Landscaping Disaster

Hi all,

To cut a very long and sad story short...I had a disaster in my landscaping. The person who laid the turf, did not do the leveling and also did not put underlay...he laid Sir Walter and the ground is so hard (it is clay soil) that it is like walking on concrete...

The slopes were not corrected and now when it rains all the water flows towards the house rather than away from the house... even after repeated calls the guy does not respond and is not coming to rectify it...

Question is what can I do to improve the condition of the soil, grass and slopes?

Any suggestions are utmost welcome.
Mohit

My advice, if the guy won't fix his ******* work which I would push hard about especially the missing soil prep, is to rip it up. Depending on the size of the turfed area, get a turf cutter from a tool hire joint like kennards and cut the turf up into rolls to relay after the levels are done. The turf will last a few days after cutting so make sure you work quick. Get a dingo or the like and add/remove soil to create the desired levels. Then follow Fu turf prep sticky at the top of landscape forum. Then re-lay the sir Wally. You might not have to do the whole lot just the areas with the *** slope. If you can work around the levels then you can improve the soil without ripping it up but it will take a while.

That's terrible to hear, mohit
Did you tell him to excavate and fix the levels and he still didn't do it?
Was that one of those turf supply places who gives customers a mobile of a guy who lays it?

The work was completed 5 months ago. I have been chasing this guy since then.

He was referred to me by an acquaintance and had done a good job @ his place.

BeatrixKiddo - can I still do the work after these many months? I guess the lawn is established by now...

Lex - my work instruction was excavation and levelling. Unfortunately I was not in Sydney when the work got completed. I had to go overseas suddenly for a couple of weeks. When I cam back it was cr@p. Cannot blame anyone else, as we paid him for the quality of work that was done.

Now though I want to get it all fixed... the irony is that after spending almost $10K for grass, soil etc I am totally unsatisfied with the work.

Yep you can remove and re-lay any age turf hassle free from sept - may up your way, try not to do it the middle of winter as the turf won't establish as quick, but it is possible. Using a turf cutter is basically the same as what the turf farms do when they harvest their turf. It won't have any roots so you have to re establish it just like new.

BeatrixKiddo, does this mean that mohit can actually salvage his turf and re-lay it?

Mohit, how big was the area? 10k sounds like a lot of money for top soil, gypsum, fertiliser and turf (if he actually used all of that). Unless it also includes the "excavation and levelling" which obviously wasn't done? Have you paid it in full?

Yep very much so. As long as you treat it the same as fresh turf farm grass when re-laying.

Forgot to add you want to get the turf as healthy as poss before cutting, eg heaps of water & some seasol.

Lex - Area is not very big, it is clsoe to 200 sq m

As for Top soil, gypsum, fertliser....I do not believe any of these was used. There was some underlay used in the front of the house, but the backyard, I am sure nothing was used...when I walk on the grass, it seems like soft concrete in the backyard...Front of the house is okay to walk, but the levels are attrocious...

The money also included some edging (treated Pine and some organic soil)

BeatrixKiddo - I have no green muscle/bone/thumb in my body...that is why this ended up being a disaster like this... I am very keen to implement your suggestion, but i am not handy at all.

Will try and find some landscapers who can do something like this...I do apply the regualr seasol and also weed 'n' feed to the grass... I also applied (as suggested in this forum) molases to both the back as well as front yard...

No worries mohit, just get someone to do the labour but at least now you know what you are talking about a bit and hopefully get the job done to your satisfaction.
On a side note, you are using the buffalo safe weed and feed aren't you?

Hi mohit, the 10k for about 200m2 seems outrageous!!!!! Who was this guy!?!?!?
We got quotes from about 4-4.5k (for ST-26, can't remember!) to about 5.5-6k for Sir Walter for just under 400m2. Includes a bit of top soil, gypsum and fertiliser, and turf, and installation.

Yes..fortunately "Flower Power" adviced and gave me the buffalo safe weed'n'feed.

Lex, This guys is just on the phone...I have misplaced his card and only have his 2 mobile numbers... rip off...

Absolute rip off...

But again, it is all my fault as I was not smart enough whilst handing out the contract to him...only me to be blamed for this massive fiasco..

more importantly use molasses!
Gypsum is not what I would be using anyway. Organic acids from organic composts will do a far better job. Gypsum won't work in all clays anyway and even when it does it won't have effect for many years.

Please don't use weed and feed type products unless in very specific circumstances with very specific products
You should be able to hire a turf cutter which removes the turf and I guess the rest is covered in the turf laying thread.

Get the paving laid running away from the home, take off excess soil from the lawn area or add organic compost to the lawn area. Add soil amendments that are mentioned in the turf laying thread as well.

Fu,

Thanks for the replies.... I was looking forward to the expertise and now regret not following the advice in the first place...

After spending a fortune in getting a small'ish' size backyard landscaped, I have very little 'dough' left to undrtake this activity right now...

It was adviced within this tread to not undertake this activity during winter..so I am in a fix to get a good timeline to do this.

Also, due to a very 'dry' summer in Sydney, my Sir Walter has got a lot of brown patches too... this may also be due to the fact that there is no underlay and the soil is not very fertile.

I did use molases when the turf was laid and have tried to dilligently water it throughout the dry period.

Thanks

Dont stress to much spring to autumn is the best time to lay turf but depending where you are in syd if it doesnt get too frosty or cold onight you could lay in winter. You are just more likely to have establishment issues in winter.

You paid $10,000 for 200m2? That is seriously over the odds.

However if traditional turf care and soil prep is used you would say that winter is not the best time however with strong organic care, soil prep that is a whole different thing.

Got couple of landscapers o come in today and quote for getting the backyard in right shape.

Their point was that the grass doe not seem very healthy to use turf cutter and relay. Both said they can do it but will not recommend that as the grass is in the danger of being dried out after turf cutting.

Both suggested that better option is getting drainage near the house so that water does not come towards the slab. For making the backyard levelled suggestion was to use lots of top soil. Quotes will follow, but does look like that the options coming out are limited.

Will keep you guys posted on the outcome!!

What's the issue with drainage? Where are the low points around your house? Have you already done something to prevent the water pooling?

BTW, it sounds encouraging with these guys suggesting this stuff!!

Something to keep in mind, you really need to use the clay soil to do your levels. If you have a clay base that is sloped towards your slab and fill try to level it with topsoil which is free draining, the water will pass through the top soil, hit the clay and slowdown and flow the wrong way. When I did my place I hit the lot twice with a rotary hoe, got the clay base to level away from the house and then mixed topsoil with some clay on top of that.

I have not done the complete measures but if it rains decently, then all the water is puddled in two corners. There are storm water pipes that are at distance of couple of meeters from the water logging area.

Suggestion was to have drains built in there so that water can leave through storm water pipes. That should take care of the water logging issue.

As for soil enrichment, as I have already missed the bus by paying for sh17 work, I will have to find ways of enrichening it. Top Soil, Seasol, molasses are the options. Also, I have asked the 2 guys to quote on haveing some breaks in the backyard (some pavers etc..) so that it breaks the slopes and indents in the ground.

Will keep you posted on the cost of rectification and some additions that I am doing in the backyard...