Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 261May 15, 2010 10:41 am hey kiwiatgundy buy the spray container of seasol/powerfeed - 1 application covers 100m2. Then since you're doing such a large area - buy the 10L drum of seasol (or powerfeed) from Bunnings for about $80 I dilute 1L of molasses in 3L of hot water, then add 1L into the seasol spray pack (plus 500ml seasol, 250ml of powerfeed) then top up with water. Spray that over about 100-150m2. There's more info on seasol application at the top of this page (link to another thread) Have you thought about using SW buffalo instead of kike? To get the lawn looking great you should water it daily at the beginning - over that large an area - get a good sprinkler (not as effective or efficient as hand watering but will have you standing out there for 4 hours) After 4 years - we're in! Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 262Jun 17, 2010 1:21 am If you google homeone, molasses and how to use you will find the thread on it. Do you even have to have lawn? You could for less money plant a much nicer garden using tube stock and few bigger plants, mulch it and maybe even sow some of those East coast Bracteantha which should be in flower there soon They are pretty paper daisy things Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 263Jun 17, 2010 2:27 am Folks keep an eye out for this for your lawn. It is a lawn fertiliser that is part of the new age fertilisers. If I have previously mentioned Scotts Lawn Builder, well this is miles ahead of it. You guys think I am insane on feed the soil and never the plant! Well I have met Wayne from this mob and he is me times a 1000! This guy has changed the practices of some pretty old school experts let me give you the tip and it has been a really positive thing. Had me just soaking up his info for over an hour! Really inspirational bloke! Now at the moment it is only available in WA. It is also the first of what will be a new campaign around Australia that will re-enforce what I bang on about. Fertilise wise is coming to a state near you Where do we buy it? and it does much more than just fertilise I'll tell you that much. http://www.stocktech.com.au/suppliers.aspx Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 264Jun 17, 2010 1:49 pm Hey Fu, For us easteners what are your thoughts on the neutrog products like sudden impact for lawns? You have mentioned it other posts but from what i have heard its great stuff. We don't have the sands of WA so its sounds like a responsible choice for people with clay. Cheers, Beatrix Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 265Jun 18, 2010 1:33 am Yeah it bloody is and it is here as well What is really good is non gardeners love the idea (and it is a crap one) of chucking a bag of something around the garden. They can't be arsed fluffing around with liquids and clicking on hoses, too boring and they don't care what is going on either. So the nutrog products help with all that. It's fun to apply cause your chucking something. It smells only a bit offensive so it must be good and they won't stink after (unless they did to start with ) An entire industry is based around it as you know. Of course there is no one product that is a magic wand and I don't care what some company says. They each play an important role and together can produce some astounding results in the right balance. These are part of that Hence why some good hort societies have got behind it BUT they don't just use that alone because not much will happen. Combined with pure blood and bone, organic composts, molasses, soil amendments, worm wee compost teas (or poo teas is what they really are) efficient water use, good mulching, minimal fertilisers (or none) a happy and warm and fuzzy thing happens outside your door ...and then the dog next door leaves you something and each of those things does stuff all on thoer own. however together as garden friends your garden grows, your thumbs go green and you can share your experience with others further changing our garden practices for the better, ahmen brother ahmen Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 266Jun 20, 2010 10:37 pm Hi Fu We have approx 280sqm of a sandy block about 1km from the beach in secret harbour that we want to turn into a mix of native garden, lawn and a small vegie patch. What sort of amounts of organic material would you envision that we should use? I would be getting a load of compost from gardeners direct, gypsum, spongolite and zeolite. What sort of amounts do you suggest I might add these products to give the garden a good start? cheers Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 267Jun 20, 2010 11:47 pm Try sourcing the soil from bio organics.com in oakford. custom compost also. The more you get the better and provided it is soil sourced from those places (including gardeners direct) the natives won't have much issue. I'd be looking at about 5m3 at least. 