The Rooting Window
New turf is essentially a living carpet sitting on soft, wet mud. If you place heavy garden furniture on it immediately, the legs of the chairs will punch straight through the turf, tearing the roots and sinking deep into your newly leveled topsoil.
The Timeline for Heavy Items
- Days 1 to 21: Zero Traffic. Keep everything off the lawn. This includes chairs, tables, paddling pools, and heavy foot traffic. The roots need this uninterrupted time to anchor into the sub-base.
- Week 4: Light Use. The turf is anchored. You can safely walk on it and mow it. You can bring out lightweight folding chairs for a few hours, but do not leave them there permanently.
- Week 6+: Fully Established. The ground has firmed up and the root system is deep. You can safely place heavy wooden furniture on the grass.
A Warning About Trampolines
Large trampolines and paddling pools block 100% of the sunlight. If you leave them in one spot for more than a few days, the grass underneath will turn completely yellow and die. You must move them to a different area of the lawn every week to allow the grass to recover.