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New turf

carlieellisHBJ5VxR5carlieellisHBJ5VxR5 Posts: 1
in Problem solving
We are in a new build and the garden has been turfed roughly 4 weeks ago. It's still soft to touch and we can't walk on it. Does anyone have any tips to get it to bed in quicker?

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Time  :)
    The only other thing I'd say is - new builds are notorious for having rubbish lawns, mainly because that's what they're laid on. You may find it needs a lot of attention later unfortunately. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • carlieellisHBJ5VxR5carlieellisHBJ5VxR5 Posts: 1
    Thanks for your reply. We watched over them, whilst they were laying it but its still rubbish!
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited March 2022
    By "soft to touch" do you mean the soil under the grass is soft/fluffed up and it sinks if you press on it? If that's the case, it might not have been properly firmed down before the turf was laid. It should settle over time but not necessarily evenly.
    You shouldn't walk on a new lawn until it's got its roots down and started growing strongly, and it's probably best to limit use to the bare minimum for mowing for a while after that. Mowing little but often is best if you can manage it, once the turf has rooted.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's always tricky. Grass doesn't need much soil depth to do well, but the bigger problem is the builders compacting the ground and also dumping rubble etc then just chucking down a bit of soil on top.  :/
    You might find with a bit of regular cutting, and feeding etc, it'll be ok, especially once the weather warms up and it settles in. 
    It depends on how fussy you are about it too. Some people get very worked up about grass, but it can be a millstone round your neck if it becomes a 'thing'. There's a house round the corner from me and the front lawn is tiny. The bloke must spend hours [and a fortune] keeping it the way it is. I'm afraid I can't get too worked up about it - as long as it's green, that's fine!

    If you have children and/or pets, it'll get abused plenty anyway  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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