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Site preparation Turf laying guide Lawn aftercare …...Laying turf 09 Lawn care 10 Living products...

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Site preparation Turf laying guide Lawn aftercare Living landscaping and more...
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Page 1: Site preparation Turf laying guide Lawn aftercare …...Laying turf 09 Lawn care 10 Living products 13 Contact us 15 Welcome to Harrowden turf Lawn Care Guide 02 A perfect partnership!

Site preparation

Turf laying guide

Lawn aftercare

Living landscaping

and more...

Page 2: Site preparation Turf laying guide Lawn aftercare …...Laying turf 09 Lawn care 10 Living products 13 Contact us 15 Welcome to Harrowden turf Lawn Care Guide 02 A perfect partnership!

Welcome and congratulations...You have made two fantastic decisions:

(1) to install a lawn and (2) to invest in the very best turfavailable in the UK.

This means that you will enjoy your beautiful lawn for yearsto come and be helping to protect our fragile environment.

We think that’s worth celebrating - and we are here to helpyou every step of the way. We want your project to be acomplete success!

As the saying goes, if a jobs is worth doing, it is worth doingwell, which is why we’ve put together this informationbooklet. It is your guide on how to prepare the site, lay yournew turf and help with any common aftercare concerns.

Follow our guide and you will have a lawn to be proud of.

01 Harrowden Turf

Contents

About us 02

Our turf 03

Preparation 05

Ordering 07

Laying turf 09

Lawn care 10

Living products 13

Contact us 15

Welcome toHarrowden turf

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Lawn Care Guide 02

A perfect partnership!From the moment we sow our grass seeds to the day wedeliver our beautiful turf to you, we have nurtured theyoung plants with love and expertise. Then it’s over to you,but don’t worry...

We are still here to give you advice as you complete yourproject and to help you understand how best to care for yournew lawn.

A national company with a local heartHarrowden Turf Ltd brings together the country’s finest turfgrowers. So wherever you are, you won’t be far from one ofour excellent farms.

This means you are buying local turf, which is more able toadapt happily to your garden or site. And it also means asmaller carbon footprint and investing in local people andskills too.

Let’s get started!In this brochure you’ll find everything you need to knowabout choosing your turf, placing your order and laying itwhen it arrives. But if you have any questions at all, pleasejust contact us.

All around the UKpeople experienceour superior livinglandscape productsevery day. And nowyou are about toexperience foryourself thebenefits of choosingthe UK’s leadingturf grower.

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Grown the way nature intendedGood land for turf cultivation is very hard to find. It has takenus many years to select the perfect location for our farms.Harrowden Turf is grown on some of the finest soil in thecountry. Rich and fertile it encourages a vigorous root systemthat allows our turves to establish quickly into any type of soil.

The choice of grass seed used in turf production plays animportant part in how the finished lawn will look andperform. We draw on our accumulated knowledge to sourcevarieties for best possible colour, disease resistance, durabilityand growth habit.

It is then over to our team of turf growers who utilisepion eer ing techniques and state-of-the-art machinery toensure the turf you receive meets our high standards. Wepainstakingly tend to our fields ensuring every roll of turf thatleaves our farms is lush, fresh, strong and ready for you tocreate the perfect lawn. At Harrowden Turf each load isharvested to order.

Peace of mind guaranteed! All our turf is checked andcertified to Turf Growers Association (TGA) standards. Ifrequired we can test your turf pre-delivery and supply a TGAquality certificate.

03 Harrowden Turf

You can’t grow thefinest livinglandscaping infactory conditions –so your turf isgrown on some ofthe best-keptfarmland in thecountry.

Introducingyour new turf

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Lawn Care Guide 04

Selecting the right turfTo make your choice easier we offer twoprincipal varieties, ornamental turf and afourth option for shady areas all offeringexcellent performance.

