New turf laid - now what?

We have laid new turf about 10 days ago. I am planning to use the push mover (cylinder) to mow new turf. When do you think best time to do this?

 

Hi ric

normally with new turf you would cut on the high side as you are trying to promote the root growth.
Normally cylinder mowers tend to cut low so you will need to raise the cut if possible as you don’t want to shave a new lawn. You will need to mow regularly too as cylinders that are pushed tend to struggle with any type of length.

 

I reckon:

Turf needs to be rooted through (before you walk on it, or mow it). If you can, gently, "lift" a bit then it ain't done yet ...

Needs watering "a lot" ... every day probably

Whenever I have bought turf it has had so much Nitrogen in it that it was a nightmare to get back under control, once I had waited long enough to get it rooted through. The current cold weather is probably in your favour, I've only done turf "mid summer"

Make sure the mower blades are recently sharpened - so it doesn't "tear" the grass

maybe borrow a rotary mower for the first few cuts, so you can jack the blade right up (also: easier to sharpen, with a file, than a cylinder ...

For all those reasons, and my personal view that Turf is an environmental nightmare stripping an inch or two off the Fens every couple of years, and then transporting it half way across the country, that I now only do seed, preferably in the Autumn so that the weed germination is minimised.

 

Depends on the quality of the turf and how well the prep was done. If it’s a good job you can say 2 to 3 weeks before the first cut if needed but sometimes you have to work with the tools you have. I’ve seen turf laid and played on straight off the bat and I’ve seen turf laid on a bed so soft you sink.
The same with turf, you have the thin rubbish held by wire and you have nice thick turf and the in between. Every depends on the quality. It’s rare now to see landscapers use a double joint on the edges now too.
Trouble with domestic lawns it’s all worked on price and what a customer will pay. Normally most companies make a job look nice but it’s 2 years later you see if the prep was good and it’s held as flat as a pancake.
I did a lawn care job where I priced a one off turf job but they went for the cheapest and I kid you not they just dumped the soil and laid turf. Some points the turf was 2 inches out on the joints. I cut it once and walked away.

 

I find it remarkable that football clubs can re-turf in the middle of season and play on it straightaway. I remember the mud-bath goal mouths of yesteryear ...

I have no idea how they do that ...

 

I remember watching QPR and the subs were smoking before coming on

a lot of sports like cricket or golf the sub soil is prepared differently in places where it’s critical so they can get away with patching.