1st Mowing of new turf

Hi Guys,

New to the forum and relatively new to gardening as a whole to be honest.

I have just had new turf laid in our back garden (9 days in now), it is relatively flat and the soil (i've been told) is really good quality. The grass has started to go a little brown around the edges of the turves. I have been watering it diligently and washing the dogs business away straight after the act. Does anyone know what this could be caused by?

Also starting to think about the first cut, I've read to keep the cut high and cut often. But what should you do regarding the grass clippings? Would you suggest leaving these on the ground, or collecting them?

Finally, see the attached picture of my Plum tree, I moved it from a corner of the garden. Ever since its been replanted, it appears to be wilting, it needs a prune but I'm a little worried doing this when it looks so unhealthy.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks everyone.

 

Apologies, still getting the hang of the forum.

A

 

Hi welcome aboard.
Are the joints pinned in close, ie are they touching?
Are there any other marks on the grass or just the edges?

You want to cut it high and collect the cuttings, don’t be in any rush to cut it short, let it settle so the roots start to bond with the soil.
It should be nice and flat and firm if you walk on it.

 

Thanks for the reply Liz, there are small gaps between 2 or three of them. But there are also small patches of brown in the middle of turves.

Also when would you advise to do the first cut?

 

let the turf grow to about 2.5 inches and then just cap it to keep it there. Thats a good length to aim at.
Are the brown patches growing in size?
A close up photo will help if possible.

 

Not growing in size, but they are not shrinking ethier. There’s areas of the grass that are easily 3inches and other parts that are 1 at most

 

Thanks, hard to say what’s going on.
I don’t notice any dark green round the edges but are these spots where your dog may have been even though you have washed the areas?
Just keep watering and keep an eye on the patches to see if they develop and see if more patches appear.

 

For the gaps, put some top dressing (either just topsoil, or a mix of topsoil and sand) over the lawn and brush it into the cracks with the back of a rake. That'll also level out the inevitable lumps and bumps.

Don't do it yet though - wait until the turf is fully established. August or September would be about right.

If you search "lawn top dressing", you'll find YouTube videos about it.