What is instant turf and how can I use it?

Instant turf gives you a lush green lawn without having to wait for grass seeds to grow. In this blog we’re looking at different types of instant turf and how to use them.

What is instant turf?

Instant turf is not a new concept. The first recorded instance of turf being used was in medieval times when monks were refurbishing their abbey gardens. Instant turf is basically a specially grown new lawn that has been lifted from the field it is growing in, cut into manageable sized pieces, rolled up and transported to its new home.

A field of instant turf being maintained. When an order is recieved, the right amount of turf will be harvested and delivered to the customer

Modern day methods of growing, harvesting and transporting grass turf mean that almost anyone can have an instant lawn. All they need is well prepared soil, a hosepipe and a few hours to lay their new turf.

Of course, it is possible now to buy imported artificial grass. Newly installed artificial grass looks great but it doesn’t offer any of the environmental benefits of a natural lawn.  We’ll look at the differences between real and synthetic in another blogpost. For now I’m going to concentrate on the type of instant turf that is natural and alive.

How long does it take to lay instant turf?

The time it takes to lay instant turf depends on a lot of things. The most time-consuming part of the job is preparing the soil for turfing. If your soil is reasonably dry, free from debris and a nice texture, it shouldn’t take long to prepare it. It does burn off quite a few calories, and if you have back problems or reduced mobility, you may want to spread the workload over several short sessions.

If you are not an experienced turf layer, I would suggest preparing the soil before you place an order for turf. That way, if it takes a little longer than expected there’ll be no harm done.

Once your turf has been delivered, it is quite easy to lay onto prepared soil. A team of professional landscapers in peak physical condition can comfortably lay 500-600 rolls of turf in a day. 100-200 square metres a day is a more reasonable expectation for a learner.

Is instant turf truly instant?

Instant turf will look fabulous from the very start. As you are laying it, unrolling each piece and manoeuvring them it into position, you may think that the grass looks a bit squished and a bit dirty. That’s nothing to worry about. Once you’ve watered it, the grass will look brighter. After a couple of days the grass plants will have recovered from their journey and your new lawn will look immaculate.

Laying turf is hard work but well worth it. Within a couple of weeks this new lawn will be immaculate. If Lu had opted for seeding instead of turfing, she’d need to wait 4-6 months to get this sort of coverage – and she’d need to weed out any imposters.

You will be able to see the joints between turves for the first 10-14 days but rest assured that as soon as your turf has rooted into the soil, those joins will disappear. PROVIDED you have given your new lawn the TLC it needs.

Which type of instant turf is right for me?

If you want your new lawn to thrive, you must be sure to lay the right type of turf to start with. For a hardwearing family lawn, I thoroughly recommend Jubilee Turf.

Learn more about turf types here

How do I care for instant turf?

The very most important thing you can do for your instant turf is keep it well watered. Without water the grass plants will perish and you will find yourself looking at a crispy brown mess.

Water every day without fail for the first two weeks. Then, if the roots are starting to take hold, you can gradually cut down to every other day, then twice a week etc until you stop watering altogether. On hot days, it’s wise to water your new lawn twice a day – morning and evening. If it rains, you may need to water anyway. Lift a corner on one of the turves to make sure that the soil is wet underneath it.

More about caring for new instant turf

Where to buy instant turf

You can order online here, or call our customer services team to find out where to find your nearest turf stockist.