Grass - turf or seed?

[NotAGolf]

I've just ripped up my garden and levelled it out as it was a big uneven mess. I was planning to buy a couple of tonnes of top soil to level out over the top and spread some grass seed in the next few weeks.

However, after doing a bit of searching, it looks like the cost of 2t of topsoil is only a tad cheaper than the amount of turf I need ~50 square metres. I was under the impression turf was going to nearly double the price.

After digging up all the soil I'm a little concerned that the quality of the soil isn't great. It's quite clay-ey and there's a lot of stones (although I have got rid of about 5 wheel barrows worth!) so I'm thinking turf may be a safer bet, especially as I have a couple of permanently shady spots that need to be covered.

I need the topsoil as I need to raise it a couple of cm to bring it inline with the patio, and because the existing soil is a bit naff. Obviously I only need the topsoil if I go down the seed route as the turf should be deep enough

If the seed does manage to grow ok, does it generally make nicer grass than turf, or is the only reason people go for seed is that it works out cheaper?

Any advice as to which option to go for?

 

[chipperhead]

If you want to sort the clayey soil out now is the time. I got a ton of sharp sand per 10 square meters then got a rotavator and mixed it all in.
I now have a great well drained lawn.
Regarding seed or turf, seed is cheaper and you can choose which blend you require but it needs watering regularly and you're looking at a couple of months minimum. Turf you roll out water now and again and your good to go.

Infact I'll dig out some photos of when I did mine and post a creating a new lawn guide.

 

[Participant]

My front lawn is a mess of uneven turf, clayey soil, and builders' rubble . Will be watching this thread keenly.

 

[chipperhead]

I've posted a new lawn guide now

 

[NotAGolf]

Woah, your grass is far too impressive chipperhead. I'm on much more of a budget.

I can't afford to replace the crud soil as I'd need to get rid of ~20 tonnes of the stuff and then replace it all, AND do it all by hand as there's no access to the garden for anything bigger than a wheelbarrow. Nice work though.

 

[Nightglow]

I'd need to get rid of ~20 tonnes of the stuff and then replace it all, AND do it all by hand as there's no access to the garden for anything bigger than a wheelbarrow. Nice work though.

Youngsters today...

Nearly 10 years ago, at my last place, I leveled the garden,no access for mini digger, dug out clay, & filled five 20 Cubic Yard RoRo skips by hand, & I had to barrow some 30 yards to the skip.

Then I barrowed in some 10 tons of top soil.

 

[Maccapacca]

Leveled enough to fill 100 yds of skip! what were you doing cutting into the side of a mountain?

 

[Nightglow]

Nope, just a sloping garden, there was a 3' high retaining wall built from concrete block close to the back door which was leaning at a precarious angle towards it.

Dug out the area to make a patio area 12' in depth & width of house, also remove a large hump halfway up the garden, which I found was made up of several tons of car engines & other metal scrap.

I then removed about 18" of clay from the hump back to the boundary & to get a general level, also dug trenches about another 18" deep ether side of garden for borders & then barrowed in some 10 tons of top soil probably more, to get the final levels.

 

[NotAGolf]

Youngsters today...

Nearly 10 years ago, at my last place, I leveled the garden,no access for mini digger, dug out clay, & filled five 20 Cubic Yard RoRo skips by hand, & I had to barrow some 30 yards to the skip.

Then I barrowed in some 10 tons of top soil.

It's nothing to do with the hard work involved, it's the cost of getting rid of and replacing it all. Manual labour like this is one of the few jobs I enjoy doing around the house as I don't have to worry about being accurate and delicate to avoid dropping paint everywhere or banging a hole in something