If you just laid new turf to replace grass in your yard, this will save you a lot of time in mowing. There are still things you must do to the new turf, however, to make it last and look new for you. Below are two maintenance tips to help you get started.

Give the Turf a Thorough Soak

When you first lay your new turf, you must give it a thorough soak with water the first day.  In order to do this, you can use a garden hose. You will have to take time doing this as every part of the turf needs to have a good soak. The water needs to soak completely through the turf and to the soil below. To know if you did this, gently lift up the edge of the turf to ensure it is moist. 

After the thorough soaking, water the turf once a day for the first couple of weeks. Check the underside of the turf regularly. If the soil looks muddy, then you are watering too much.  You only want the soil to be damp. 

Consider how hot the day is because if you water the turf on a hot day, you need to do so early in the morning or later in the evening. This will prevent the heat from the sun from drying up the water too quickly.

Stay Off the Turf

Once you lay the new turf, you do not need to walk on it for a few weeks. This is because the roots on the underside of the turf must root into the ground. This will secure the turf to the soil. To know if the turf is ready, lift up one corner. You should not be able to lift it up easily. 

Staying off the turf means you not waking on it but if you have pets you should not allow them to get on the turf either. For example, large dogs can cause problems in the first couple of weeks. Put a temporary fence around the turf if you have to so that people and animals will stay off. 

How long it takes for the turf to root to the ground depends on many factors. First, if you fail to water the turf enough in the beginning, this will make it much longer to root. Your soil can also play a part in this as healthy soil will allow the turf to root much quicker than unhealthy soil. Because of this, do a soil test before you lay the turf to see if you need to add any nutrients to make the soil healthier. 

Hire a turf management contractor to help you keep your turf maintained. The contractor can give you many more tips on caring and maintaining your turf.