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Coping with drought
Ten tips for the gardener working with turf

1. Plan ahead to prevent the turf drying out: don’t have more turf delivered in a day than you can lay.
2. Only buy your Turf from a TGA grower or a stockist supplied by one: that way you’ll know the turf is fresh when you buy it.
3. Buy the right grade of turf for the job in hand. Your TGA approved grower or stockist will have the knowledge to help you.
4. When your turf is delivered to you stack it in a shady place with the aim of laying all that is delivered in the course of the day.
5. Using water from a butt or recycled in some other way, prepare and wet the ground immediately before laying and incorporate a water-retaining soil conditioner to keep the soil moist.
6. To conserve water usage, lay and water-in no more than 20% of the delivery at a time. This means the first turf laid won't have totally dried out when you reach the end.
7. In the days following, water only either in the early morning or in the early evening so the sun doesn't burn off the water you've added.
8. Give the turf a light rolling to ensure good contact with the soil underneath.
9. Hold back on the mowing: the blades of grass should be at least one inch in height.
10. As the lawn establishes over the first month water less and less frequently.