Step 1 – Site preparation
- Remove existing weeds in advance by spraying your preparation site with a knockdown herbicide such as Roundup.
- Loosen top soil or cut and add new soil to a depth of 50-100 mm.
- Use a rake or lawn level to level off the soil, remembering the finished job will only be as level as the prepared area.
- The soil level should be the same as surrounding pathways. The soil will settle about 10mm in the next 3-6 months.
- At this point, rake in some starter fertiliser for you lawn. A blend of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur is a safe bet to cover your bases, but have a chat to our friendly team for site specific recommendations.
Step 2 – Turf selection and ordering
- Decide on the turf variety to suit your yard and your goals. For areas that experience more than 30% shade per day, Sir Walter buffalo is required. Otherwise, Village Green kikuyu or Santa Ana couch are excellent choices with inherent considerations for each. Contact Us for more information.
- Measure the your area using the provided Lawn Estimator. It is always a good idea to order about 5% more than you measured to ensure the job is finished! This accounts for cutting around objects and abnormal shapes.
Step 3 – Laying your turf
- Firstly roll out a border, then fill in the area using a staggered brick work type pattern. A serrated steak knife works well to cut turf to required lengths.
- If Your yard is sloped, lay turf across the slope so that water doesn’t channel through the gaps.
- You may top-dress the joins and edges to help keep moisture in, however this is not essential.
- After laying your lawn, roll your lawn with a water filled turf roller to press the roosts into your soil so as to increase water and nutrient uptake during turf establishment.
Step 4 – Water! And mowing.
- Water, water, water. For the first few weeks it is important not to let your new lawn dry out whilst establishing. Keep the top 2 cm wet at all times. After about 4 weeks your new lawn should have grown it roots into the soil, which you can check by lifting the corner of a roll. At this point you can start to reduce watering and give it its first mow.
- As a general rule, never take more than one third of the leaf off in a single mowing event. If your turf has grown long during establishment, take the mowing height down gradually so as not to stunt turf growth. Each turf variety has an optimum mowing height in conjunction with your goals. Contact Us for more information.
Step 5 (the most important one) – Enjoy your new Turf The Lot Lawn!
- Whether you are loving your lawn or having issues, we invite you to contact us and to consider leaving us a review on Google or Facebook.