Of all the different types of garden renovations we see, replacing lawns is by far the most common. This usually boils down to poor installation and a lack of maintenance (but we'll cover maintenance in a future blog post!).
So many people have misconceptions about how to install a new lawn and get the best results, So here is a simple guide to getting the installation of your new lawn right the first time:
1. When installing your new lawn it's what's underneath that counts. So you need to be making space for a good layer of new topsoil underneath your new lawn. We recommend digging out the area to 100-150mm below your desired finish height.
2. You need to install good irrigation for your turf! This means setting out your sprinklers for Head-to-Head coverage so that all areas are getting evenly covered (we'll put up a more detailed blog or post about this in future too).
3. Depending on how far you dug your lawn out you will need to install between 70-120mm of new topsoil. Rolls of turf are around 30mm thick, so just minus that off the amount you dug out to work out the amount of topsoil you'll need. We recommend using the Green Life Soil Co.'s 'Lawn Topdress Mix' or even Special Lawn Mix. Avoid laying your lawn on gutless sand that has no water holding minerals or organic matter!
4. Level the area with a lawn leveller and then fertilise well with at least a quick release fertiliser like Turf Start. We also recommend using a slow release fertiliser like Eco Prime Red for best long-term results.
5. Lawn your rolls of turf, ensuring you stagger your cuts to help the lawn knit together well. We also recommend running a single 'header course' of turf around the perimeter of the area to avoid any small cuts ending up against pavements, kerbs or fences etc. and drying out.
6. Compact your lawn well with a plate compactor to firmly bed the lawn into the topsoil below. If you don't have access to a plate compactor you can also hire or buy a lawn roller.
6. Cut around your pop-ups and water your lawn in well. You cannot let the roots of your lawn dry out before it becomes established, so set your irrigation to water the lawn 2-3 times per day for 4-6 weeks depending on the time of year (less in winter). As the weeks go by, you can gradually reduce the frequency of watering down to once per day, then every other day until you get back to your standard watering days. Don't forget to jump online and apply for a watering exemption from the Water Corp!
If you follow these tips, and ensure you also maintain your lawn well, you will have a lush, beautiful looking lawn! Just make sure your area also receives enough sunlight for the variety of turf you've selected! Even the best laid and looked after lawn won't thrive without the right level of sunlight.
Let us know if you need any further guidance!
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