Football Pitch FAQ 6. Should I turf or seed our goal mouth at renovation time?

You can do either in practice, but usually seeding would be carried out.

Perennial ryegrass will typically germinate within about 5 to 7 days and after one month there is usually good, but not full coverage. Within two-months you should have a nice dense sward, assuming the area has been looked after and not neglected.

If an instant effect was required then turfing might be considered, but it would need to be regularly watered to prevent drying out at this time of year.

Making sure staff are available to check the turfing on a daily basis and to see if it needs some top-dressing where any butted joins start to gape. It is easier to lightly overseed any thin areas which might have struggled with germination and establishment on a routine basis, than to replace turf.

There is little advantage to turfing at renovation time and in nearly all cases you would want to use seed.