Watering new turf under ever changing condition

Question

We laid new turf like 9 days ago. It has been turning green and each turf are growing in each other blurring the lines. Thanks to @bamboo , I been watering it twice daily n none in rainy days as uk weather is very serve and now a days it’s really hot. My concern is what is best time to give water (IMO when it’s not hot) as sun can turn water hot which when sucked by soil might burn, so time of 4-5 seems right when Earth is turning down cold? I might be wrong but having said how much should I water when it’s really hot or ok weather.

I read somewhere that if you put knife in soil if it moist/clean then it means it’s plenty but that is not possible everyday.

Answer 1

The water won't get hot enough to "burn" anything in the soil.

The problem is that a drop of water on the leaf acts like small magnifying glass, and the sun can literally burn a small hole in the leaf.

The other issue is that if you water while the sun is shining, any water that doesn't soak into the ground quickly evaporates and is wasted.

In the UK sunset is at about 8:45pm at present, so you could leave watering a bit later than 4-5pm to be sure the sun isn't going to cause any damage. Maybe 7-8pm.

You want to encourage the grass to grow deep roots and find water that way, so it would probably be better to apply a lot of water every 2 or 3 days rather than a small amount every day. If there is water in the soil lower down and the roots are deep enough to reach it, it doesn't matter if the top inch or two of the soil is bone dry.

Answer 2

In the UK and in reference to turf, rapid evaporation of the water is the only reason not to water in bright sunlight; it is indeed a myth that water droplets can burn leaves (there's an interesting tale as to how this myth came about) and nor will the water get too hot and burn the turf or roots. Hopefully you are using a hose and sprinkler to water with, first, and second, the best time to water is after 4pm or later, preferably after 5 or 6 pm, and when the sun is not on the area. In particular, ensure the sprinkler is covering the edges of the turf, round the outside, including any bare soil it might be edged up with - those areas are the most likely to dry out. Set the sprinkler to run for at least half an hour (but preferably an hour) on each area before moving it to cover another area. It is better to water for longer when you do water rather than giving less daily. Even so, whilst it is so hot and especially if the sun is out, you may need to water daily or every other day till the weather calms down again, as it's new turf. You can check by feeling the edges of the turf, especially if it butts up to soil rather than a hard surface - that's where it dries out first.

Lastly, if you really have to because you're not going to be around to do it in the evening, water any time - sports fields and golf courses commonly run sprinklers during bright sunlight without harm, but it is a better use of the water to do it early evening, when it will have the best chance to penetrate through the turf, down to the roots and the soil beneath, and not evaporate so readily overnight. If you do have to water when its hot and sunny in the middle of the day, you will need to run the sprinkler for longer.

When this heatwave is over, water in the same way (evenings or early morning) but less often - maybe every 4 or 5 days, depending on air temperatures/sunshine, especially if there is light rain about. You will not need to water if there's heavy or very persistent rain. By the end of August, we will start having increasingly heavy dews overnight, which will help with moisture supply, and by then, your turf should hopefully be well on the way to rooting into the soil beneath.