Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Aug 10, 2010 12:33 am Hi Fu We have a beach house near Australind, and are going to put EZ lawn in (also native garden). I've been scouting through forum but wondered if you could let me know the exact steps I need to prepare the soil for planting (hope to do it early September). The soil isn't too bad (not just white beach sand). Also, after the lawn is put in (roll out we think), would watering twice a week be ample? We are going to irrigate and put on a timer. (We are only there about 1 x month). Do you put same products in lawn prep soil as for native garden or do I need different products? Thanks so much. Re: Laying New Turf in Beach Suburb - Perth - Fu please help 2Aug 10, 2010 12:48 am That is a tough question to answer because I need to know what type of irrigation and we don't know what the warm weather will bring Will it be windy? Who knows? Will it be hot? Who knows Well soil amendments. Zeolite, spongolite, bentonite clay. Chuck that round. Then your soil. I use Gardeners direct, the greenlife soil co or best value for money for me is bio-organics.com.au (there is a make up mob by that name, that's not the one ...honest ) Hire a rotary tiller or a kanga or dingo with a ripper for bigger areas. Then rake it all out level as you can. Then with a soil spreader get it even more level and then with a strong wide plastic rake (cyclone do a good one) get it really level. Compact it and lightly rake it again with the plastic rake to get out the high spots. then lay the turf as I have posted before with a picture and run the compactor over it again to firm it up nicely Use a small steak knife to cut around sprinkler surrounds and a small timber saw is handy for trimming the turf to fit. There is a half moon which is like a spade sort of and that has a nice sharp edge that cuts the turf nicely as well. Bit more expensive than a cheap small timber saw though You cut up some wire coat hangers and tie some ribbon to mark where the sprinklers are as you go. You can also buy little marker flags from a retic shop pretty cheap Re: Laying New Turf in Beach Suburb - Perth - Fu please help 3Aug 10, 2010 12:56 am As for the garden beds, well even though you have natives going in, the soil is far from native by all chances. That is carted away ages ago when the house was built or the area developed. Get some of the same stuff happening in there with the lawn but a bit less. Add some yellow brickies sand if you have any as well. Mulching in the warmer months, use shredded tree mulch from your local tree guy or mulchnet.com Pay for it, you'll get it quicker You watch how your garden grows in comparison to the rest in the street. You'll love it The lawn will take far less work after a while than your neighbour's First few years can be a bit of work at first and then it gets easier and easier from there Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Laying New Turf in Beach Suburb - Perth - Fu please help 5Aug 12, 2010 12:08 am If it is a small space it is sometimes good to screed the area like you would with paving and get it absolutely perfect Larger areas done like that will blow you away with the finish Re: Laying New Turf in Beach Suburb - Perth - Fu please help 6Aug 12, 2010 12:14 am Oh and for irrigation, choose rainbird gear drives or MP rotators. In the gardens netafim techline AS 13mm. This means you are applying the water slowly and that means less run off, less misting of the water and better absorption into the soil Of course you can also save some money having the water being used more efficiently The rainbird gear drives are the only smart approved water mark sprinkler of its type on the market Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Laying New Turf in Beach Suburb - Perth - Fu please help 7Aug 12, 2010 10:44 pm Thanks for those tips Fu, our front lawn area is about 16m x 12m! We are considering doing the council verge in something different to cut down on watering, although not sure what to use. Any ideas? We have a clay brickpaved driveway. My brother-in-law is doing the retic and lawn for us (we're helping) so I'll check if he's proposing to use the type of sprinklers you mentioned. Re: Laying New Turf in Beach Suburb - Perth - Fu please help 8Aug 12, 2010 11:07 pm Yep, do the council verge with Grevillea Gin Gin Gem. Plant from tubes and when established will need no water, can be mowed only a few times a year with a rotary mower set at it's highest. It will look like the very best lawn in the street! Till they come closer and see it isn't lawn! Deep green in colour, then it flowers and it will look like your verge is on fire! Bloody fantastic Planting this late you will need to hand water them through summer but next year will be fine. Plant in Autumn and no additional hand watering in the first summer is needed. Check what the set back needs to be in your local council and cover the area in fresh shredded mulch from mulchnet.com It won't blow around and it's the single most waterwise mulch going. It is also fertiliser wise Water is certainly not getting any cheaper so choosing anything but what I have posted would not be advised. It will also ensure the turf is kept at it's best with the little water available. This (SW WA) is the fastest drying place on the planet and you just built your house in the middle of it So get the water on slow and without misting it regular pop ups will mist and deliver water faster than the soil can absorb, this is part of why we see so many homes with water going on the road Re: Laying New Turf in Beach Suburb - Perth - Fu please help 9Aug 12, 2010 11:48 pm Fu, would we need to put some sort of 'barrier' between lawn and grevillea gin gin gem (seeing as its fast growing and may spread onto lawn area?) Also DH just said he needs to be able to drive his boat onto the lawn area, can it be driven over ok!!?? Re: Laying New Turf in Beach Suburb - Perth - Fu please help 10Aug 12, 2010 11:53 pm Yeah it will take occasional traffic no worries As for a barrier, no This isn't something that creeps. It does cover though. No kidding it looks great. The ebst thing I guess you could do is have a small strip where you edge the lawn and a few inches from that, edge the Gin Gin Gem If you choose the cheaper couch, good luck on keeping that out of your loungeroom let alone the Gin Gin Gem, barrier or no barrier. Geeze it could be a meter deep and it will get though Re: Laying New Turf in Beach Suburb - Perth - Fu please help 12Aug 17, 2010 9:51 pm No It is a Zoysia I'm about to put down some Merbau. Is it necessary to oil underneath the boards before laying? 0 1930 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 4327 They using concrete or timber sleepers? Timber or steel uprights? Any drainage behind sleeper? 3 5863 |