8m3 would be better. I have posted quite afew links to where to get your native plant advice This although not the closest is going to be the only place with in co-ee of where you are that has genuine skill to recommend natives. I know for a fact http://www.zanthorrea.com/ http://www.zanthorrea.com/info.php http://www.watercorporation.com.au/W/wa ... -2374-1092 http://www.greatgardens.info/main.php http://www.sercul.org.au/fertilise_wise.html (scroll down for pdf's for your area) Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 268Jun 21, 2010 3:05 pm Hi Fu, Just a quick question, do you recommend chucking on this fertiliser now, or waiting until spring? My palmetto has gone very yellow and I want to know if this will help green it up a little. Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 269Jun 22, 2010 12:54 am Michelle generally I don't use nor recommend fertilisers for lawns. However this is the exception. I mention scotts as a compromise on my principles for those who are absolutely convinced it is the way forward for a domestic turf. If you are in WA nad have access to it and feel that it is the way for you then by all means. I would be using it when the nights in Spring begin to warm, not the days. When the soil begins to warm then nutrients are absorbed by plants better as their little metabolisms get going again. Warm nights Your Plametto will always look like poo in winter with traditional methods. Following what I have suggested throughout this thread will ensure a green lawn in winter. Blood and bone as well as molasses and seasol Your lawn has no legs and there is no point in making it run a marathon against it's will feed the soil and never feed the plant, it's a common adage in organic horticulture. It is the microbes that live and thrive in fertilised soils that produce the right things for a green lawn Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 270Jul 01, 2010 6:55 pm Hey Fu, Excellent thread, I'm just having trouble finding some info. I'm in metro Perth and have just moved into a new house and I get a reimbursement for the front gardens, which I believe is only for waterwise plants and irrigation. The soil is fairly sandy and I'm needing advice on what lawn to purchase and where? I'm fairly close by to Zanthorea, so I'll be going there for the plants, and also close by to Forresfield Turf Farm, what are your suggestions? Also, when you say to dig through the topsoil 400mm, do you mean just chuck a shovel in the ground and turn? My front garden isn't going to be overly huge, not a heap of lawn (thank god), but just want to get it right and not have it die on me in 6-12 months time. Also, do you recommend irrigation (it will have to be self install), or is handwatering/sprinkler on a house sufficient for WA climate? Thanks for your help in advance Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 271Jul 02, 2010 4:11 am i can tell you now Fu will suggest getting retic. You can go to one of the retic shops and get a planning sheet so you can draw up your house/garden areas. They will help you work out what you need and then you can "do it yourself." Fu's stance is usually that retic, if possible is much more efficient than hand watering and/or sprinklers. there are threads on retic and hand watering in the gardening section. check out the following threads viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4087&hilit=retic viewtopic.php?f=19&t=17764&hilit=retic Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 272Jul 04, 2010 6:51 pm Hi all. I've been keeping one eye on this thread throughout my landscaping project, knowing that the time would come for me to choose a turf. That time has arrived. Firstly I'm in Perth. The area I wish to turf is pretty small (25m^2) and faces south. It receives very little sun in the cooler months due to the shading from the house and patio. Summer is a different story however, with the area being bathed in sunlight for the most part of the day. Here's a sketch-up to help with the visualisation. http://i50.tinypic.com/swxptx.jpg Can anyone recommend a turf that can tolerate these conditions? I will be following Fu's fantastic advice regarding soil prep to give the turf every opportunity once laid. Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 273Jul 12, 2010 2:35 pm You need a lawn that is going to keep relatively active in Winter with the situation you describe. Palmetto is the most active warm season lawn in Winter, particularly of the Buffalo types. Interestingly I notice on this Forum someone mention in the heavy cold this year their Palmetto browned off. There is research that proves if Palmetto is fertilised with a slow release fertiliser in Autumn, it will stay green and keep growing slightly in most climates, but if you do not fertilise in Autumn, it will brown of just like all the non winter active Buffalo types. So the answer is Palmetto, but make sure you use a slow release fertiliser in Autumn. Don't worry about Palmetto being hurt by the Cold with Fertiliser. Palmetto is the only Buffalo available in Australia that has been proven to work in Minus 12 to Minus 13 degrees in transition zones of the USA. Most