How to water new turf

New turf starts drying out the moment it is cut and rolled. Once it is laid, get water on it within about half an hour. On a hot day, water each section as you go rather than waiting until the whole lawn is down, because the first rolls can dry at the edges before you finish.

The first watering is the big one. You want to soak it until the water has gone right through the turf and into the soil below, not just wet the grass on top. Lift a corner after ten minutes: the underside of the turf and the soil beneath it should be properly wet and muddy, not just damp. If it is still dry underneath, keep going.

The target is to keep the top 25mm or so of soil under the turf constantly moist while the roots grow down into it. In warm or breezy weather that works out at roughly 10 to 15 litres per square metre per day, which is a lot more than most people put on.

The easiest way to measure it is to stand a few straight-sided containers (an old tuna tin or a margarine tub) on the lawn while the sprinkler runs. When they have collected 15 to 20mm of water, that section has had enough for the day. This takes the guesswork out of it and stops you finishing too early.

Good soil underneath makes the water go further. If you are laying onto thin or rubbly ground, put down 100 to 150mm of decent topsoil first so the roots have somewhere to go and the ground holds moisture instead of draining straight through. Our screened topsoil is £70 a bulk bag, and a bulk bag is about 0.7 cubic metres, enough to cover around 7 square metres at 100mm deep.

Weeks one and two are the critical window. Water every single day, and in hot, dry or windy spells water twice a day, once early and once in the evening. The turf has no roots into the soil yet, so it cannot pull up moisture and relies entirely on you.

From about week three, start easing off. As the roots knit in, switch to watering less often but more deeply, for example every two or three days, giving it a good long soak each time. This trains the roots to grow down chasing the water instead of sitting near the surface.

By around four to six weeks, established turf should only need watering in genuinely dry spells. Deep, occasional watering beats a light daily sprinkle for a healthy lawn that copes better in dry spells.

Water early in the morning or in the evening. Watering in the middle of a hot day wastes most of it to evaporation before it reaches the roots, and beads of water on the blades can scorch in strong sun.

An oscillating or rotary sprinkler on the end of a hose is the right tool for anything bigger than a few square metres, because it gives even, gentle coverage. Move it around so every part of the lawn gets the same soaking, and overlap the patterns so you do not leave dry strips at the joints. Hand watering with a hose is fine for small lawns but it is hard to get it even, so keep checking corners.

Whatever you use, water gently. A hard jet will wash soil out from under the edges and lift the turves before they have rooted.

Do not trust the surface. The grass can look green while the soil underneath is bone dry. Lift a corner of a turf every few days: you should see pale new roots starting to grip the soil below and the soil should be moist to a finger's depth. If the turf lifts cleanly with no roots showing and dry soil beneath, it needs more water.

Signs you are underwatering: gaps opening between the turves, edges curling upward, and yellow or brown patches, usually along seams and edges first. Signs you are overwatering: the lawn feels spongy or squelches underfoot, water pools on the surface, or the grass yellows and looks limp. Waterlogged turf cannot root either, so ease off if the ground is not draining.

Keep off the lawn while it is rooting. Walking on new turf compacts the joints and leaves dips. If you must get across it to move the sprinkler, lay a plank down and step on that.

If you are still at the buying stage, our premium lawn turf is cut to order and delivered next day at £4 per square metre. Order by phone on 0161 399 8706 or by email, for delivery from Leigh.

Delivery from our Leigh base is from £20, confirmed on your postcode and the size of the order. If you would rather not touch it, ask about supply-and-lay, which also takes the watering pressure off your first day because the ground is prepped and firmed in properly before the turf goes down.

Enough to keep the top 25mm of soil under the turf moist at all times while it roots. In warm weather that is roughly 10 to 15 litres per square metre per day. Stand a container on the lawn under the sprinkler and aim for 15 to 20mm collected per session.

Every day for the first two weeks, and twice a day in hot or windy weather. From week three you can water less often but more deeply. By four to six weeks the roots should be established and you only need to water in dry spells.

Yes. If the ground stays waterlogged the turf cannot root, and it goes spongy and yellow with water pooling on top. If it squelches underfoot or is not draining, ease off. The soil should be moist, not swimming.

Less, but do not assume rain has done the job. Light rain often only wets the grass, not the soil below. Cooler, wetter months mean far less watering than summer, but keep lifting a corner to check the soil underneath is actually moist.

That is shrinkage from the turf drying out, almost always a sign it has not had enough water. Soak it well, and once it is rooted you can brush a little screened topsoil into the seams to close small gaps. Our screened topsoil is £70 a bulk bag.