HELP YOUR LAWN SETTLE IN WITH THESE PRACTICAL TIPS
WATERING
The aim is to get the turf mat and soil well rooted in, so it must be keep moist, but not flooded with water. Use a rotating sprinkler systemically around the lawn (not a handheld hose) to water your ready lawn in the early morning or evening.
Lift a corner of your grass to check if the top 50mm has been wet through. Remember to make sure corners and edges get watered.
MOWING
Mowing is a most important part in the success or failure of your new lawn. Mow when the grass is half as high again as when laid, and mow back to the original height.
In practice this means mowing when it reaches 30mm, with the mower set at 20mm. (The lawn could reach 30mm within a week of laying in good growing conditions.)
KEEP OFF THE GRASS
Do you best to keep off the grass while it is settling in.
Of course, you will need to walk on it when you are moving your sprinkler around and mowing, but for the most part, please keep any unnecessary foot traffic off the grass for the first 3-4 weeks to give it the best chance to germinate.
CLIPPINGS & MOW TIMING
Use a catcher to avoid clippings decomposing & damaging your new lawn.
Mow your new ready lawn approximately two weeks after laying during Spring / Summer or three weeks Autumn / Winter depending on grass growth.
FERTILISER
Indicators your grass needs food, growth will slow & you may see loss of colour, then the turf probably needs more nitrogen.
Apply a general lawn fertiliser (e.g. Readylawn Food) at 20-30g per square metre and water in (or apply just before or during rain).
MITRE 10 have a great selection of oscillating sprinklers:
Our local Turf supplier are the great guys at: Ready Lawn Dunedin