ᐅ Compacting fresh soil with a plate compactor for laying turf?

Hello everyone,

We screened all the excavated soil from our new build using a trommel screen and spread the resulting great soil evenly over an area of about 100m² (1,076 sq ft) to a depth of 30-40cm (12-16 inches), then leveled it carefully with a screed.

The soil is now quite loose and needs to be compacted.

Can I use our small plate compactor for this, or would it compact too much? By the way, we plan to install rolled turf on the 100m² (1,076 sq ft) area in the end.

Scheppach Plate Compactor HP1300s
Technical Data

• Engine: 4-stroke petrol engine
• Power output: 4.8 kW / 6.5 hp
• Plate size: 540 x 420 mm (21 x 16.5 inches)
• Compaction depth: 30 cm (12 inches)
• Compaction force: 13 kN
• Vibration frequency: 5500 rpm
• Forward speed: 15 m/min (49 ft/min)

Thanks and best regards

Make sure to compact the soil properly; otherwise, you'll end up with uneven, bumpy grass in a year...

But not with a slab.

Now you sow grass seed on the loose soil. Roll it in. A roller can be borrowed from the gardener or the groundskeeper of the sports club. Then you'll soon have excellent turf. Better than sod.

Why would this be better than sod?

He saves a lot of money and now, during summer with such good soil, achieves the same result within 21 days. That’s definitely better.