How to lay turf

Laying turf is the quick part — a 50 m² lawn is an afternoon. The preparation underneath it is most of the work and nearly all of the result, and the clock starts the moment the pallet is delivered: turf is a living product that has to go down the day it arrives. Here is the order of work, and the quantities, which the turf calculator will work out for your lawn.

Prepare before the turf arrives

Everything below should be finished before your delivery date, not on the day.

Clear. Strip the old lawn, weeds and debris. Perennial weeds left in place will grow straight back through a new lawn.
Check the depth. Rolawn recommend aminimum 100 mm of topsoil, with 150 mm preferred. Thin or poor soil is where new lawns fail in their first dry spell — thetopsoil calculator sizes an import.
Cultivate. Dig or rotavate so roots can get down, and break up any compaction.
Level and firm. Rake level, then firm by treading or rolling — this reveals soft spots that would otherwise become dips in the finished lawn — and rake again to a fine tilth. Levelling properly now is far easier than trying to correct a wavy lawn later.
Water ahead. Rolawn suggest watering the soil to a depth of about 75 mm two days before the turf arrives, so it goes onto moist ground rather than dust.

Laying: butt tight, stagger the joints

Start along a straight edge — a path, a patio, or a taut string line — and butt the rolls tightly end to end. Do not stretch them: a stretched turf shrinks back as it dries and opens a gap.

On every following row, stagger the joints in a brickwork pattern. Continuous joints running the length of a lawn create a line that dries, shrinks and stays visible for a season. Firm each turf down with the back of a rake or a flat piece of wood so the roots are in contact with soil rather than air, and work from planks laid over the turf you have already placed — never stand directly on new turf.

Cut edges, curves and around obstacles with a sharp knife or a half-moon edger, and use the offcuts for small gaps. Lay full rolls at the perimeter and the cut pieces inside where they are supported; thin slivers at an exposed edge dry out and die.

Worked example: a 50 m² lawn

Area: 50 m²
Rolls at 1 m² each plus Rolawn's recommended 5% for cutting and shaping: 53 rolls
Delivery weight: 53 × 15–20 kg ≈795–1,060 kg — around a tonne, arriving on a pallet that needs somewhere to go
Topsoil if importing a 100 mm rootzone: 50 × 0.1 =5 m³ ≈ 7.5 tonnes

Those are the figures the turf calculator andtopsoil calculator produce for the same inputs — this page renders them from the same data, so they cannot disagree.

Watering is the whole of aftercare

Water thoroughly, immediately after the last roll goes down, and keep the soil moist for the first few weeks. New turf must never be allowed to dry out. This is the one thing that decides whether a lawn knits: turf that dries in its first fortnight shrinks at every joint and may never root properly. Check by lifting a corner — resistance means it has taken.

Keep foot traffic off for the first two to three weeks. First mow once it has rooted and the grass reaches about 40–50 mm, often within 7 to 14 days; take only the tips off on that first pass, because early light mowing encourages rooting and lateral growth rather than setting the lawn back.

The mistakes that cost a lawn

Storing the pallet. Rolled turf cooks. Lay it the day it arrives — immediately in summer, within 24 hours in winter.
Laying on unprepared ground. Bumps and soft spots under the turf become permanent features of the lawn.
Continuous joints. Stagger them, brickwork fashion.
Stretching turves to close a gap. They shrink back and the gap returns, wider.
Under-watering in week one. The single most common cause of a new lawn failing.
Walking on it. Use planks until it has rooted.

Frequently asked questions

How do you lay turf?

Prepare the ground first: clear the old lawn and weeds, cultivate, level, firm and rake to a fine tilth over at least 100 mm of topsoil. Then lay the first row against a straight edge, butt the rolls tightly end to end, and stagger the joints on following rows in a brickwork pattern. Firm each turf down for good soil contact, work from planks rather than standing on the new lawn, and water thoroughly the moment you finish.

How much topsoil do I need under new turf?

Rolawn recommend a minimum topsoil depth of 100 mm, with 150 mm preferred. For a 50 m² lawn that is 5 m³ at 100 mm — roughly 7.5 tonnes of screened topsoil as delivered. If your existing soil is already decent depth and quality you may only need to improve and level it rather than import.

How quickly must turf be laid after delivery?

Immediately in spring and summer, and within 24 hours in autumn and winter — that is Rolawn’s guidance and it is not conservative. Turf is a living plant rolled up with no light and limited water; a stack heats from the inside in warm weather and the middle rolls yellow first. Prepare the ground completely before the delivery date and book the drop for a morning you can lay it.

Should I stagger turf joints?

Yes — stagger them in a brickwork pattern, exactly as you would bond masonry. Continuous joints running across the lawn create a line of weakness that dries out, shrinks and stays visible for a season or more. Butt each roll tightly against its neighbour; gaps dry out at the edges and the turves shrink apart as they establish.

Can you walk on newly laid turf?

Not directly. Always work from planks or boards laid over the turf you have already placed — that spreads your weight and keeps you off the fresh surface. Keep normal foot traffic off the lawn entirely for the first two to three weeks while it roots, and be especially careful when the ground is wet.

How much should I water new turf?

Thoroughly, straight after laying, and then keep the soil moist for the first few weeks — new turf should never be allowed to dry out. Watering matters more than any other aftercare: a lawn that dries out in its first fortnight shrinks at the joints and may not knit at all. Rolawn also suggest watering the soil to a depth of 75 mm a couple of days before the turf arrives.

When can I mow new turf for the first time?

Once it has rooted and the grass has reached about 40–50 mm, which is often within 7 to 14 days; some varieties can be topped within the first week. Cut high on the first pass — take the tips off rather than scalping — because early, light mowing actually encourages rooting and lateral growth. Check it has rooted by lifting a corner: resistance means it has taken.

About these numbers

The roll size, cutting allowance, laying windows, topsoil depth, watering and first-mow guidance are Rolawn's published recommendations — the UK's largest turf grower, and the same source ourtopsoil calculator reproduces in automated tests. Quantities on this page render from the same constants the calculators use; read how CubicMath works. Different supplier? Their spec sheet wins — enter their roll coverage in theturf calculator. Laying a patio beside the lawn? Our guide to laying a patio covers that build-up.