26 June 2026 · 7 min read
How to lay turf: a step-by-step guide to a new lawn
Laying turf is the fastest way to a green lawn — here's how to prep the ground, order the right amount, lay it in a brick pattern and water it in like a pro.
Rolling out fresh turf is the closest thing to instant gratification you'll get in the garden — one weekend of graft and you've gone from bare dirt to a green lawn you can almost mow. But "almost" is the catch: get the prep wrong, lay it loose, or skip the watering and you'll be staring at brown, shrinking strips within a fortnight. The good news is that turfing is genuinely beginner-friendly once you know the order of operations. This guide walks you through it end to end — ground prep, ordering the right amount, laying in a brick pattern, sorting your joins, watering in, and that all-important first mow.
First, a quick ground-prep recap
Turf lives or dies on what's underneath it. If you've already prepped, brilliant — skim this and move on. If not, don't skip it, because you can't fix a bad base once the turf is down.
- Clear and kill off the old surface. Remove weeds, stones and old grass. If there's couch or other persistent weed, a glyphosate knockdown 10-14 days before is worth the wait.
- Cultivate the top 100-150mm. Dig or rotary-hoe so roots can push down into loose, friable soil rather than hitting a hard pan.
- Level and firm. Rake to a smooth, even grade that falls away from the house, then firm it by treading or rolling. Walk it, fill the dips, repeat.
- Add a starter feed. A light scatter of a starter fertiliser (high in phosphorus) raked into the top few centimetres gives new roots something to chase.
The key insight: turf is a living thing with about 24-48 hours of shelf life on the pallet. Do every scrap of ground prep before it's delivered, so the moment it arrives you can lay it straight down.
Ordering the right amount
Measure your area in square metres (length × width) and break odd shapes into rectangles you add together. Turf is sold by the square metre, usually as rolls roughly 0.5m wide and 1-2m long.
Always order 5-10% extra for cuts, curves and offcuts you can't reuse. Running short halfway through is far more painful than having a couple of rolls left over.
| Lawn area | Order this (incl. ~8% waste) | Rough roll count (1m² rolls) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 m² | ~22 m² | ~22 |
| 50 m² | ~54 m² | ~54 |
| 100 m² | ~108 m² | ~108 |
| 200 m² | ~216 m² | ~216 |
Book delivery for the morning you plan to lay, not days ahead. Turf left stacked on a pallet heats up, yellows and sweats — in summer it can be unusable within a day.
Laying the turf, step by step
1. Start with a straight edge
Begin against the longest straight edge you have — a path, driveway or a string line you've pegged out. A straight first row keeps everything square and stops a creeping diagonal drift.
2. Lay in a brick pattern
This is the single technique that separates a tidy lawn from a patchy one. Stagger each row so the joins sit in the middle of the rolls above and below — exactly like brickwork.
- Never line joins up in a continuous cross-pattern; those seams dry out, shrink and show as a grid for months.
- Push rolls tight together, end to end and side to side, so edges butt without overlapping. Overlaps dry into ridges; gaps dry into brown lines.
- Work forwards off a board. Kneel on a plank laid over turf you've already placed, never on the prepared soil — footprints become permanent dents.
3. Cut in around edges and curves
Use a sharp knife, an old bread knife or a spade to trim turf around garden beds, paths and trees. Lay the roll roughly in place first, then cut — measuring in the air never works. Save larger offcuts to fill gaps in the next row.
4. Firm down the joins
Once a section is down, lightly tamp it or give it a pass with a half-filled roller. You want good soil-to-turf contact so roots knit in fast — air pockets underneath are where turf dries out and dies.
Watering in — the part nobody can skip
Newly laid turf has had its roots sliced off. Until it knits into the soil below, it can only drink what you give it. This is the most common place beginners lose a new lawn.
- Water within 30 minutes of laying — start the first section watering while you finish the last.
- Soak it deeply on day one. You want moisture right through the turf and into the soil beneath, not just a damp surface. Lift a corner and check.
- Keep it consistently moist for 2-3 weeks. In warm weather that often means watering once or twice a day; in cool weather, less.
- Ease off gradually once the turf has rooted (see the FAQ on the "tug test"), shifting to deeper, less frequent watering to encourage roots downward.
The first mow
Resist the urge to mow early — those new roots tear straight out under a mower.
- Wait until it's rooted and 60-80mm tall, usually around 2-3 weeks depending on season and grass type.
- Do the tug test first. If the turf lifts when you pull a corner, it isn't ready.
- Mow high and take only the top third. A sharp blade is essential — a blunt one rips young grass rather than cutting it.
- Mow when the surface is dry so you're not sliding turf around or compacting damp soil.
After that first cut, you can gradually bring the height down over the following mows to your normal level.
Frequently asked questions
What time of year is best to lay turf?
Spring and autumn are ideal — warm enough for roots to establish, mild enough that the turf isn't stressed. You can lay in summer, but only if you're committed to watering heavily; mid-winter laying is fine in mild climates but establishment is slow.
How do I know when the turf has taken root?
Do the tug test: gently pull up a corner after a couple of weeks. If it resists and feels anchored, roots have knitted into the soil. If it lifts freely like a rug, give it more time and keep watering.
Can I walk on it straight away?
Only on a board while laying. Keep foot traffic off the new lawn for 2-3 weeks while it roots — kids and pets included. Early traffic causes dents, tears and uneven establishment.
Why are the edges of my turf going brown?
Edges and joins dry out first because they're the most exposed. It usually means the turf wasn't butted tightly enough or isn't getting enough water at the seams. Push pieces together, top up watering, and a light topdressing of sandy soil along the joins helps them retain moisture.
Do I need to fertilise new turf?
Not immediately if you added a starter feed during prep. Hold off on a full feed for around 4-6 weeks, then apply a balanced lawn fertiliser once the lawn is actively growing and rooted.
How Lawnova keeps your new turf on track
The trickiest part of a new lawn isn't laying it — it's remembering the right care at the right moment over those crucial first weeks. Lawnova builds you a personalised calendar with reminders for watering, the first mow and that first feed, all timed to your grass type and region. And if a patch starts looking off, the diagnose tool helps you work out whether it's water, heat or something else before it spreads. Get your free Lawnova plan and lay your new turf with confidence.
Now go enjoy that freshly green view — you've earned it.