Spray out the area to be turfed with Glysophate herbicide, which you can pick up from your local garden centre. Wait 7 – 10 days until all weeds are dead. Remove all debris. Rotary hoe the soil to a depth of 50mm. After completing the rotary hoe process, level soil with a slight slope away from the house for good drainage, ensuring all dips and hills are removed. If topsoil is required, spread to a depth of 100mm-150mm and level to 25mm below footpaths, ensuring there is a slight slope away from the house and dips and hills are removed.
Calculate the amount of turf needed by preparing a sketch of your site. Use a tape measure to mark the dimensions of the different areas. If you’re having trouble calculating the amount of turf needed for your project, Harden Park Lawns can help. Just give us a call (07) 4055 4632 or email info@hardenparklawns.com.au
Once you know how much you need, order your turf to be delivered on the day you plan to install it. Ensure you have the necessary tools ready, to complete your installation. This includes a cutting spade (or a large knife), a roller, hose, wheelbarrow and rake. Obtain a good turf starter fertilizer, as this is a must for successful turf establishment. We have our own fertilizer available, which we will happily add to your turf order. Spread fertilizer on prepared soil using a handheld fertilizer spreader to ensure even coverage.
If you want to lay your own turf, we recommend the following steps to ensure the best possible results and remember, good site preparation is the foundation to any successful lawn establishment.
For best results the turf needs to be laid in the correct pattern, to give minimal joins. Lay it in a brick pattern, as shown in this diagram. Start with the outer edges making a border, then lay the remainder of the turf in a brick pattern making sure all joints (sides and ends) are butted together tightly without overlapping. Water installed turf as you go, starting 15 minutes after you lay the first slab.
After you have installed all the turf, use your roller to smooth out any footprints or air pockets to ensure the turf makes good contact with the soil. If it is an extremely hot day, try to keep turf cool prior to installing and always install on the day of delivery.
Irrigate your turf within 15 minutes of laying the first slab. Hand watering to saturation (approximately 25mm) will help with turf establishment, after installation. Follow up irrigation over the entire lawn twice a day for the next 10 days is important for root system establishment. During hot daylight hours, the leaf should not be allowed to dry out and edge areas near concrete or brick borders will suffer the most. Curling and grey colour of the leaf will tell you when the turf has dried out.
Once established, irrigating twice per week will maintain a healthy lawn. If hot and/or windy, extra watering will be required and each site will have different water requirements depending on soil type, drainage, etc.
Mowing should be done about 10-14 days after the grass has been installed (depending on the time of year). When mowing, make sure you don’t mow the grass too low or you will scalp it. Usually try to only mow a third of the leaf off. A well-maintained mower with sharp blades will produce a high-quality finish, for your lawn.
Fertilizing your lawn throughout the year will give you a healthy green lawn, all year round. We recommend you use our Harden Park Lawns Premium Lawn Fertilizer. The best times to fertilize, are after the end of the wet season, again prior to the cooler months and then at the end of winter. Spreading the fertilizer evenly with a hand spreader will ensure even growth of your lawn.
Harden Park Lawns are dedicated to helping you maintain your lawn in the very best condition possible. We offer a range of lawn care tips, videos and advice to ensure your biggest job, is enjoying your lawn. We also provide a 10 Year Product Warranty certificate, when you choose one of our Lawn Solutions Australia, turf varieties. We welcome you to browse our lawn portfolio and see for yourself the beautiful results we have been able to achieve for local North Queensland residential and commercial clients. At Harden Park Lawns we’ve been turfing the tropics since 1999.
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