How often to water new turf
The aim is for water to reach the soil under the turf, not just wet the grass. A light sprinkle encourages shallow roots; a long soak draws them down. In warm or windy weather that can mean watering every day, sometimes twice in a hot spell. In cool, damp autumn weather the rain often does most of the work for you, which is one reason autumn turfing works so well in Hampshire.
A simple check is to lift a corner of a roll. If the soil underneath is dry, it needs more water. Early morning or evening watering loses less to evaporation.
When can you walk on new turf?
Keep foot traffic to a minimum for the first two to three weeks. Walking on soft, wet turf presses footprints into it and can shift rolls before they have rooted. If you need to cross it to move a sprinkler, lay a plank or board to spread your weight.
Children's play, trampolines and dogs are best kept off for longer, ideally until after the first two or three mows, when the lawn has properly knitted together.
When to mow new turf
Gently tug at a corner. If it resists and you can feel roots holding, the lawn is ready for its first cut. Set the mower high and take just the tips off, never more than about a third of the length. Lower the height gradually over the next few cuts.
Turfing
- Ground cleared and prepared
- Accurate levelling
- Aftercare guidance included
Warning signs
- Gaps opening between rolls: the turf is drying out, water more deeply
- Yellow or brown patches: usually dry spots, check under the roll
- Soggy, puddled areas: drainage or compaction underneath
- Rolls lifting easily after three weeks: roots have not gripped, keep watering
Why the preparation shows up now
Aftercare can only do so much. Turf roots into topsoil, not into compacted subsoil or rubble, so a lawn laid on poor ground often yellows in its first dry spell however carefully it is watered. That is why we strip, level and bring in topsoil where it is needed before any rolls go down, and why we never lay over an old lawn.