to cover with something to stop weeds / grass-edges growing ... or kill of the weeds on the heap somehow. Keeping it moist, by covering, will also speed up the decomposition - which will be fine within the heap, but may not do very well near the edges if they dry out.

In olden times I think they used to stack the turfs on a bonfire. Dunno if that was to effectively make charcoal, by excluding air from the fire, or to smoke / heat the turfs to improve the loam, or maybe kill the weed seeds?

 

I have some weed membrane. Will that do? This stuff is like tarpaulin but is black.

I just spent all day digging out well over 50 dandelion tap roots to they wouldn't get mixed up with the turf. I suppose it wouldn't have mattered if they were in the dark for a year or two.

My garden faces south and where I was hoping to place all this turf will be in the full sun all day. If I covered it would this stop the turf from drying out or should I put it more in the shade?

 

I think the weed membrane is intended to be covered (with bark or somesuch) to stop the sun rotting it? Sorry, not being very helpful am I.

I'm not sure I'd worry too much about Sun / Shade. Put it where it won't be in your way, particularly if you wind up not using it for a year or two longer than currently anticipated perhaps?

 

Whenever I've stacked turf to rot I've covered the heap with black plastic or big plastic sacks. I think that a dry heap will kill off any grass/weeds faster than a moist one would do.