1 Jubilee Developed for the finest landscapingprojects, golf tees and tennis courts, ourluxury lawn turf is a superb choice for anygarden. Attractive and easy to maintain,Jubilee turf contains a carefully blendedmix of fine-leafed perennial ryegrass,slender creeping red fescue andsmooth-stalked meadow grass.

2 Garden Lawn For sports areas, general purposelandscaping and low-budget projects,our Garden Lawn turf offers great valuefor money. Additional resilience comesfrom the blend of dwarf perennialryegrass, slender creeping red fescue andstrong creeping red fescue.

3 Royal GreensFor ornamental lawns, prestige land- scaping projects and golf greens. The mixis predominantly fine fescue grasses witha small amount of bent. This turf willwithstand close mowing to produce afine show lawn or green.

Recommended to professional gardenersand greenkeepers only due to highmaintenance requirements.

4 ShadesmanShadesman Turf is a specialist turf varietydeveloped for full shade areas such ascourtyard gardens, urban areas, andunder mature trees. This lawn requires50% less mowing than conventionalturf varieties.

With 100% Supernova poa supina grassseed it has high drought tolerance andcan withstand heavy footfall. However,this turf will not survive in areas withpoor drainage.

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1. EquipmentPlease contact us to order your equipment in advance. For thebest results we recommend the following:

Pre-turfing fertiliser: Give your new turf the best start byfeeding the soil in advance. Our pre-turfing fertiliser containsessential plant nutrients from natural sources - no man-madechemicals – and is easy to apply in granular form. It alsomeans that your new lawn will be quite happy with noadditional feeding for a good two months. You will needapproximately 20g per square meter this allows a coverageof 100 square meters from one bottle of 2kg.

Turfing topsoil: Having dug over the site (see page 6), a layerof topsoil will give the new turf the best chance to establishstrong roots as quickly as possible. Our DEFRA Grade 1 turfingtopsoil contains nutrient-rich and screened loam, fantastic forimproving existing soils and easy to rake out to a smoothsurface ready for your new turf. As a rule of thumb, 1 bulkbag of topsoil covers 30 square metres to a depth of one inch.

Turf-laying planks: Simple - but indispensable! This pair of4-foot long planks will help you maintain straight lines, avoidwalking directly on the turf and help distribute compressionweight for really good soil-to-turf contact.

05 Harrowden Turf

Harrowden Turfcan be harvestedand laid all yearround, the onlyweather that willprevent laying is asharp frost.

Preparingyour site

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Lawn Care Guide 06

2. Ground preparationStep 1: Digging Using a fork or a rotovator, dig the soil well,removing all large stones, roots and other debris. If possible,leave the soil to settle for a few days – you can also removeany weeds that appear during this time.

Step 2: Leveling and improving Level the soil by raking it(shallow dips and rises are fine but steep ones will make thelawn difficult to mow). Remove any additional stones thatcome to the surface; and if you are adding topsoil, do thisafter raking.

Step 3: Treading It’s now time to walk slowly up and downthe area, letting your heels press down on the soil. This firmsthe surface but without compacting it. If you can get a friendto help it will save a lot of time! However, if it’s very wet you’lljust create mud, so wait for it to dry off a little first.

Step 4: Final raking Go over the area once more with a rake,working from different directions to create a smooth flatsurface. If you’re adding a pre-turf fertilizer, do this now andthen rake it gently in to a depth of a few milimetres.

And now you’re now ready to measure up, order and arrangedelivery of your new turf...

Laying a new lawn isnot difficult – butpreparation iseverything! The aimis to remove stones,weeds and rootsfrom the site and toimprove thecondition of the soil.

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3. MeasuringIt’s easier to do this before you start digging the ground butyou may find that the outline expands or changes, so checkyour measurements again before ordering.

If your lawn is a simple rectangle or square, simply measureadjacent edges and multiply these together to get the area insquare metres. For more complex lawns, draw a roughdiagram breaking the area into squares and rectangles;measure each of these and add up the total area.