other Buffalo types get winter kill at Minus 8. Palmetto is the the only Buffalo sold in some of the Cold transition zones. Basically this says Most parts of Australia are not cold enough to hurt Palmetto, and helps explain why Palmetto keeps growing in winter provided it is fed correctly. Now I know Fu will say the soil is important not so much the fertiliser, but the reality is that very few people get their soil to great levels that Fu suggests, and thats why so many of us need to use fertiliser. Ideally having a great soil is the answer, but if you are like me and have average soil in some parts of the garden, slow release fertiliser really helps. If you do not like using fertiliser try Empire Turf, it really has been proven to need less nutrients in a University of Florida research paper. Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 274Jul 19, 2010 6:35 pm Hi Fu, We are about to take hand over of our house and am looking to prep the soil and lay turf. We are based in Western Melbourne (Clay soil) and have an area of 300 sqm to cover. Most of this will be covered with turf, whist selected areas with crushed rock. Currently, we have to fill the land up to 160mm near the house, less as we move out to the fence line (not fenced as yet). We also have an 85kg dog which may create some challenges however we will have the ability to turf in two stages as we plan to separate the yard (back and side) with a fence. We have done a little investigating and have come up with the following. Sir Walter Buffalo from Lilydale Instant Lawns http://www.lilydaleinstantlawn.com.au Lawn mix from Supreme Organic Soils http://www.supremeorganicsoils.com/comp ... /Itemid,1/ So our plan is to.......... Now (late July / early August) - Dump 40 cubic meters of Lawn Mix (20 on the side yard and 20 in the back.) - When the property is fenced, spread the Lawn mix over the property, up to 160mm deep along the slab and less closer to the fence. - Lay down some Gypsum, Zeolite, spongolite, olsens bio - Spray Powerfeed - Rotary Hoe in these materials (to 200mm, is this enough. Deepest Hoe at Kennards) - Compact with a small plate compactor In September - Lay turf - Compact again with a small plate compactor - Soak Lawn - Seasol, Powerfeed and molasses every week end for the next month at least, then every two weeks, then once a month. Am I on the right track. Anything I have missed or should exclude. Any other tips you may have. BTW, Great job on the Turf Laying thread. Cheers Stephen Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 275Jul 22, 2010 12:53 pm You will not regret looking for a deeper rotary hoe. You should see the difference in my lawn between where the compost got mixed to 300mm (rotary hoe) and 400mm (where we trenched to put retic piping in). Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 276Jul 27, 2010 1:49 pm Hi Richie and Iversions13, In the Perth Metropolitan area, I'd recommend buying through Superior Lawns, Lawn Doctor, Betta turf, Greenacres Turf Group or A.G.Buffalo Turf supplies. They all supply Sir Walter, which is a soft-leaf buffalo bred specifically to suit Australian conditions. Iversions13, this grass will suit sunny or shaded areas - all grass needs a little sun, but Sir Walter can survive on very little each day. It also does well in full sun, so it should suit your situation very well. If you're interested, you can see my webisodes on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/loveyourlawn for some easy tips on taking care of your new lawn. All the best! Nigel Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 277Jul 28, 2010 2:06 pm Hi all Does anyone know of the plastic grid or cell things that you put under turf so it can take vehicle weight without developing low spots? I seem to recall seeing it in some architectural publication quite a few years ago but can't find ay info on it. You just lay it out over the soil, fill the voids in and then put the turf on the top. Won't be under a car too often but just while washing them or for additional parking when necessary. Cheers Wayne Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 279Aug 01, 2010 2:20 pm Fu, you might have already done this but can you please explain what you mean by molasses? I can't picture how you get black sticky stuff into your soil. Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf 280Aug 01, 2010 7:07 pm Hi All! I am trying to digest what all have been said on this topic. May I ask if I am going to put an organic soil (around 8 m3) do you recommend to mix another order of compost? Will the organic soil be enough? Thanks! I'm about to put down some Merbau. Is it necessary to oil underneath the boards before laying? 0 1921 Hey There. No problems re jumping in. My original question was "should I have waterproofed" the concrete slab before putting batons down. We have been told we should… 7 4323 Depends what you're current inclusions are, but we're not including wardrobes and will just use second hand ones until we can save later on to get them built. Also have a… 3 11596 |