Ultimate Guide to Watering Newly Laid Turf

One of the most crucial ingredients to the turf installation process is adequate watering. When you buy instant lawns, be it Kikuyu grass, Buffalo grass or any other lawn type, the optimal establishment needs water, water, water.

The time of year you choose to lay your lawn in Melbourne can impact your watering plan. Continue reading for the ultimate guide to watering new turf.

1. Check your watering system

For large areas of fresh turf, a built-in irrigation system is recommended to ensure even soaking and constant moisture. Inspect your system to ensure that the outlets are not blocked.

It can be tricky with moveable sprinkler systems to achieve an even water coverage so you should supplement this method with hosing and divide the space into a few areas that you rotate between. For manual hose watering, ensure you have a spray nozzle with a control jet, this will allow for deep soaking as well as light watering as needed.

2. Create a watering schedule

Whether you have a built-in irrigation system for your instant turf in Melbourne, a simple sprinkler system or you choose to manually hose your lawn, it is worthwhile to draw up a watering plan for at least the first 2-3 months after laying turf. These eight to twelve weeks of infancy will lay the foundations for the root system of your lawn.

3. Follow this general watering schedule

You may notice that most garden experts advise a good soaking before dawn. This is because once the morning sun has penetrated the grass blades, they become warm. If water hits hot grass blades, they may burn.

A typical watering session should allow for 10mm to 15mm across the lawn. For large lawns is likely to take longer than smaller turfed yards. From Week 4 onwards, more water per session is recommended.

Week 1 – Water new turf 3 times per day; before dawn, before midday and before dusk

Week 2 – Water turf 2-3 times per day; before dawn and noon (before dusk as well if possible)

Week 3 – Water turf 2 times per day; before dawn and noon

Week 4 – Water daily before dawn

Weeks 5-8 – Water turf every second day; before dawn

Weeks 8-12 – Water turf 2 times per week before dawn/morning

Weeks 12 onwards – Weekly watering is recommended. During heat waves, water more frequently to avoid sun damage. During heavy rains pause the watering schedule to avoid pooling.

4. Regularly monitor your lawn

The instant lawn takes on its own life and just like any living thing, its health can fluctuate. It is important to keep an eye on your lawn. Is there pooling in certain areas? Do some parts of your lawn look yellow or off-colour? Are the edges growing differently to the centre of your lawn? The earlier you identify an issue with your lawn, the easier it will be to rectify any problems. Talk to your lawn expert if your lawn is showing any of the above issues.

5. Water plus food is the ideal recipe for a lovely lawn

Of course, watering is the number one key to a healthy lawn but adding fertiliser at different times during the year is also highly recommended. Fertiliser and lawn boosters act like vitamins and the right lawn fertiliser will provide your grass with a combination of nutrients to endure the upcoming season.

For practical advice and the best lawn fertiliser products, Anco Turf is one click away. Feel free to browse our helpful blog articles or shop online for lawn fertiliser today.

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