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New turf - watering advice

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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I heard them say on the radio weather info  earlier that you're to get rain in Cardiff soon @matthewroche - hopefully it'll be heavy enough to avoid watering for a day or two! Not sure if it was today or tomorrow though.

    Never take it for granted - always check it's raining for long enough and persistently enough.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited April 2023
    If your photo was yesterday, your grass looks fine.  You can overwater.  

    Also don't make it too easy for the roots, get them moving down into the new soil to look for water.  Water from below not above is the ideal, but of course impossible.  Let the surface dry out a bit.  3-4 times as much one day and then leave 3-4 days is the best compromise.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • M33R4M33R4 Posts: 291
    edited April 2023
    What's under the 4in of top soil? If like professional football pitches, it has extra drainage material underneath, then your lawn will dry very quickly.

    I use a cheap sprinkler from local DIY and it works fine. I put it on in the morning for about 1 hour, then sometimes again in the evening if it's been a dry day, otherwise the next morning if been damp.

    After about 1 week my lawn took very quickly. I am glad I laid it  in colder weather to avoid risk of warm weather affecting its establishment. 

    If you're interested, here is my turf story
    I wish I could garden all year round!
  • Thank you for the advice of the sprinkler, a really handy addition!

    The lawn seems to have rooted in quite well and is growing and looking quite healthy.

    The only thing I’m not sure about is I have a few gaps between some of the rolls. They aren’t massive, but I’m just wondering whether these gaps will sort themselves out, or if I need to add some soil/seeds - or even perhaps roll it at some point?
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    The gaps will fill naturally but, if you are concerned, make up a mix of topsoil and grass seed and run it into the gaps.  when I had my lawn laid some years ago there were some noticeable gaps between the turf sections when it was laid but they filled in OK.  I should have told the people doing the work to relay it at the time, but I was just glad to see the back of them.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd do the same @KT53, although often, the gaps gradually fill without the seed too. Once you're regularly cutting, the grass grows out as well as up.  :)

    I can understand wanting to be rid of the workers if they weren't up to the mark either.  :|
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    If there are noticeable air gaps between turves I think I'd brush in a bit of topsoil so that the roots at the edges of the turves don't dry out.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • @matthewroche brush a mix of enriched soil and grass seed into any gaps, keep well watered and it will soon blend in.  4-6 weeks after you laid the turf you can begin to feed it.  I use Richard Jackson’s Lawn Magic.  It’s expensive but very good.  I also supplement by using liquid seaweed applied with a pressure sprayer.
  • Just wondering when I should be looking to do the first cut on the turf? It’s now been 4 weeks since it was laid and is around 10cm in height.

    I’ve stood on it in a few different areas and it doesn’t seem stable enough for me to walk around it with a mower.

    Is this normal at this stage? Should I give it another few weeks?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Yes - wait until it's well rooted.
    If it's got rather long by the time it happens, do it in stages - don't take off loads of growth at one go.  :)
    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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