Key takeaway: Lay turf within 24 hours of delivery, in a staggered brickwork pattern with tight joins, then water it immediately and deeply. Water twice a day for the first two weeks, up to four times in extreme heat, and don’t mow until you can’t lift a corner, usually 2 to 4 weeks depending on the season.
Laying turf gives you a lawn in a weekend instead of the weeks or months seed takes to establish, but instant turf is a living, perishable product from the moment it’s cut. Get the first 24 hours wrong and no amount of watering afterwards fully makes up for it. Get the soil prep and the first few weeks right, and it roots down as securely as a lawn grown from seed.
What You’ll Need
- A garden fork or rotary hoe, and a rake for levelling
- Quality turf underlay or sandy loam topsoil, roughly 30 to 50mm, if the existing soil is poor
- A phosphorus-rich starter fertiliser
- A sharp knife or turf cutter for trimming edges
- A lawn roller, or a wide, flat board to kneel and work from
- Washed river sand or turf underlay for top dressing the joins
- A sprinkler and enough hose length to cover the whole area
Laying Turf, Step by Step
- Clear and kill off the old surface. Remove existing grass, weeds and roots completely. Where the old lawn was patchy or weedy, see our guide on removing an existing lawn before you start over rather than turfing straight over live weeds.
- Cultivate and level the soil. Turn over the top 75 to 100mm with a fork or rotary hoe, break up clumps, and rake it level with a slight fall away from the house for drainage. Add 30 to 50mm of quality sandy loam topsoil or turf underlay if the existing soil is heavy clay or very poor.
- Apply a starter fertiliser. Choose one high in phosphorus, which drives root development, and work it into the top layer of soil before the turf goes down, not after.
- Lay the turf the same day it arrives. Instant turf is a cut, living product and starts to dry out and yellow within hours, especially rolled tightly in warm weather. Order it for delivery on the day you’re laying it, not the day before.
- Lay in a staggered, brickwork pattern. Start the first row along the longest straight edge. Butt each piece up tightly against the next with no gaps and no overlap, and start every second row with a half-length piece so the joins stagger rather than lining up, the same logic as bricklaying. Straight, aligned joins are far more visible once the lawn has grown in.
- Trim edges last. Work from a board or plank rather than the freshly laid turf itself to avoid indenting it, and use a sharp knife to trim pieces neatly against garden beds, paths and edging.
- Top dress the joins if needed. A light scattering of washed river sand or turf underlay, no more than 10 to 12mm, fills any gaps and levels minor unevenness between pieces. Brush it in so the grass leaf is still visible afterwards, not buried.
- Roll it. A lawn roller, or firm walking pressure across the whole area, presses the turf into good contact with the soil beneath. Poor soil contact is one of the most common reasons new turf fails to root.
- Water immediately and heavily. Start watering the same day, ideally within the hour, and soak it thoroughly, enough to wet the soil beneath the turf, not just the leaf surface.
Watering a New Lawn In
| Period | Watering |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Water immediately and deeply, then again later the same day |
| Week 1 to 2 | Twice a day in mild weather, up to four times a day in extreme heat or wind, enough to keep the root zone consistently moist |
| Week 2 to 3 | Once a day, tapering off as roots establish |
| From week 3 onward | Reduce frequency and increase the amount per session to encourage deeper rooting, moving toward the normal established-lawn watering schedule |
The tug test tells you when roots have actually taken. Gently try to lift a corner or edge of a turf piece. If it resists and doesn’t lift, the roots have anchored into the soil beneath. If it still lifts freely after two to three weeks, keep up the frequent watering and check again in a few more days rather than moving to the next stage on the calendar alone.
Buffalo Needs Firmer Soil Contact Than Couch or Kikuyu
Buffalo spreads by stolons only and has no rhizomes underground, unlike couch and kikuyu which have both. That makes good soil contact at laying time even more important for a buffalo lawn, since a stolon lying just above the soil surface with poor contact has no rhizome as a backup path to root down. Roll a buffalo lawn firmly and check the tug test carefully at the joins, where contact is weakest, before easing off the watering schedule.
The First Mow
Once the tug test confirms the turf has rooted, usually 2 to 4 weeks after laying depending on the season and how warm the soil is, mow it for the first time on a slightly higher setting than you’ll eventually settle on, then lower the height gradually over the next two or three mows. Cutting straight to your target height on the first pass stresses a lawn that’s only just anchored itself. For ongoing mowing heights by grass type, see our full guide on mowing your lawn properly.
Best Time to Lay Turf
Warm-season turf, buffalo, couch, kikuyu and zoysia, roots fastest when laid in spring or early autumn, while the soil is warm and the grass is actively growing, and before either peak summer heat stress or winter dormancy sets in. Laying in the middle of summer works but demands much closer attention to watering, and laying in the depths of winter means a long, slow wait before the lawn is doing much at all. Cool-season turf, fescue and ryegrass in Tasmania, the ACT and the highlands, is best laid in autumn or spring for the same reason: active growth, without the stress of the season’s temperature extremes.
Common Mistakes
- Ordering turf a day or more before laying it, so it starts to yellow and dry before it even goes down.
- Skipping the starter fertiliser or applying it after laying instead of working it into the soil first.
- Leaving straight, aligned joins instead of staggering them, which shows as visible lines once the lawn thickens.
- Under-watering the first two weeks, the single most common reason new turf fails to establish.
- Mowing on the calendar instead of the tug test, and scalping a lawn whose roots haven’t actually anchored yet.
When to Call a Pro
A sloped block, poor drainage, a very large area, or a base that needs real earthworks before turf can go down are all good reasons to bring in a landscaper or turf-laying contractor rather than DIYing the prep. Most straightforward, flat suburban blocks are a realistic weekend job for one or two people.
Not sure which grass to lay in the first place, or want to weigh turf against growing from seed? Our guide to choosing the right grass type [INTERNAL LINK OPPORTUNITY: link to “Grass Types & Choosing Turf: An Australian Guide”, draft 1357, not yet published] and our page on where to buy turf and what it costs both help before you order a single roll.
For the full soil-preparation job in more depth, testing pH, correcting clay with gypsum and grading for drainage, see our guide to how to prepare soil for turf [INTERNAL LINK OPPORTUNITY: link to “How to Prepare Soil for Turf”, draft 1382, not yet published].
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for turf to root after laying?
Most turf roots down enough to resist a gentle tug within 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the season and soil warmth. Test by trying to lift a corner rather than relying on a fixed date.
How soon after laying turf can I walk on it?
Light foot traffic is generally fine from around a week once it has some root contact; full use needs longer. See our full guide to how long after laying turf you can walk on it for the tug test and the seasonal timeline.
Do I need to water new turf every day?
Yes, for at least the first one to two weeks. Twice a day is the usual minimum in mild weather, rising to three or four times a day in extreme heat or wind, tapering off as the roots establish.
How thick should the soil layer be before laying turf?
Turn over the existing soil to about 75 to 100mm, and add 30 to 50mm of quality sandy loam topsoil or turf underlay on top if the existing soil is heavy clay or otherwise poor.
Can you lay turf over an existing lawn?
It’s not recommended. Live grass and weeds underneath compete with the new turf’s roots and can grow up through the joins. Kill off and remove the old lawn first for a turf lawn that actually establishes properly.
What is the best season to lay turf in Australia?
Spring or early autumn suits warm-season grasses like buffalo, couch and kikuyu best, since the soil is warm and the grass is actively growing without summer’s heat stress or winter’s dormancy. The same logic applies to cool-season turf in Tasmania, the ACT and the highlands.