NB always add another 5% of the area to your order tocompensate for any loss through edge trimming.

4. OrderingWe’ve made it really easy to order your turf – you just needto tell us the turf variety you’ve chosen and the area to becovered, along with any special delivery information. However- never order your turf until you have prepared the site andhave time put aside to lay it. Freshly cut turf must be laid assoon as possible, ideally within no more than 8 hours fromdelivery – so you need everything to be ready.

Contact us to order and discuss your delivery day and time.

07 Harrowden Turf

Calculating TurfMultiply the width bythe length of your lawnarea. Add an extra 5%to allow for trimmingand wastage.

So, if you have preparedan area 12 metres long x5 metres wide:

12m x 5m = 60m2

Then add 5%:

60m2 x 5 ÷ 100 = 3m2

You will need at least:

60m2 + 3m2 = 63m2

OrderingHarrowden turf

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Lawn Care Guide 08

5. DeliveryDelivery is usually within two working days of placing yourorder. Your turf will be delivered in rolls measuring + or - 5%of 1640mm long x 610mm wide (64" x 24"). If you need tostore them for a few hours, unroll them first and water theturf (never water when still rolled up). After watering you canthen lay your turf pieces gently on top of each other untilyou’re ready.

Vehicle Access: Please note we cannot deliver to the rearof your house unless there is suitable vehicle access. Youmay need a wheelbarrow to take the rolls from the palletto the prepared site.

Delays: We are proud to say that the majority of our deliveriesarrive on time. However, please be aware that sometimescircum stances beyond our control can cause delays i.e. extremeweather, road traffic accidents, road works and occasionallyvehicle breakdowns or IT failures. If your delivery is delayed forany reason we will make every effort to keep you updated.

Cancellation: Your turf is harvested at a precise time, so youmust inform us of any changes to your order before 12 noonon the day before delivery (or Friday for a Monday delivery).Full terms and conditions can be found on our website.

It is important totell Harrowden Turfof any deliveryissues or accessrestrictions.

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6. Laying turfStep 1: Start from an outside edge – and lay the first stripwidthways slightly overlapping the boundary (you can trimthis back when you have finished). Press carefully to makegood soil contact but without squashing the turf.

Step 2: Continue laying adjacent pieces until you havecompleted the first row of turf along an entire edge.

Step 3: Now start the next row. If you need to stand on laidturf, use a plank to avoid denting or squashing it. It is importantto stagger successive rows so that the short edges do not lineup (they should alternate like the vertical joins in brickwork).

Step 4: Continue like this, butting and pushing the edges fora tight join but being careful not to stretch the turf.

Step 5: Finally you need to trim any untidy edges with an oldwoodsaw or sharp serrated knife – but remember to use theplanks to avoid walking directly on the turf.

Step 6: Newly-laid turf must be watered well enough forthe water to penetrate the soil but without turning it intoa mud bath. You can gently pull back a piece to inspect thesoil. In hot weather, be sure to water as soon as you havelaid your lawn.

09 Harrowden Turf

Laying turf is easy aslong as you follow asimple logicalprocess, starting atthe edge andworking inwards.

Layingyour new turf

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Lawn Care Guide 10

7. Looking after your new lawnWatering: Your new turf must be kept moistuntil it has fully established. If it’s not rainingyou will need to water it yourself. In hot, dryor windy conditions you may have to watertwice or even three times a day; and waterimmediately at any sign of the turf drying outor shrinking.

If you do find yourselves not giving enoughwater and gaps appear in between the rowsand joins of turf, then fill those gaps withsoil/seed mix available from our website.

Eventually you will see healthy new whiteroots when you carefully lift a corner of turf,and you know these are established when itbecomes difficult to pull back the turf.

