How to care for your new turf.

Our complete guide to lawn grass maintenance & aftercare will help ensure your newly laid lawn remains healthy and stunning throughout the year. Our essential tips on how to care for new turf include: watering, mowing and fertilisation.

Watering

Watering is the single most important factor in establishing healthy new turf.

Turf is a living plant that requires consistent moisture during the initial rooting phase. Keep your lawn well watered, particularly if it’s on a slope due to the runoff.

• The First 2-3 Weeks: Keep the ground consistently moist. Water daily—and potentially 2 to 3 times a day during hot, dry, or windy spells.
• Checking Moisture: Gently lift a corner of the turf. The soil underneath and the underside of the turf should feel damp and cool to the touch.
• Timing: Water early in the morning or late in the evening to minimise water loss from evaporation.
• Equipment: Use a hose and sprinkler, watering cans and buckets will not supply enough water. Keep of the turf while watering for a larger garden where you need to walk on the turf use a board to distribute your weight.  

Traffic

• New turf is extremely delicate. Keep pets, children, and heavy foot traffic off the newly laid grass entirely for the first three to four weeks. If you must walk across it (e.g., to access a shed or gate), lay down wooden planks or scaffolding boards to distribute your weight evenly and prevent indentations.
  
  

  Mowing

• Do not rush to mow the new lawn. The grass needs time to develop a strong, deep root system first. 
  • The Root Test: After about two to three weeks, gently try to lift a corner of the turf. If it feels firmly attached and you feel resistance, it is fully rooted.
  • First Cut: Set your lawnmower to its highest possible cutting height. You only want to "tickle" the tips of the grass to encourage it to stand upright and grow. Never cut more than one third of the length at one time as this can cause stress to the turf.
  • Gradual Reduction: Over the next few weeks, gradually lower the blade setting notch by notch until you reach the ideal length of 30mm.
    

  Fertilising & Feed
  
  Your lawn turf is produced pre-fertilised so will not require any fertiliser for at least 3 months.

  
  

  • Early Stage: Avoid throwing potent, raw granular fertilisers on your fresh turf immediately.
  • Established Stage: Wait at least 6 to 8 weeks, or until you are sure the lawn is fully knitted, before applying any standard lawn treatments. Always apply it "little and often" using a spreader to avoid burning the young grass. 

  
  If you are looking for a new lawn or after care maintenance please contact us below.