New Turf -Does This Look Right?

I had new turf put down about a week ago. I’ve been watering thoroughly every day, apart from two days when there was heavy rain. The landscapers ran out of turf and had to buy a bit more, which they laid the next day. I don’t think most of the grass is looking great, apart from the extra turf they put down, which is thick and green. Some of the strips are obviously different grass to the others, and there are lots of patches which are starting to look dead. I’ve never had new turf before, so don’t know if this is ok and it’ll sort itself out as it establishes, or if there’s a problem which I should try to rectify now. I’m in Ayrshire. Any advice welcome!

 

The green stuff is fine, but the other bits do look poor. The fact that they 'ran out ' suggests the first lot you got had maybe been hanging around a while too long.
Usually, grass will come away well once it gets enough rain, which isn't normally a problem at this time of year on this side of Scotland, but recently it's been pretty dry, which isn't helpful for new turf.
I think if you can water really thoroughly each day until there's a more consistent period of rain, it should recover. Make sure the joins, in particular, are well soaked

 

Yes, I was going to mention the joins. They should have done a very slight overlap to ensure no gaps. Not sure you can do much about that at the moment. Keep the watering up.

I might be inclined to send them photos to show the current state. You could see what they say. If they ask you to persevere for now, fair enough, but at least you will have submitted evidence that things weren't right early on if the grass really doesn't take. They won't be able to say you neglected it and that caused the problem.

It may be next spring before you can really see whether it will be OK.

 

Yes - it wouldn't do any harm to forward those photos, and you would also have them as a reference if things don't improve, and you want to take it further.

In this part of the world, that grass should look decent by mid August though.

 

I've never heard of turf edges being overlapped. That seems to be the perfect way to get the edges to try out. The pieces of turf should be butted tight up against each other with no gap.

 

Butted up is a better description, @KT53. That's what I was trying to explain ... but you did it much better.

 

As mentioned before I would get some water on the turf. When I used to lay turf watering was done via a sprinkler and left in each position for at least an hour to ensure the water soaked the turf and the soil beneath. The size of the gaps between the turves makes me think it has dried out a bit after laying.

 

Your end result will depend very much on the preparation prior to turfing. There would be no harm in filling any gaps with topsoil, to seal the edges and prevent excess water from eroding the sub layer. Probably what your grass will appreciate is some moderate sunshine, it will take time to recover from being tightly rolled(ie darkness) and the shock of having its roots severed.
The ideal is not vast amounts of tap water but gentle misty rain to settle the surface onto the ,hopefully finely structured ,sublayer so that new adventurous roots can penetrate and bond with the layers beneath. Grass should develop roots at least as deep as the visible grass. Resist the temptation to mow until it is growing enthusiastically.

 

Thank you all for your advice. The landscapers said they won’t guarantee the grass as it depends on how we water it. I think it had been in their van for a few hot days before they brought it round as the extra they had to get was so green and vigorous in comparison. I wondered about topsoil at the gaps. Should I put boards down to walk on the grass to do this? I’ve been making sure the joins get a thorough soaking, but a bit of topsoil might also help. Am I correct in thinking I shouldn’t put a lawn feed down until it’s properly established? I appreciate your input, hoping the grass will pull though with perseverance.

 

No don't feed it. Just water it.
I wouldn't even bother with the gaps, because they'll close up over time, but you can do that if you want. A board will certainly spread the weight and avoid you creating any dips/hollows, but again - if the soil's generally quite firm underneath, it isn't always necessary.


This is also why prep is important for any new lawn, whether turfed or seeded. It can really help if any small problems occur early on

 

Re the landscapers' wiggle-room, as one strip looks fine, I think you have a good case that the problem is not how you are watering it. I would point that out at this stage in case you need to press them to take remedial action later.

I agree with @fairygirl about not feeding it now. It needs time to destress and get going first. Plus, you don't want the landscapers to blame the poor condition on incorrect feeding.

 

Make sure the watering is as @blackstart describes - a good 45 mins to an hour for one section. Many people think fifteen mins is enough, but it really isn't, and it can actually be worse as light watering doesn't encourage the roots to get down properly.

 

Thanks again for this really great advice. I bought a second sprinkler and dual tap connector last night to help make sure I am watering enough. I’ll also send photos of the worst and best bits to the landscaper to see what they say. Probably tell me it’s uneven watering, which it isn’t, but shows my concern at this early point.

 

Sent photos to the landscapers. They said they’ll come tomorrow and put down seed and fertiliser. Not very sure that’s the best plan, but assuming they’ll know. Also implied it hasn’t been watered enough. I’m sure it has. Today the entire lawn has tiny white toadstools in clumps. I thought that was a sign it’s getting enough water.

 

I'm not convinced it's the right solution either @Scotmac , but at least they've taken it on board.
As long as the seed matches the greener bits of turf, it might be fine.