New Lawn - UH OH!! what have I done?

[Madame Mucksprout]

I really really REALLY hope I havent completely stuffed up laying my beautiful new laIts been down 1 and a half days. I am DRENCHING it with water (as recomended by the turf guys) and staying off it. :-).

BUT - I just sort of fell on it (when I was reaching over to move the sprinkler) and it is soooooo spongy that Ive make 2 VERY deep knee prints and 2 deep hand prints.
The holes I can live with - the fact that its sooo spongey really really worries me. Have I laid it on far too much sand (its pretty deep in places) and now it will forever just be a squelchy mess?
Or will the glass roots grow down nice and deep and sort of lock it all together?

The ground is clay so I rotavated lots of gritty sand and compost in then on the top I levelled it as best I could using the gritty sand so it has patches that have a fair bit of sand under them, and some non.....

Please tell me this will all be ok?

[nickdub]

Not much experience with new lawns but I reckon it will settle with time, most soils usually do. Push comes to shove, you could borrow a garden roller from somewhere and flatten it a bit with that.

[geepee]

Soooo.......you didnt really 'Stay off it ' Then....!!
IMOH opinion.....best stay off it now......I doubt that you will need to water it 24/7.
As long as you dont allow it to dry out completely it should be fine.
As far as the Knee and Hand prints that your 'Unfortunate trip', caused......ignore them short term and once the rest of the turf has taken a good hold and growing well, you can just cut round the indentations and lift a small square of turf , add sand/soil mix below to level and replace the turf square.
It will quickly knit back again.

Mostly/firstly, dont worry yourself about it, every problem has a solution.
Gp

[Madame Mucksprout]

Thanks GP.

Sat worrying that if its squidgy now it will be squidgy forever.......... Your "mostly/Firstly" advice is the best Ive heard. Thanks very much.
I really wnat this lawn to work so we can play on it.

[Stan79]

I don't water new turf that much... you want the roots to go looking for the water a bit to establish themselves into the subsoil. I water every evening for the first couple of days if dry weather and then every other day, gradually spacing out over a couple of weeks just keeping an eye on the weather and the colour of the grass.

[geepee]

Thanks GP.

Sat worrying that if its squidgy now it will be squidgy forever.......... Your "mostly/Firstly" advice is the best Ive heard. Thanks very much.
I really wnat this lawn to work so we can play on it.

I,m sure it wont stay Wet forever.
Your very welcome to the advice..
Re your last sentence......
Monmothshire is a long way from me ,but if that is whats needed i will try to oblige...
Gp