Turf & Topsoil

Turf Laying and Topsoil Across Hampshire

New turf either takes or it does not, and that is decided almost entirely in the fortnight before it arrives. Preparation is the whole job. Turf laid on compacted builder's subsoil looks perfect for three weeks and then yellows, thins and never really recovers.

What proper preparation involves

• Clearing the existing surface and dealing with perennial weeds before anything else
• Breaking up compaction — essential on any garden that has had machinery or a build on it
• A proper depth of quality screened topsoil, not a thin skim over rubble
• Levelling and consolidating, so you do not get hollows appearing over the first year
• Turf laid fresh, bonded tight, joints staggered and rolled in

Timing in Hampshire

Autumn is the best window. The ground is still warm, rain is reliable, and roots establish before winter with almost no watering from you. Spring is the second choice. Midsummer is possible but it puts the whole job on your watering — miss a few days in a dry July and you lose it.

Soil makes the difference

On the clay through Hedge End and Fair Oak, drainage and organic matter are what a lawn needs to survive winter waterlogging. On the free-draining chalk around Winchester the opposite problem applies — soil depth and moisture retention are what keeps grass alive in August. Same job, different answer.

We leave clear aftercare instructions for the first fortnight, because that is when it is won or lost. Free site visit, written quote, insured tradesmen and a 12-month workmanship guarantee.