Aftercare Guides

Laying Your New Turf

Prepare your ground and be sure you leave about 10–15mm of tilth (loose soil) on the top. Make sure the ground is not too soft. An ideal way to determine this is to walk over the prepared area and if your shoe sinks in more than 10–15mm then you need to firm up the soil base.
Rake your soil to a level height.
Use some wooden planks to walk on the turf. You will need 2 of these. These will press the turf down onto the soil as you walk over them.
Always first lay the turf down around the outside edge (perimeter) of the area to be laid. Do not walk on the turf without using the wooden planks.
Now fill in the remaining area but try to stagger the end of the roll joints rather like a brick layer would do with his bricks when building a wall.
As you work across the laying area, position the wooden planks along the joints. This will help press them down and form a tight joint with the adjoining piece of turf.
Try not to stretch the turf as you lay it. Push it rather than pull it as you lay it, as stretching it might cause the joints to open up later as the turf shrinks back to its original size.
Thoroughly water your new lawn once laying is complete. Do not make it into a boggy mess but be sure the water is getting down to the soil. For larger projects requiring several days of laying, each day water the newly-laid area and the previous ones. When applying water try to do it as evenly as possible.
On hot days, water thoroughly during the evening when the sun has gone down and in the morning before the sun comes up. If you do see signs of shrinkage then water those areas more often.

Mowing Your New Lawn

Never forget your lawn is a living thing. If you want it to look its best then you will need to look after it.
About 1.5–2 weeks after your new lawn has been laid, it will be time for its first mow. However, the time between laying and mowing may vary according to the season: in winter when the grass will not be growing much at all you might want to leave mowing until early spring.
For the first mow set your mower cutting height to the highest setting to avoid stressing and scalping the grass. Use a grass box to take away the clippings.
Never mow more than 1/3 off the height of the grass leaf. Mowing should be little and often. Do not allow your grass to grow high then chop it down.
Ensure your mower blades are nice and sharp.
You will need to mow twice a week in the spring and once a week in the summer.

Feeding Your New Lawn

To keep your lawn looking lush and healthy it will require feeding. Like we have said previously, your lawn is a living thing.

Spring Feeding

There are many different feeds available on the market today but in the spring you will need one which has a higher nitrogen content. It must be applied very evenly or you will scorch your new lawn. If there is a lack of rain, once the feed is applied you will need to water it in, if it's supplied in a granular form.

Summer Feeding

You will certainly need to feed your lawn in the summer. Again, if it's during a dry period, which sometimes does happen in the UK, then you will need to water granular fertiliser in.

Autumn Feeding

Yes you do need to feed your lawn in the autumn, it will start to prepare it for the winter and help to strengthen the plant. Lower nitrogen-based products and more phosphates and potassium are recommended for this time of year.

Winter Feeding

It is necessary to feed your lawn in the winter. This will help to protect the lawn against disease and frost damage.

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Top 10 Avoidable Lawn Care Mistakes

Ensure the area to be laid with turf is completely prepared and ready for when your new lawn arrives.
Never leave the newly delivered turf for more than 24 hours without laying it.
Never install your new lawn if you do not have access to water. Your new lawn will need watering depending on the weather conditions, i.e. if it's a dry day.
Never install your new lawn and leave it unattended (e.g. if you are going on holiday) after installation without someone being on hand to water it.
If for any reason your new lawn has arrived and you are not able to install it straight away then roll out the rolls of turf and water them daily.
Never compact the surface too much onto which the turf is to be laid. The new lawn should have a nice 1 inch tilth (loose soil) on which to be laid. Too much compaction will make it more difficult for the roots of your new lawn to penetrate the soil and will not allow water to drain away freely.
When installing your new lawn, take care not to stretch the turf. Push the grass into position rather than pull it, as eventually it is likely to shrink back and create gaps between each piece of turf which will take time to fill in.
Do not install your new lawn onto a bumpy surface. Good preparation is often the key to good results. Take time and care to prepare the surface to avoid problems such as scalping the raised areas when mowing.
Do not cut your grass short on the first time of mowing: raise the mower cutting height to avoid scalping your new lawn. If you do not know how to do this then consult the operation manual or seek the help of a local professionals or that of the manufacturer.
Never forget that your new lawn is a living thing; it needs water and food. A lawn will get most of its required food and water from the ground and the rainfall but at times when it cannot you will need to be there to help it. The best lawns will need feeding at different times of the year. This is dealt with in our feeding guide.

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