It is ideal to have your turf delivered on the day you are going to lay it and have your ground preparation all done. Our to is cut into 1m2 rolls which are much easier to handle that turf slabs. The rolls are cut fresh from the farm the afternoon before delivery. In the warmer months it is advised to lay your turf straight away or it may burn. Your turf can last a couple of days on the pallet in the cooler months before being laid.

Planning for Your New Lawn

Start by spraying area to kill off weeds and existing grass. Use either roundup or something similar. Follow instructions according to the label. After about 7 days you will notice the discolouration in the area. You may notice some weeds still green or areas that you have missed which will need another hit.

Clean area by removing dead grass, sticks and stones. Spread new turf base (soil) over the area. Use 50mm over the area as a minimum. A good guide is 1 Ton of turf base to every 20m2. Level and rake the soil to get a nice even surface. The soil should level approximately 15-20mm below path edges – this allows for turf to sit neatly in place.

Multiply the length by the width of the area. This will give you how much you need in square metres. Naturally if there are a few areas add them together. It may be wise to add about 5% to allow for any cut ins.

Laying your lawn

So your area is ready for the lawn. Start laying the turf from the edges. If you are laying a slope, lay across the slope rather than down. Avoid any gaps between the slabs. Butt the slabs right up against each other. Try to avoid using very small pieces of turf, these will dry out quickly. A sharp shovel, knife or hedging shears should be used when cutting turf.

As soon as the turf is laid start watering it in. When laying larger lawns, especially during hot weather start watering smaller areas the rest is being laid. Sprinklers are ideal.

Once in place and watered, you may use a lawn roller which may remove any small bumps and get the roots into the ground slightly quicker.

Watering of Lawn

The first watering is most important. Make sure the water has seeped through the newly laid turf and has moistened the soil. For the following 10-14 days, water on a daily basis. Either early morning or late afternoon is best. After the first two weeks, you can start to reduce you watering schedule to 2-3 days a week.

By around the 4th – 6th week, watering can be done once a week. Make sure that you water deeply to encourage deep root formation.

Obviously the time of year, weather and variety of turf will affect the amount of watering needed.

How often should I mow my lawn?

You can start to mow when your turf has begun to establish its root system and cannot be lifted from the soil. This will vary according to season and turf variety.

Only mow a third off the height of the lawn at any single mowing. Do not mow the lawn too short, this will put the turf under stress. You may leave the catcher off every 3rd or 4th mow and let the clipping go back into the lawn.

Fertilising

Providing the right nutrients, of course, will help your lawn look even better. A good fertilizing routine is recommended. Ensure you only use the fertilizer that is suitable for your turf type. Ie. Some fertilisers are not suitable to use on buffalo lawns and can kill them.

If you would like a professional to fertilise your lawn and set up a fertilizing program for you, we recommend ‘The Weed Man’ – 02 4228 1005.