Seasonal care · 9 minute guide
How to establish newly laid turf
The first six weeks decide whether turf knits into the soil or dies in strips. A week-by-week watering, mowing and traffic plan for Sydney lawns.
Laid turf arrives with its roots cut away from the soil it grew in. Until new roots grow down into your soil—a process called knitting—the turf survives on surface moisture alone. Almost every failed lawn is a lawn that dried out in this window.
Before you begin
What you’ll need
- Sprinkler or hose with a shower nozzle
- Sharp knife or soil probe
- Mower with sharpened blades
- Turf fertiliser (from week four)
Water within 30 minutes of laying
Soak each area as it is laid. Do not wait until the whole lawn is finished. On a warm day the first rolls can dry out before the last ones are down.
Field noteWater until the soil beneath the turf is wet, not just the grass. Lift a corner and check.
Week one: two to three times a day
Keep the turf and the soil below it constantly moist, never waterlogged. Water in the early morning, and again in the early afternoon if the weather is warm or windy.
Week two: reduce to once a day
Test with a gentle tug at a corner. Turf that resists lifting has begun to knit. Colour and firmness should both improve this week.
Week three: water every one to two days
Adjust for rainfall. Longer, less frequent watering now drives roots deeper than daily sprinkling does.
Take the first cut once it holds
Mow only when the turf resists a firm tug. Expect two to three weeks in summer and four to six in the cooler months. Remove no more than one third of the leaf, cut in the direction the turf was laid, and keep the height at 25 mm or more.
Field noteSharp blades matter. Blunt blades tear leaf on turf that cannot yet repair itself.
Weeks four to six: return to normal
Move to a normal watering schedule and normal mowing. Apply a turf fertiliser once the lawn is knitted and growing, not before.
Keep traffic off until it holds
Allow light foot traffic at three to four weeks, children and pets at four to six, and full use after six weeks. Traffic on unknitted turf tears the new roots.
Important
Common mistakes to avoid
- Do not water late in the day. Leaf that stays wet overnight invites fungal disease.
- Do not let joints dry out. Edges and seams dry first and are where a lawn opens up.
- Do not fertilise in the first fortnight. The turf cannot yet take it up, and it can burn.
This guide provides general horticultural information for Sydney conditions. Site drainage, soil, weather and individual species requirements vary. For tree safety, chemical use or persistent plant decline, use an appropriately qualified professional.
Read next / Plant health