Creating a lawn from turf is faster and less work than from seed. There are a number of key points in creating a lawn from turf that can make the project a success or expensive failure. Using turf or lawn turf is in simple terms a lawn grown in one location then lifted by cutting into small strips about 20mm thick and rolled up so that it can be transported to another location for laying to form a new lawn.

To create a lawn from turf requires the same preparation as from seed although one advantage with turf is that if your soil is a clay loam or very lumpy and you cannot create a finely tilthed seed bed suitable for seeding, turfing the area will often overcome this problem. This allows the layer to get away with a slightly less prepared area.

When selecting a good quality turf to create a new lawn these are the key points to consider:-

- Grass species within the turf sward

- Weeds and weed grasses in the turf

- Soil type in the turf

- Transportation time

- Length of time the turf has been established or growing before sale

- Fungal diseases

Laying the lawn
Preparation is everything as your new lawn may well be in use for 50 years. A few additional hours spent in the preparation stage can stand you in good stead for the future.

Undoubtedly the first key to creating a good lawn is drainage, a poorly drained area will limit the use of the lawn and restrict the depth of rooting which means in a hot summer or draught conditions the lawn will quickly lose its colour and be slow to recover after rainfall.