Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY - FU 81Jan 05, 2010 12:53 pm i had the camera out last night and thought i would share some photo's of the front lawn now that its finally had some rain. the topsoil is nearly all grown through and its coming along well, doing some weeding at present. the lawn hasnt been mown for about a week so its due again but its coming along really nicely, i am mowing it with a cylinder mower but with the height quite high to keep the moisture in. i also put in the pots and plants at the front last weekend to break up the very similar front of the house, think its done a pretty good job anything else i could do with the front to liven the place up? Blog - http://snakedr.blogspot.com/ Build Thread - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=12084&p=307406#p307406 Status - PCI 15/10. Things nearly done. Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY - FU 82Jan 05, 2010 6:59 pm I have also just been reading this thread. What a lot of great info. I have just built a new house with the front landscaping included. I believe they did the usual laying wintergreen directly onto the sand (can't really call it soil) without any soil preparation, and as a result it is starting to die in this hot weather (at the time I had no idea about soils or anything until I read this thread). Being a gardening newbie it is a little bit daunting. Is there anywhere that has a lawn laying procedure summary for the Perth's sandy soils? (so I can do a proper job in my backyard) Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY - FU 83Jan 05, 2010 7:43 pm Just read Fu's suggestions. He is a guru on WA soil conditions. But I imagine he'll be answering your distress call soon So hang in there Built the Eden Brae Cambridge 34 Family with Boston Corner Facade Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY - FU 84Jan 05, 2010 7:55 pm That's an easy one and thanks for joining Homeone Get along to a "greatgardens workshop" when they start http://www.greatgardens.info/main.php http://www.greatgardens.info/events.php and review http://www.sustainableoutdoors.com.au/ http://www.greenlifesoil.com.au/ http://www.joshbyrne.com.au/events.php and subscribe to Ben Mitchell's news letter called "The Antidote" which is done sort of each month growingfree@iinet.net.au (just email him and let him know your interested ) Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY - FU 85Jan 12, 2010 9:05 am hey Fu I gave your idea's with the molasses a shot last night and it worked a treat i poured a stack of molasses into a bucket, poured in a litre of boiling water and stirred it with a stick, and left it overnight, it dilutes instantly though so you could use it as soon as it cools. i then added that into my seasol spray packs, along with seasol and powerfeed and it sprays a treat, i didnt have to modify the seasol spray packs either like you mentioned. Blog - http://snakedr.blogspot.com/ Build Thread - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=12084&p=307406#p307406 Status - PCI 15/10. Things nearly done. Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY - FU 86Jan 12, 2010 5:51 pm I might mention I have also covered WA methods throughout this thread. the only difference is here we don't need any sand added we have loads already Certified organic soil (and lots of it) Zeolite Spongolite Olsens Green Bio Dig all that through the existing soil/sand/what ever you have to at least 400mm (please avoid at all costs the habit of layering soil on top) Rake out (with a nail rake) and use a soil leveller to smooth out the area. Then rake over with a wide plastic rake (cyclone do a good one) Wet and firm up well using a plate compactor. using a wide plastic rake, rake over and level out some more. If it's a small area you can also choose to screed it out as well like paving and get it super super even. Lay the boarders first (like painting a wall) Then lay the turf with all the rolls going in the same direction. By that I mean, start off going one way so all the rolls roll out identical. Cut where needed with a small timber saw. Tehn turn the roll and lay going back toward where you started. This means the finished product has the cut going in alternate directions, like the MCG look Cut out around irrigation pop-ups with an old steak knife. handy to mark them with a flag or bamboo stake when laying. Then do a few laps with the little plate compactor to firm it all up and even out depressions from feet during laying. Get the seasol and molasses onto the surface and water in very well. Preferably with a very cold beer in your hand Additional water is going to be vital and it's important you get permission from the water mob in your area to use irrigation in addition to the allowed times/days. Hand water when ever you can. As the weeks go on, ween it off the water. Every weekend, apply