We are often asked: When is the best time of year to lay turf?

The answer will really depend on the customers requirements but turf can be laid all year round.

To give you all the informaion and to help you understand the pro's and con's of year round turf laying, we have created a turf laying calender:

January: No Watering Required

January is usually the slowest month for turf sales, not that there is anything wrong with laying turf in January but the cold wet weather, some winter blues and a post christmas bank balance usually puts people off. Against popular belief, Turf suffers no lasting damage when it's harvested and laid in freezing conditions. However, you must remember that if the weather is consistently below zero, the turf can freeze into solid rolls on the pallet. Turf is slow to root in cold conditions.... It won't need any looking after but you will have to keep off it for 6-8 weeks. If you do lay the turf in January, It will be well established by Spring and ready for family use.

February: No Watering Required

See January. February is a similar month to January although slightly busier for us due to golf course maintenance and homeowners starting to look forward to the aproaching spring sunshine. The weather is likely to be pretty cold but as mentioned in January, you shouldnt be put off by this. Quite often the crisp cold weather will offer respite from the rain and allow you to finish the ground preparation ready for your turf.

March: Water if its warm & dry

March can be a changeable month with temperatures from below freezing to low 20s. Either way, its a good month to lay turf in preparation for an established lawn ready for Spring use. If the weather is warm, the turf may need watering. A good indicator for the necessity to water the turf is your flower bed or any patch of bare soil. If the soil remains moist on the surface, you probably won't need to water, if the soil is drying across the surface, the turf will be as well. If in doubt, water the turf.

April:   Water if its warm & Dry

Like March, April can also be a changeable month. A typical April will consist of warming temperatures and the typical April showers. April and May are our busiest months for supplying turf and its a great time to lay the turf. The warming temperatures will normaly ensure that the turf roots in within 2-3 weeks but do remember that you will need to keep a hose pipe at the ready in case the showers are ellusive.

May: Water unless it rains heavily

May is very popular for laying turf but there is a good chance you will need to do some significant watering. By May the weather has usually warmed up and the turf is growing and looking great. The turf will root in after approximately two weeks but it could need watering throughout that period, twice a day and for up to 1 minute per square metre.

June: Will definately require watering

Be Carefull of heatwaves. Throughout the summer, the turf will require watering every morning and late afternoon for 2 weeks. In a heatwave, you may need to use a sprinkler throughout the day and evening to ensure the turf stays moist. The benefit of laying in the summer is the fast rooting time of less than 2 weeks and the dry soil, making it very easy to level and prepare your ground, ready for turf laying.

July: Will definately require watering 

Be carefull of heatwaves. July is ussually similar to June so be prepared with a hose and sprinkler. Remember that a quick thundery shower won't water the turf enough. The warm conditions will draw any rain water straight back out of the turf so make sure you at least check that the turf is moist throughout.

August: Will definately require watering

August tends to carry less risk of extreme heatwaves but the typical warm conditions mean that you will still need to water twice a day, every day. In late August, there is a higher risk of toadstools appearing in the turf, where ever you buy it from. This is due to a combination of the plant stress and warm moist conditions. The toadstools cause no damage to the grass and ussually dissapear within the two week rooting period.

September: Requires watering but less than summer

September can be a great month to lay turf. Like August, you may encounter the odd toadstool but the risk of very hot conditions has usually gone and the mild moist conditions will ensure that the turf roots really well. You will still need to mow the turf a few times before winter and make sure you clear any leaves off the grass.

October: Water if it's warm and dry

October can be pretty wet so as long as you can prepare your ground, its a great time to lay turf. Unless the weather is warm and dry, there should be no need for watering. You will still need to mow the turf at least once before winter. If it's already turned cold, rooting is likely to be a little slower.

November: No Watering Required

By November, you will not need to water the turf. You may not need to mow the grass either if the temperatures are below 10 degrees. However, you will need to ensure that you carefully collect the majority of leaves that may drop on to the grass

December: No Watering Required

December can be one of the best times of the year to lay turf. Many greenskeepers are doing out of season repairs in December. There is no need for any watering and all the leaves should of already dropped. Just lay the turf down and leave it. By the Spring, the turf should of gained a good root structure ready for immediate use. 

NOTE: Our UK weather is anything but consistant so all of the information above should be used as a guide. Make sure that the turf is watered well if the soil is dry.