In this post you will find everything  you need to know about planning, ordering, installing and maintaining your (envy  of the neighbours) lawn…

Choosing the right turf variety

Quick comparison table on some key  turfs:

When in doubt, come into the store or give our expert  staff a call to discuss your upcoming project.

Garden planning & lawns

Putting together a scale drawing on some graph paper is  an excellent way of getting your garden plan in order and will help you  determine how much turf and soil to order. Clearly mark all the main features,  existing and proposed, house, paving, driveway, garden beds etc.

It’s much easier to make changes with a rubber and  pencil during the planning stages than it is during the landscaping process. Not  to mention cheaper. Once completed, a scale drawing makes life a lot easier when  calculating areas, volumes and quantities for the various components, such as  soil and turf.

Measuring & calculating

Drawing on the geometry skills you picked up in high  school, measure up the square metres needed for your project. If unsure, bring  your to scale plan into BC Sands and we will help you with the  calculations.

Ordering turf and soil

Turf can be delivered from Monday to Saturday. Try and  order as far in advance as possible to ensure on time delivery. Turf is a  weather-sensitive product and it cannot be cut or supplied during extremely wet  weather – if you order during or immediately after a period of wet weather we  may contact you to arrange an alternative delivery time.

We deliver turf across Sydney and  Wollongong.

It is best to have your turf delivered on the day you  intend to lay it, so be sure to have all your preparation done beforehand. Ring  BC Sands a few days before to place your order.

Site preparation

 Remove any existing weeds by spraying them with a  Herbicide like Round-Up. Try and do this a few weeks prior to laying your new  turf. Next you need to remove any old lawn from the area where the new lawn is  being laid. Small areas can be tackled with a pick and shovel but for larger  areas you may need to hire a turf cutter.

Soils & soil preparation

Your soil plays a vital role in the success of your  lawn and in many cases some soil improvement work is required to get the most  out of it. Depending on where you live your soil may be too sandy or have too  much clay. If this is the case you will need to add organic material or sand.  Talk to the team at BC Sands about your soil and even bring in a sample of your  soil for us to analyse. The final step is to undertake a pH correction and,  depending on the test results, adding lime or sulphur. No matter how good your  soil is, it’s always a good idea to put down a layer of underlay soil mix.

Full details on a pH test, as well as more details on  all the steps in this months newsletter are contained in the Loving Your Lawn  book.

Levels

Getting your soil levels right is another important  stage of the preparation process and should be factored in from the beginning.  You need to consider the finished height of your lawn and how it meets the other  surfaces such as paths and garden beds you also need to allow for surface  drainage if you site is already quite level.

Start levelling out your soil around the outer edges  where the finished height is already determined. Use a steel rake or topsoil  spreader. Once the outer edges are done, use string lines and long strait edges  to marry up all the levels.

Turf installation

The most important thing to remember when laying new  turf is, green side up, brown side down! In my experience, this  always gives the best results.

Laying

• Start laying at the bottom of sloped areas and use full  rolls or slabs around all edges. Stagger the joints, a bit like brick work, so  they don’t line up. This prevents drying out and soil erosion caused by heavy  rain on sloping ground. If the joints all line up, rain can build up like a  small river taking the soil with it.
• Butt the turf closely together avoiding gaps that will  dry out, look ordinary and cause an uneven surface. Don’t rush!
• Always lay turf across any sloping areas.
• Avoid using small pieces, these will dry out  quickly.
• Do not stretch the turf.
• Cut the turf with a sharp knife or hedging shears.
• Try not to walk on or wheel a barrow over newly laid  turf as this can damage the root system and cause undulations in the soil. If  necessary, use timber planks or plywood sheets for protection and spreading of  the load.
• Water your lawn as soon as it is laid. For large areas,  especially on hot days, get someone to start watering or set up a sprinkler  whilst the remainder of the laying takes place.
• Roll the lawn once you have watered to ensure root  contact with the soil.
• Evenly sprinkle a layer of fertiliser over your new  lawn remembering to water before and after. A great new fertiliser product we  now stock is ‘Sir Launcher’ by lawn experts Sir Walter. Sir Launcher is a duel  purpose premium blend of fertiliser and moisture magnets Premium Water Crystals.
• CRUCIAL FINAL STEP – Crack open a cold beverage, sit  back and admire your handy work.