seasol to the turf. Do that for at least 4 weeks and apply molasses a few times durring that time as well. In the heat of summer, you will get dry areas form and you will need loads of water. In the wetter and cooler months, the amount of water applied needs to evaluated daily depending on how wet the soil is and if rain is going to be around. If it's really windy, additional hand watering is going to be needed due to evaporation. For those in areas where hand watering is a no no even, wait to lay the turf in the wetter months. this makes it harder for those choosing Empire Zoysia to get it in some places and it is harder for it to take but with excellent soil prep and a few hick ups on the way it will come away and establish well. Avoid the temptation to fertilise it early on and after a few months use a wetting agent on it and wash that in very well by hand to avoid burning the leaves of the turf. Apply a controlled release fertiliser like Scotts Lawn Builder and give it another hit of seasol and molasses too Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY - FU 88Jan 14, 2010 2:19 pm Great info inthis thread - when I think of how much I am doing wrong it makes me wonder how I have any grass at all. Couple of questions for the guru (Mr Manchu). I live in Geraldton, WA, and cannot get any certified organic soil or soil conditioner. The mob recommended by my old man (who is a horticulurist) told me that their garden soil is a blend of 4 manures (including chicken), red loam, , sawdust and a bit of gypsum. They said it is not suitable for natives as natives like a poor soil (!!). They also said they make compost but none available atm. I am looking for soil for garden beds which could include natives, and a top dressing for levelling and feeding my lawn. I have dug out the beds but was looking to blend a bit of my beach sand with the garden mix. For a top dressing I have no idea - should I wait for compost ? The link you gave before for the top dressing mix - is it compost or something else. Obviously I would like to follow your recommendations but in the absence of the correct suppliers, what should I go for ? Cheers Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY - FU 89Jan 14, 2010 11:02 pm you have got my Gero knowledge part of my brain ticking over If you have that white sand you are most likely building just north of Gero in the new estates there just up from the harbour? For those reading Gero is a hostile gardening environment to say the least. Everyday it seems an onshore breeze roars in from the ocean and blows harder than it does in Perth. 30 knots plus (50-60 km/h) no worries on most days. Fantastic beaches too Good surf Even better fishing and great Tomatoes are grown there As for poor soils well not always the case. WA has a huge range of soil types and what is native to one area isn't to another so lets rule that out. Also when you buy a native plant anywhere in Australia, it's had the cushiest life you can imagine. Excellent soil, just the right nutrients applied, water sometimes 3 or 4 times a day, and many grown under shade. Then we buy them and kick them off the luxury cruise liner they've been accustomed too and leave them for dead in our gardens as we yell at them to do something and do it well Gero has a few soil types in a relatively small area. Yours is a pain in the bum That white beach sand. worse than Perth's I don't suggest using chook poo in your alkaline soil/ sand. Go to Amazon in Geraldton, I think it was on the road that goes out to walkaway (?) and see if they stock "biowise" They generally do stock it and it is certified organic If not I really have to go back into the shallow depths of my brain and think what would be an alternative They had a metromix or was it something else? Na pretty sure it was metromix. They do tend to be a little alkaline though. Best to let it sit for a few weeks once in the ground if you are using natives. The high nitrogen of the non certified soil and the phosphorus might be a headache. Don't choose a soil that has sand added to it like so many of them do. You have more than enough I wouldn't suggest using the ones they mentioned. The metromix they sell will be great for topdressing the lawn. (again I'm pretty sure Amazon call it metromix? ) Just throw some of your sand in there too so you get a better structure to level it. Then every year in late winter (for you in gero) topdress it with the same soil but with out any added sand Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY - FU 90Jan 16, 2010 12:40 pm Bit of a rant but important to keep in mind when weighing up anything turf related, choice of variety or turf care at home. There is, with all things turf, a canyon of difference in how the average home owner treats and manages their turf to how someone with significant training in turf management does. It is