How to lay Meadowmat wildflower turf

Creating a low maintenance wild flower garden? Meadowmat is probably the simplest and quickest way to get stunning results. Here’s how to lay Meadowmat in your garden.

It’s easy to lay Meadowmat. The joy of establishing wildflowers in this way is that most of the work has been done for you.

First, you need to do is prepare the soil. Second, unroll your Meadowmat and keep it well watered for the first few weeks.  Finally, the video at the end of this article show’s you just how easy it is.

Gather your tools for each stage of the installation.  You’ll need to prepare the ground, measure the area and order your Meadowmat. Then lay it and keep it watered until it establishes.

 

Here’s Turfonline’s list of tools

• To prepare the ground
• Sharp garden spade
  •Wheelbarrow
  •Garden Fork or mechanical rotovator
  •Low fertility topsoil
  •Rake (a wide landscapers rake is best)
  To order your Meadowmat
  •Tape Measure
  •Pen and paper
  •Calculator
  For installation
  •Meadowmat wild flower turf
  •Laying Boards
  •Stanley knife for trimming
  •Hosepipe with sprinkler or watering can

Preparing the ground for Meadowmat

1.Clear the area

First, remove every last bit of vegetation and debris. Use a sharp spade to slice off existing turf. Don’t leave any roots or leaves behind. Stones that are larger than a child’s fist need to be removed too.

2. Soil structure and nutrient content

Next, dig or rotovate the soil to a depth of at least 15cm. If you come across any more roots or stones, take them out as you go.
Maybe your soil has previously been used for farming or gardening, so it’s likely to be quite high in nutrients. Wild flowers prefer poor soil so it’s a good idea to replace the top 10cm or more of garden soil with low fertility topsoil. This will add to the cost but you’ll have much better results in the long term – consider it an investment.

3. Create a bed

Once your soil has been thoroughly dug, choose a nice day and rake it into a fine tilth. Ideally, the soil needs to be a similar consistency to the top of an apple crumble. If the soil is too wet to work with, wait a few days and try again. It’s important that you don’t spoil the soil structure by walking on it whilst it’s wet.

 

Measure the area and calculate how much Meadowmat you’ll need

Measure the length and the width of the area you’ve prepared. It’s easiest to record the measurements in metres.
Then multiply those two figures together to find the size of the area.

Not confident with numbers?

Use the turf calculator on our project quote to help you.

 

Place an order for Meadowmat

You can order Meadowmat online 24/7 or phone one of our friendly sales team for help.
There are 5 types of Meadowmat to choose from. You’ll find pictures and descriptions of each one here.
Select your delivery date at the online checkout and you’re good to go.

Meadowmat is highly perishable, so be prepared to lay it on the day it is delivered.
The rolls can be quite heavy so make sure you’ll have somebody to help you lift and manoeuvre them when they arrive.
Remember – deliveries are kerbside only. Please read this blog about turf delivery to make sure there are no glitches

Wild Flower Turf delivery information

How to lay Meadowmat

You’ve prepared the ground, chosen your Meadowmat and had it safely delivered to your door. Now for the easy bit.

Protecting the soil

Rake the soil over one more time just to make sure it’s loose and level.
Start work on the far side of your soon-to-be wild flower – that way you won’t trample down your new Meadowmat.
Use laying boards to make a path to work from. That way you won’t undo all your soil preparation work.

Laying your Meadowmat

Initially, simply unroll the first piece of Meadowmat and shuffle it into position. Then press it down with your hands or the back of your rake to make sure all of the roots are in contact with the soil.
Lay the next piece beside it and be sure to butt the edges up close together. You don’t want any gaps between the pieces – but they shouldn’t overlap either.
Then, use a sharp knife or an edging iron to trim the Meadowmat into the size and shape you’d like.

Don’t worry if the plants look a little crushed or tired. They’ve had a long journey and they’ll soon revive.

 

Watering and Aftercare

Water the whole area thoroughly. Then lift one corner of your Meadowmat to make sure the water has soaked down into the soil below.
The soil must be kept moist until your Meadowmat is well established.
During Spring, Summer and Autumn water new Meadowmat every day for the first fortnight. It’s better to water in the evening or very first thing in the morning.
During week 3, you can usually cut the watering down to every other day (unless rooting is slow or the weather is very hot and dry)
So, by week 4, your Meadowmat will probably be quite independent – but keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t dry out.

 

Order Meadowmat online

More about growing wildflowers in your garden