How To Lay Lawn Turf?

Organise delivery of your lawn sod for when you have prepared your soil (see How to Prepare Your Soil for Lawn Turf) and for the day that you are ready to install (for best results it is advised you install the lawn turf within 24 hours of delivery). When your lawn turf comes, ensure to leave it in the shade or in a shed. If you do not plan on completing the job that day this is extra important.

Be sure and organise sufficient help for the job at hand.

Establish a straight line to work to such as a straight path, kerb or driveway and lay your first lawn turf roll in line with this. If there isn’t any straight lines, create one using two posts and a string.

* Use boards to kneel on while laying the turf to avoid making depressions in the soil.

When joining rolls ensure a tight fit and that it is not overlapping. As you lay the next row of lawn turf, stagger the joints. Ensure you pack the rolls tightly together (using a board/floor board). Avoid stretching the rolls. Use a serrated knife to cut or trim the turf where required. With slopes. lay the turn so that they cross the slope as opposed to with the slope. With extreme slopes you can stake the rolls to keep them in place until the lawn turf takes hold.

Once your lawn is laid, roll with a one third filled roller.

Generously water your lawn turf straight after laying. Ensure the turf is saturated evenly throughout.

For the next two weeks, keep the lawn moist (do not saturate). For the first few days water daily with 2.5cm (1″) of water (you can measure the amount being dispersed from the sprinkler via long shallow containers on the lawn when sprinkler is in action). As the lawn turf gets established, reduce frequency of watering. For more information please see How to water your lawn turf section.

Minimise / avoid walking on your new lawn for the first two weeks to allow the turf to establish a strong root system.