Proper watering immediately after installation will ensure the instant roll out lawn becomes established and thrives. Begin watering new turf within an hour after it is laid on the soil. Apply at least 2 to 3 cm (1 inch) of water so that the soil beneath the lawn is very wet. Ideally the soil should be moist 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) below the surface.

Here are some watering tips for new instant turf lawns.

• Pull back a corner of the turf grass and push a screwdriver or another sharp tool into the soil. It should push in easily and have moisture along the first 7 to 10 cm (3 or 4 inches). If not, apply more water.

• Make absolutely certain the water reaches all areas of your new instant lawn. Corners and edges are easily missed by many sprinklers (if windy) and are particularly vulnerable to drying out faster than the centre portion of your instant lawn. Areas near buildings and paths dry out faster because of reflected heat and may require more water.

• Runoff may occur on some soils and sloped areas before the soil is adequately moist. To conserve water and ensure adequate soak in, turn off the water when runoff begins. Wait 30 minutes to a few hours depending on the temperature and restart the watering on the same area. Repeat this start and stop process until correct soil moisture is achieved. For the next two weeks keep the below-turf soil surface moist with daily (or more frequent) watering. Especially hot, dry or windy periods will necessitate increased watering amounts and frequency.

• As the turf starts to establish its new roots into the soil, it will be difficult or impossible to pull back a corner to check beneath the turf, but you can still use a sharp tool to check moisture depth.

• Water as early in the morning as possible to take advantage of the the normal growing cycle of the grass, usually lower wind speeds and considerably less water loss due to high temperature evaporation.

• If the temperature approaches 37°C (100 F), or high winds are constant for more than half of the day, reduce the temperature of the instant lawn surface by lightly sprinkling the area. This sprinkling does not replace the need for longer, deeper watering, which will become even more critical during adverse weather conditions. Placing shade cloth over the turf on really hot days also helps, particularly if you cannot water enough.

• After the turf is established, infrequent and deep watering is preferred to frequent and shallow watering. It may only take 14 days to establish well in summer (longer in winter), but it is advisable to allow the grass to live through its first summer before you really dry the soil out totally and make the roots chase the water really deep. One way to do this in the second year of the establishment of the grass is to let the turf start to slightly shrivel before you apply water. As soon as you see it wilt, then that is the best time to water heavily.
  
  
  Advice provided by Todd Layt, Ozbreed Pty Ltd