Laying Turf in the Summer Months

Why lay turf in the summer?
There are two main reasons for laying turf during the warmer months:

1. Your lawn is in dire need of a refresh!
Perhaps your lawn is more brown than green, has become patchy beyond repair, or has been wrecked by pests or disease. If it’s become an eyesore or even an unusable space, it can make sense to re-turf, particularly in the summer months if you’re planning outdoor events and social gatherings or simply want to enjoy relaxing in your garden.
2. Landscaping to a deadline
Professional landscapers often don’t have the luxury of choosing the season. Working to new build or renovation timescales means turfing whenever the project demands it. Summer may not be ideal, but it’s often unavoidable.
The key to successfully laying turf in summer requires taking into account the likelihood of higher temperatures and lower rainfall.

What to think about before laying summer turf
New turf can thrive in summer, but only if you take the right steps beforehand. Preparation is even more crucial in hot weather:

1. Soil preparation
Prepare the soil as you would at any other time of year:
a. clear old grass and weeds
b. dig over the soil to at least 15cm depth, and rake it level
c. it is very important to roll or firm the soil down before raking so the texture isn’t left ‘squashy’
d. Water the prepared ground thoroughly a day or two before turfing. This helps create a cooler, more welcoming environment for the new turf’s roots.
2. Timing is key
Avoid laying turf during the hottest part of the day otherwise the roots may dry out too quickly – and don’t lay in the morning then wait until the evening for the first watering. Ideally start watering the turf before you’ve finished laying, especially if it’s a large area: lay some rolls and begin watering while you continue laying. For smaller jobs you can just water once you’ve laid.
3. Shrewd ordering
Only order the amount of turf you can comfortably lay within a few hours. In hot conditions, stacked rolls of turf can quickly overheat and begin to degrade (link to relevant blog). If possible and practical, arrange for multiple smaller deliveries rather than one large one.
4. Be weather-aware
Always check the weather forecast before placing your turf order. While a bit of sunshine is fine, a looming heatwave is not the time to lay new turf. If there are overcast days or cooler spells on their way, it’s worth holding off until then, if you can. However, a sudden heavy downpour could lead to muddy, uneven laying conditions. The basic rule is to try to avoid extreme conditions, dry or wet.

Aftercare – water, water, water!
Watering is the most critical part of summer turfing. New turf needs moisture to settle in and start forming roots in the soil beneath. In summer, that means watering generously, usually for at least the first two weeks. Don’t water in the hottest part of the day, choose early morning or evening. Make sure the water reaches the soil beneath the turf, not just the surface.

Avoid walking on the new turf until it’s properly rooted. This generally takes 2 to 3 weeks, depending on the weather.

Our summers now bring the risk of hosepipe bans. The good news is that newly laid turf can be watered during a hosepipe ban. This is only up to 28 days after installation but that should be enough to give the turf time to form roots and gain strength.

Laying turf in summer isn’t the first choice, but it’s perfectly doable with the right planning and attention. Whether you’re replacing a tired lawn or working to a building schedule, the key to success is preparation, watering and watching the weather. Get those things right, and your summer lawn can thrive just as well as one laid in spring or autumn.