Banking and turfing can be carried out in most areas at any season, although it is more comfortable to work in cool weather. A few precautions should be kept in mind:
- Do not work in a downpour or after heavy rains when the bank is sodden, or the turfs will be churned to mud. Avoid major repairs in unsettled weather, as high banks take a few days to stabilise when newly turfed, and heavy rains may loosen and wash out all the repairs.
- Under certain conditions, turf may dry out before it has fully knitted into the earth backing. Large overhanging trees create dry shady conditions, and it is best not to turf beneath them when the trees are in leaf. In low rainfall areas, or where the bank is exposed to drying winds, turfing is best done in the autumn to avoid extremes of drought or frost. Very windy, dry conditions should be avoided, as repairs will expose the soil to wind blow.
