Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Feb 03, 2011 10:04 pm Hi all, I have read the forum with interest and am now preparing our back yard for empire zoysia. In our estate, most lawns have been provided by project home builders. I assume that the soil has not been given the love and attention that the famouse Fu also reccomends on this forum. So I guess most will have turf with a 50mm - 75mm sandy loam base on top of the clay. It made me wonder: If soil preparation has been limited, what can be done to build up the soil base etc to a more satisfactory, more permanent soil health level? (without ripping it up and starting again). I have searched the forum and most threads I have found are about turfing from scratch. I started this conversation in another thread I created http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=43586&p=662436#p662436 But decided to carry on this discussion in a more targeted thread. Look forward to a discussion on people's successes and failures in this quest. Regards Alf. Built Hallmark Home in SE Queensland - modified Flair 181 - no A/C: n/e orientation - 9 foot ceilings - copius insulation - loads of windows - fresh breeze - home... Re: How 2 boost your "builders package" lawn health ??? 2Feb 03, 2011 10:10 pm I'll have a look for two recent threads on this topic Re: How 2 boost your "builders package" lawn health ??? 3Feb 07, 2011 10:45 am Hi all, Did a search for "repair lawn" and "boost your lawn" and have come back with these results: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=35002&start=0&hilit=boost+your+lawn&view=print viewtopic.php?f=19&t=12816&start=0&hilit=boost+your+lawn&view=print viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27111&start=0&hilit=lawn+repair&view=print "lawn health" did not return anything specific. I will continue to post threads as I think of more relevant terms to search with. Regards Alf... Built Hallmark Home in SE Queensland - modified Flair 181 - no A/C: n/e orientation - 9 foot ceilings - copius insulation - loads of windows - fresh breeze - home... Re: How 2 boost your "builders package" lawn health ??? 4Feb 07, 2011 2:50 pm websites offering information: http://www.cleanairgardening.com/improvelawn.html http://www.acohardware.com/839.html http://www.dannylipford.com/top-dressin ... your-lawn/ http://thelawnguide.com.au/lawn-care/la ... oring.html http://www.indmowing.com.au/topdressing.htm http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/forums/ ... pic=748326 http://www.*.com/f82/lawn-sandy-soil-75225/ http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/better-ho ... lawn-care/ http://www.*.com/f82/hard-c ... 385-print/ http://www.lawnexperts.co.uk/SoilTypes.html http://www.rain.org/global-garden/soil- ... esting.htm Built Hallmark Home in SE Queensland - modified Flair 181 - no A/C: n/e orientation - 9 foot ceilings - copius insulation - loads of windows - fresh breeze - home... Re: How 2 boost your "builders package" lawn health ??? 5Feb 09, 2011 12:53 am Folks I am very reluctant to condone the advice given by such websites above. Although many may be produced by people with years of experience we are currently seeing a total revolution in turf care and for significant reason. Thye are recomending what was being done in 1970/80 and 1990's when water was plentiful and the impacts of fertilisers not so well known or cared about. This is part of why I dedicate so much time to giving advice that is cutting edge stuff, the latest. It comes from highly qualified sources involved in the latest trials done by Universities as well as my own experience in turf. Re: How 2 boost your "builders package" lawn health ??? 6Feb 09, 2011 1:20 am OK some threads on the topic viewtopic.php?f=19&t=42810 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=42536 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=42940 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=42633 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=41961 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=42420 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=42354 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=39165 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=15058 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=43177 Fu Manchu You are spot on. The tough part for you is you are going to get a heap of conflicting info from so many people. What you read here is what everyone else will be doing in 10 years The Great Gardens Team will be the only other source of the same standard of well researched and study of the latest techniques. There are sooooo many really poor outdated methods and advice given by many professionals that has more relevance to a time when over watering hid the problems. Smoke and mirrors so to speak. WA Universities are doing some of the best research in Australia on common gardening methods and products and blowing away some long held misconceptions. What you read here is sourced from the very best and latest info available so often won't match what very many say, that is certain If you get the soil and mulch right, the rest won't matter We did a garden bed recently and added 5kg of Sodium Bentonite over what would be about 10m2. It still is wet deep down and moist closer to the surface with no water in a week. That is a heavier amount than I normally use and interesting to see the potential for conserving water in the garden by using soil amendments The difference between a $100 water bill and a $500 water bill matter The plants you choose will also grow and develop at rates that will have you neighbours asking questions. When it comes to lawns, select a buffalo or better still is Empire Zoysia. You'll hear all sorts about EZ but when it is done with the soil prep methods we offer here at Homeone, that lawn won't skip a beat and prove the knockers very wrong Not only that, less mowing, less weeds overall, it will stay a better green in winter. Much more as well and will be everything a lawn should be and not what most experience. OK, now what I may not have posted in those is that for sandy soils, add the bentonite or attapulgite, zeolite, spongolite and even perlite. In clay soils, perlite, spongolite, and zeolite. Some of those may not be needed in some opinions, (in others, not even know off) but when the soil dries, it will rewet fast. When the soil is flooded or sodden, it's recovery will far exceed what next doors is doing. Hire a corer a few times a year and get those amendments worked into the deeper structure. Either alternating the amendment used or by mixing them at once. Also top dress not with a "lawn top dress" or "topsoil" but a ridgey didge organic compost. 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