for these reasons my advice will come across a little different to many. I do understand that how I treat my lawn at home is more from me changing my old ways in response to developing methods that will allow a reduction in the impact the average gardener will have on the environment and their budget. Many of my methods would be impractical on the massive scale golf courses are designed and maintained as with public parks and gardens (there are a few exceptions). However this is where most of the information we receive on turf care comes from. Again, the couches are a great turf in those high performance applications and where the sprays are available to be used to control them. Most people use the services of a lawn mowing contractor. Overall I am very disappointed in the skill level of many of them, very This is an industry that seriously needs to pull it's lawn mowing socks up with more ongoing training. With my recommendations, I take these things into consideration as well. As Grasshopper mentioned, the EZ has a similar root structure to couch but with the larger leaves, and slowness of growth in comparison, it's easier to keep tidy. Most contractors use a proper edger and cylinder mower. If you have a buffalo, almost guarantee it will cut to short and look awful overall. If you can get him/her to cut it longer and often, it will look magic The roots Most contractors have their mowers set at around 10-15mm and I believe that this should as a standard be a little higher for better turf health (domestically). A handy thing to have is a bit of 90mm storm water pipe with a slit cut down it. The contractor can easily fit it onto his mower and not have to stuff about with fiddly settings and still cut your lawn that bit longer which is very important with any turf other than couch (sort of). Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf :) 91Jan 18, 2010 12:03 pm Fu, I have been following your suggestions for our lawn which we had laid in December (SWB). I applied seasol for the first few weeks and our lawn looks really good. I have noticed that you recommend not using fertilisers but you do recommend using powerfeed. Therefore I am a bit confused as isnt powerfeed a fertiliser?? I have also bought some Saturaid which I am going to apply to our lawn. Following your recommendations am I right in assuming that I should apply some molasses and blood and bone during winter. Otherwise I couldnt be happier with the state of our lawn. Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf :) 92Jan 18, 2010 2:30 pm technically powerfeed is a fertiliser but it really isn't that part of it that has much effect IMO on turf health. It is the other stuff in it that does. The nutrients are only one half of what powerfeed is. That is why I recommend it's use. The humic, fulvic and amino acids in it are pretty unique and have an amazing benefit to soil health and ability to break up clay and hold together sandy soils. They are just one part of a bigger thing though. there is no one product that does what your landscapes and garden need. We like to look for it though. Nutrients generally don't go fertiliers---plant--- green and lush It goes fertilisers---bacteria, microrhyza, fungi micro organisms etc and sundry--- plant --- better result no fertilisers--- molasses, seasol, blood and bone, olsens green bio, powerfeed, certified organic soils, poo teas ---fungi and micro ecology --- massive growth in those populations --- strong healthy lawn and plants like you have never seen before. very occasionally you might use a slow release fertiliser or should I say contolled release fertiliser, like Scotts lawn builder. Molasses all year round, blood and bone in winter more. Avoid the very strong urge to pump weed and feed into your lawn come spring, resist the temptation to fertilise the butt off it to get it green and lush (lush is dirty word, like fat guts on people, it's not entirely healthy) These practices set you up for fungal disease later and that is when about everyone and their dog are banging on about lawn beetle. yeah they are there but that isn't the problem You will find your lawn is pretty green in winter compared to your next door neighbour's lawn. EZ in cooler areas, yes will get bounced about a bit the first winter but follow my guidelines, the difference in its ability to handle it can be the difference between alive and dead. If you stick to fertilisers (cheap ones especially, urea, ammonia sulphate etc) to green a lawn, weed and feed the butt off it in spring, pump it full of water with no wetting agent, pump it full of lawn beetle killer, fertilise in the heat because it looks brown, incorrectly use poor wetting agents and mow it every few weeks, expect a hole in you wallet, a crap unhealthy lawn that has a huge impact on the environment. Take your focus away from the lawn or plants and things