A common misconception is that you can only lay turf in Summer and Spring, but that is not true. Whilst they are more ideal, winter is still a good time in most situations and there are even some benefits in laying a new lawn during the cooler months. Turf can be installed successfully all year round following the correct care steps for each month.
An important benefit of laying turf in Winter is the lower water usage. While you will still have to irrigate to some point, essentially you halve your water usage laying turf in the cooler months unlike during the warmer months where you need to water 3-4 times a day to stop your lawn from drying out. Just keep in mind with less sunlight, warmth and moisture from frost and rain, you want to avoid adding excess moisture to the soil as it is. Watering in the morning is recommended to remove any frost that might be present, and the slight warmth of the day will help to reduce the risk of fungal issues. If you water in the afternoon it can freeze and cause damage. It is also important to remember that Winter frost will not kill your grass even though it looks like it has and can be unsightly, but it will come back with some warmer weather. Your next mow will also help to take the brown tips off.
Another benefit is mowing. Because the turf can go dormant during Winter it will not grow as quickly or as much until the weather starts to warm up. This means that you will not have to mow as often as you would throughout Summer and Spring. You will find you may only need to mow every 2-3 weeks during Winter. A handy hint is to raise your mower blades a few notches higher to allow your turf to catch as much sunlight as possible and to stay healthy. Towards the end of Winter, you will slowly lower the height again to prepare for Spring. When the turf slows down its growth it takes a little longer to establish, but your turf will still be well established for Spring when you will want to spend more time on it.
So, provided you choose the right turf that will cope with your Winter weather and less sunlight there is no reason you cannot successfully lay a new lawn in Winter.
If you need any help deciding which turf may be suitable for your environment, please feel free to give one of our friendly staff a call.