Mowing: In spring and summer your newturf will be ready for its first mow in 7-10 todays. But make sure it’s a gentle cut! You justwant to top the grass, so raise the cuttingheight and use a grass box. Then continue tocut (twice a week in spring or once a weekin summer), never removing more than onethird of the current height.

If you have laid turf in autumn, follow thespring guidelines; but for winter-laid turf, topoff only if it is still growing. Otherwise leaveit until spring. And remember - always makesure your mower blade is sharp!

Feeding: If you have used pre-turfingfertiliser (page 5) your new turf will be happyfor at least two months. After that, follow aregular feeding regime using the correctseasonal feeds (caution - applying the wrongnutrients can damage your lawn.

Troubleshooting: Grass is a very robustplant, and if you have prepared the siteproperly and followed our laying guidelinesyou shouldn’t have any problems with yournew lawn. However, you may notice a fewnatural phenomenons in the first few weekswhile it settles in to its new environment.

After a few weeks it’s not uncommon tonotice toadstools popping up in the newlawn. This is nothing to worry about and isparticularly common in autumn or warm andwet conditions and will soon sort itself out.

All soil contains dormant fungal spores.These can lay inactive for years and years –but when the soil is disturbed they can springback to life and grow into toadstools. Youdon’t need to remove them – they willdisappear after a couple of mows withoutdoing any permanent damage.

There are different types of toadstool and mosthave been tested and shown to be non-toxic.However, we advise you take normalprecautions to ensure that youngsters (andinquisitive adults) don’t eat them, just in case.

Your new lawn might also develop floweringseed heads. Grass produces these naturallyalthough they are more prevalent in the latespring/summer especially if the weather turnshot and dry (drought conditions).

When turf is harvested the majority of the rootsystem is cut off. This is stressful to the grassplants and they produce seed heads as ameans of self preservation. The seed headingwill reduce once the new turf has establisheda new root system, which can take 6-8 weeks.Seed heading will also reduce if the new lawnreceives adequate nutrients and is mowedregularly with a sharp blade.

For information about disease, weeds andpests that might infect an established lawnplease refer to our aftercare guide. (Page 11).

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Looking after your established lawnMaintenance of your lawn now becomes your responsibility. Turfis a living product and therefore has certain basic requirementsnecessary to remain healthy. To help we’ve listed some commonproblems to watch out for.

Disease: The most common affecting grass is fusarium patchdisease, noticeable as yellow-brown patches, and requiresimmediate treatment with a suitable fungicide. To ensurefungicidal penetration into the root zone this might have tobe repeated more than once.

Pests: The Leatherjacket grub, larvae of the crane fly, feeds ongrass roots in the spring. They are not normally a problemunless the populations are very large. Earthworms areresponsible for unsightly lumps of mud, worm casts, thatusually appear in your lawn in autumn and early spring. Theworms actually help aerate and introduce organic matter to thesoil. The solution is to brush the casts off prior to mowing.

Weeds: Grass is a very competitive plant and if it’s in a healthystate, weeds will find it hard to get established. However,weeds are opportunistic and therefore able to establish veryrapidly if given a chance. Act quickly to identify the weedsand obtain the appropriate product or better still removethem using a small hand-fork.

11 Harrowden Turf

Never forget thatyour lawn is aliving thing and itneeds a certainamount of ‘TLC’ inorder to thrive.

Lawn careguide and calendar

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Lawn Care Guide 12

Lawn Care CalendarJanuary – FebruaryGrowth slows right down so there’s not much to do. Try tostay off the lawn in frost, and only mow if the grass is stillgrowing. It’s a great time for a light hollow-tine aeration tokeep the soil oxygenated. And if you haven’t serviced themower and replaced/sharpened the blade(s), do it now!

MarchThe grass is now growing so you’ll be out mowing regularlyagain – but start with a high cut and reduce this over a fewweeks. If your lawn is covered in worm casts, brush these offfirst. Scarify and apply moss treatment to keep moss at bay.

