Can this turf be saved?

chantelle.maree

We recently laid a small area of turf in our front yard (Wintergreen Couch), and after only three weeks the turf appears completely dehydrated (started happening after the first week). From the day it was laid, we have been watering the grass early every morning for 5 minutes or so, but in the second week when we saw it slightly browning on one side of the lawn, we increased the watering to morning and night. We are on the Gold Coast in an Australian Summer so we assume this is due to dehydration and not overwatering.

Wanting to know if it can be rescued or if this is unlikely due to the amount of brown grass.
Appreciate any advice or tips!

* We also can't explain why half of the lawn is greener in the 2nd image, potentially because it caught more of the excess water from the hose in the first few weeks.

Fairygirl

I'm afraid five minutes isn't enough to hydrate the grass. You'd need to leave a sprinkler on that for about an hour each time to get it going. At least half an hour anyway 

Posy

I should think the difference is caused by areas of shade.

Loxley

If you up your watering game even more, it will probably come back but may have patches that don't recover. You may have to wait until you get prolonged overcast / rainy weather to see a dramatic change though. I wouldn't be in a rush to relay it as 1. it might come back and 2. you would in any case want to relay it when cooler wetter weather comes in to avoid a repeat performance.

chantelle.maree

@Fairygirl thanks for the tip will move to watering 30mins twice per day
@Loxley thanks for the tip and agreed, if it doesn’t recover with the change in water we will like wait until Autumn/Winter for another shot for more favourable weather

Fairygirl

Your other planting will also be competition for any water too, so bear that in mind