Advices
1 - Ground
preparation
- Level the land to provide a smooth flat surface with 15 to 25 cm of tilth (preferable a sandy loam soil) topped off with sand or peat.
- Remove all stone, clods and weeds.
- Irrigate to compact the soil and pass over with a roller.
- Irrigate the day before laying the turf.
2 - Laying the turf
Starting at one side of the garden unroll the turf in parallel with the border. For the 2nd row of turf use wooden planks on top of the first row to spread the weight of the operators to prevent damage.
Pay special attention to the joins between the rolls to make sure
no gaps are left where exposed roots might dry out.Tamp down the unrolled turf with the back of a rake and pass a cylinder roller over the lawn when completed to ensure that the turf is in contact with the soil and no pockets of air exist which could cause air pruning of the roots.
Irrigate well taking special care to wet the joins of the rolls. For the first few days irrigate several times per day to maintain moist soil until rooting in occurs(when the turf sod cannot be lifted away from the soil) when irrigation can be reduced.
3 - Mowing
When
rooting in has occurred the lawn should be cut regularly, preferably with a
cylinder mower. The mowing height recommended is 4 cm and at any mowing no
more than one third of the leaf should be removed. Great care must be taken in
keeping mower blades sharp as blunt blades will lead to fungal infections.
4 - Watering
As mentioned, in the initial installation phase the lawn should be watered several times per day until rooted in. After this watering should be of sufficient volume that water passes to the bottom of the root zone.