SpringBy now you’ll be cutting at least once a week, but nevercutting more than one-third of the existing height. Give yourlawn a spring feed – a nitrogen-based fertiliser will thicken upthe grass and restore a rich green colour. You can also reseedany thinning patches.

SummerApply a summer feed and spot-treat any stubborn weeds. Ifthe weather is hot, you can reduce mowing and raise thecutting height as well – you don’t want to stress the grass.Watering isn’t really necessary as the grass will recover fromdry periods, but if you don’t like brown patches, water in theearly morning or late evening.

AutumnUse an autumn feed and if necessary a weed treatment. Andgive your lawn another hollow-tine aeration to reducecompaction and let the rain and air back into the soil. You willbegin to mow less often.

Worms are again likely to be active at this time of year so it isadvisable to remove casts as required.

WinterOne last feed – a winter fertiliser with low nitrogen – and lightmowing, and all that’s left then is to keep the lawn free offallen leaves and other debris.

Consider a feed that has iron to help strengthen the grass forthe pending winter period.

Brushing Raking Mowing Edging

Fertiliser Aerating Watering Weeding

Rolling Liquid Feed Seeding

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Harrowden’s living landscapingPlanting up your garden with green living landscaping is goodfor your health and your wealth!

Research proves it – your mental and physical wellbeingincreases when you spend time in the living outdoors; and awell-designed and maintained garden is known to addsignificantly to the value of your property. So that superb turfpays for itself twice over!

Concrete paving, artificial grass and even decking are fallingout of fashion as people rediscover the joys of a living garden– and all the birds, butterflies and bees enjoy it too!

So, Harrowden doesn’t just grow turf. We have an exclusiverange of fabulous living products to help you add vibrant andbeautiful life to every corner of your garden.

EnviroMat groundcoverEnviroMat is extremely versatile mix of flowering sedum plantschosen for their wide range of colour, texture and seasonaldifferences. A beautiful alternative to a traditional grass lawnit creates a spectacular ornamental groundcover that will addthe wow factor to any landscape scheme.

13 Harrowden Turf

Enrich your life andtake your garden tothe next level withHarrowden’scomplete livinglandscaping range.

Our range ofliving products

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Lawn Care Guide 14

MeadowMat instant wildflower gardenWhen you’re designing your new lawn, why not include acorner or even a central zone for wild flowers?

MeadowMat is a convenient, quick and easy way to establisha wildflower area in your garden. Specially selected mixtures ofnative and wildlife-friendly flowers and grasses and pregrownon a proven matting system. It’s like a private grass meadowof yesteryear on a roll that will attract wonderful wildlife andreward you with a natural floral display second to none.

EnviroMat green roof systemsEnviroMat sedum matting is a landscaping material used byarchitects, garden designers and roofing contractors to createlightweight living roofs quickly and easily.

With undemanding root systems and requiring minimalmaintenance, EnviroMat can be installed in the most unlikelyplaces – shed roofs, on top of chicken houses and birdboxes, etc – there’s almost nowhere that can’t be cheeredup with these delightful little evergreen flowering plants.Bees love it too, so you’ll be doing your bit to help our vitalpollinating friends!

EnviroMat andMeadowMat provideyear round interestand delightfulseasonal changes.

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Feltwell OfficeCorkway Drove | HockwoldThetford | Norfolk IP26 4JR

t 01842 828266 | f 01842 827911e [email protected]

Southport Office330 Southport Road| ScarisbrickLancashire| PR8 5LF

t 01704 888333 | f 01704 888334e [email protected]

Edinburgh Office11 The Holdings | Ingliston RoadIngliston | Edinburgh | EH28 8NB

t 0131 6636617 | f 0131 3330766e [email protected]

Head OfficeHarrowden Turf Ltd.Colpmans Farm | Islip | KetteringNorthamptonshire | NN14 3LT

t 01832 777100 f 01933 704071e [email protected]

www.harrowdenturf.co.uk


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