Matilda vs. Sir Walter Buffalo Turf: Which is Right for Your Lawn?
September 10, 2024
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You’ve just laid down fresh new turf for your lawn. Congratulations! But now, you’re probably asking yourself, “How often should I water my new lawn?” This is a great question to ask, and fortunately, it’s easy to get into a watering schedule that delivers great results for your lawn.
When you first lay down new turf, you should water it within 30 minutes of laying down. This will help the turf roots bind with the soil, and increase its strength and resilience to harsh weather.
From there, water your turf daily for the first three days. Then water the turf every second day for the next two to three weeks. However, if you are laying the turf during the cooler months of April and September, where there is more rainfall, you may be able to get away with watering the lawn every third day.
After this initial two to three week period, you can gradually start to reduce the amount of watering you do.
After two to three weeks, do a strength test on the turf. Try to pull a small section of turf out of the ground.
If the turf comes out easily, this means the roots are yet to bind to the soil. Therefore you should continue to water the turf every second or third day.
If the turf stays put, and you end up ‘tugging’ on the grass roots, this means they are successfully bound to the soil. So you can minimise the amount of watering you do on a weekly basis.
Freshly laid turf needs more routine watering in the warmer months of October and March, due to the increased temperature and reduced rainfall.
Therefore, during the first two to three weeks of laying your new turf, you may need to water it more than once a day. Don’t water the turf during the day, when the weather is hot. Doing so will cause the water to evaporate too quickly, and not reach the roots of the soil.
Instead, get into the habit of watering the lawn early in the morning, then late in the evening, when the temperature is lower and more manageable.
During winter, we typically experience more rainfall during the months of April through to September, so there is less need to water the lawn on your own. However, you should still do it, so that the roots maintain their strength and durability. Manual watering also helps fill in the gaps when there is a lapse in rainfall activity.
Generally speaking, in winter, you’ll want to water your lawn at least once every one to two weeks. Of course, the rate in which you do this may vary based on your climate, soil type, turf, and the level of sun exposure your turf receives.
Yes. It is possible to overwater your lawn, to the point where you are wasting excess time and resources.
Overwatering can also do just as much damage as under-watering your lawn. This is because, when the soil roots get waterlogged, they eventually drown and rot and then the grass blades die.
Most cases of overwatering occur in winter. When this happens, the lawn is receiving enough water from the natural water, but the gardener continues to manually water the lawn at the same rate as the warmer months.
There’s a quick test you can do. Push your finger into the soil to see if it is dry or wet. If the soil is wet, you don’t need to manually water the lawn yourself. If it’s dry, though, then water the lawn as per usual.
You’ll know your lawn needs watering if:
The colour of the lawn is light in appearance
Ideally, you should install an irrigation or sprinkle system, as they ensure the most even distribution of water across the entire lawn.
If your only option is a manual hose, install a multi-function spray nozzle on to the end of hose. This will allow you to more evenly distribute the water across the whole lawn. Plus, you’ll help save on water usage too.
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