you can see and understand. Care for the microscopic organisms that live in the soil instead. The worms and all the things you can't see. They are what are going to do the work for you Like the cobblers elves you don't see them but every morning the work is done for you Then you will see changes in your garden and landscapes like you never though possible Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf :) 93Jan 19, 2010 12:13 am Question - What if you already have lawn and suspect that the soil is marginal at best? Is there any way to improve it without starting again ? Would a regime of molasses, seasol, organic top dressing etc eventually get it done or do you have to chop it out and mix in soil underneath. (Am not looking forward to that one.) cheers Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf :) 94Jan 20, 2010 1:24 am yep, leave it and work on it. Even with soil prep, the whole cycle is an on going one. However it is the results in a domestic garden that will be outstanding when compared with traditional methods. Topdress with cert organic soils, this won't build the height and you just need it raked through so most of the leave still protrudes. Keep feeding the soil, don't focus on feeding the lawn itself. Just the stuff the lawn grows in Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY - FU 95Jan 20, 2010 7:20 am Fu Manchu oooo, you're just so baaaaaad Fu You just couldn't resist, could you ?? Built the Eden Brae Cambridge 34 Family with Boston Corner Facade Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf :) 97Jan 20, 2010 4:41 pm Hey Fu Now we're in the home stretch (the last 5 weeks of our build) - I'm starting to move on to getting ready to do lawns. We're in NW Sydney with yucky clay like everyone else! We'll have about a 350m2 area to turf out the back. My original plan was to get an irrigation contractor to do KISSS (subsurface irrigation), turf underlay and then turf. But having a read of your instructions about not layering soils now has me thinking that putting on that underlay is going to be a waste. What's the best way to do soil prep over such a large area? If it was just me - would I just hire a rotary hoe and then a plate compactor? Would someone small (I'm only 158cm and 43kg) be ok to work the equipment? I figure I'd probably need a day to do the prep. Then another day to lay out & join all the irrigation before hubby could use his free Saturday to lay the turf. (Do turf companies deliver on a Sunday?) Also - I presume you compact after the subsurface irrigation has gone in? After 4 years - we're in! Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf :) 98Jan 20, 2010 5:11 pm stonecutter1309 If it was just me - would I just hire a rotary hoe and then a plate compactor? Would someone small (I'm only 158cm and 43kg) be ok to work the equipment? Hi there SC, could I put my 2c worth in re the equipment ? My DH was using the rotary hoe & after the 1st day, he was utterly exhausted. His arms were wrecked ie shaking, weak & aching & he isn't a wimp ( 80kgs) . He was using a smallish machine & said that there was no way I could have used it, as I had originally planned to do. Anyway, just a little info to get you thinking Built the Eden Brae Cambridge 34 Family with Boston Corner Facade Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf :) 99Jan 20, 2010 6:18 pm Southies stonecutter1309 If it was just me - would I just hire a rotary hoe and then a plate compactor? Would someone small (I'm only 158cm and 43kg) be ok to work the equipment? Hi there SC, could I put my 2c worth in re the equipment ? My DH was using the rotary hoe & after the 1st day, he was utterly exhausted. His arms were wrecked ie shaking, weak & aching & he isn't a wimp ( 80kgs) . He was using a smallish machine & said that there was no way I could have used it, as I had originally planned to do. Anyway, just a little info to get you thinking I did it, I'm only 5'4" but weigh a fair bit more than you and I was knackered! But if you have good core strength (which you probably do from belly dancing) you should be OK with it as it mostly self propels itself but it was turning the corners that did it for me and having to hold onto the Go handle (like a brake lever but it wouldn't move forward or backwards w/out it being on). 'A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.' Louis Pasteur Vegie garden: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27637&start=0 My Backyard Adventure Re: TURF LAYING SUMMARY and what has become many things turf :) 100Jan 20, 2010 6:38 pm Hmmm - ok - a re-think in plans is needed I certainly don't want to be flung around my backyard! Maybe I'll need to bribe DH's boss to take 2 days off work to help me After 4 years - we're in! 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 4321 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 11595 |