What Is The Best Way To Fill In A Gap In The Turf?

[andydingdangdoo]

I have moved to a new house. In the main part of the existing lawn there is a round area which has stones loosely laying in it, I think it probably had a bird bath sitting in the middle which has been taken. I would like to remove the stones and then lay turf so that I have a large neat lawn.

What is the best way to do this so that it meets up nicely with the existing lawn and doesn't always look like a strange patch in the middle.

thanks in advance for your help

[snags]

Whatever new turf you lay will always look different as it will be a different type of grass/mix/colour to the surrounding area. You'll get a better match by digging a turf from another part of the same lawn, cutting it slightly larger than what has been removed to allow for shrinkage before it's bedded in properly/established.

[andydingdangdoo]

forgive me for a stupid question but won't that just mean there is a whole somewhere else?

[woofgang]

you can also do the "hair transplant" technique which takes longer to work but save you having a hole somewhere else. You fill in the existing hole with decent soil (remove the stones) then take small clumps from other places in the lawn and space them over the bare bit. They needn't fill the entire bare bit. They will establish and spread filling in the gap.

[snags]

Well yes, it does depend whether there is a less noticeable area you can take a turf from. If ''a large neat lawn'' is what is most important, you're probably better off returfing the whole area or you'll be forever staring out of your window at the mismatch, which will cause you endless stress and you may die prematurely from an incurable case of patchylawnitis ;-p

[Brinjal]

Both ideas will work but if I was doing it I would go with snag but I would take some strips and lay them with gaps between. It will cover what ever method you use it just takes a little time

[thugulike]

I agree with woofgang, do a Rooney.

[Mosaic]

You always get some cut-offs of turf when you neaten the edges of the lawn with one of those half-moon shaped tools, so rough up the bald patch and apply a few cobs of off-cuts, tread in firmly and leave to take root. By end of the summer it will be good as new.

[Clanad]

Actually, if you can be patient for a few weeks, you can avoid all thr problems you're describing by just not doing anything. Thing is, the lawn grasses spread by rhizomes... the reason why grass comes up on the wrong side of the edge divider... you know... the thready little white things. Soooo,if you lawn is healthy near the bare spot, simply throw on a little fertilizer, rough it up a bit (the earth, not the fertilizer) and walk away... just walk away. Keep it lightly watered and before long, voila new grass to match the nearby lawn...

[jomifl]

I would use the woofgang method as I have already used it and it works perfectly. Using clanad's method you will need a lot of patience as some grasses produce hardly any rhizomes and might spread at the rate of only 6 inches per year.

[Chipchopper]

The way I see it, if its a regular kind of lawn you have, as opposed to a fine 'bowling green-like lawn finish, them any reasonable quality turf should suffice and should soon blend in with the original grasses with the passing of the seasons.
Local grasses that have found the soil type to their liking are likely to merge in with the new and eventually dominate, making that patch harder to find, the more it becomes established.
Remove any big stones from the area and rake to a fine tilth.
When you cut the turf's to size (use an old bread knife but don't tell the wife), lay them brick fashion, so's not too many corners meet and save any smaller pieces for the middle of the patch, this way they are less likely to dry out as fast.
Give it a good drenching if no rain then treat it exactly the same as the rest of your lawn and I think it will soon blend in.

[nookiebear1]

a quick solution would be to get yourself 1turf or two lay it on the piece to be filled and cut a circle the same size, hope this helps, Al

[ladybirder]

Even better buy a new bird bath and watch the birds bathing in it. A wonderful sight.

[andydingdangdoo]

Thanks all for you help, I should probably have said the area is roughly 2sq meters. The reason for wanting to turf it mainly is so the kids have a flat surface to run about on, play football etc.....I think I will buy and lay turf. It's still going to be green right :-)

[jomifl]

Ah well, if kids are going to play on it arrange the goal so that the bare patch is the penalty spot...problem solved.

[1ozzy]

I don't disagree with any of the above....but it all depends on what sort of lawn you have to start with. Kikuyu, for instance will spread very quickly, given the right environment, some other grasses wont.
What ever you do, keep the kids of it until it has had a chance to establish.

[Chipchopper]

Sounds like its gonna take a bit of a bashing, if the kids will be playing sports on it.
I would recommend a hard wearing turf, suitable for the UK climate. Turf containing perenial ryegrass is widely used as a sports turf.
This grass can be identified without the flower stalks by looking at the base of the tufts, which will have a redish colour.