Comparing Lawn contract choices

Captain Morgan · Jul 10, 2012 12:39 pm

I have two quotes for the laying of turf in my front yard. Both within about $100 of each other, so i need to work out what will be better for the long run.

Grass - same type

Option 1 - excavate 100mm and treat clay underneath (rotary hoe-in organic supplements as described on this forum) and place Rainbird underground reticulation

Option 2 - excavate 150mm and replace with organic soil, place KISS underground reticulation (no rotary-hoeing of sub-surface or additional organis supplements).

Is there a big difference between those two, will 150mm of organic soil be ok or should I favour option 1 as the organic treatements run deeper ?

Does anyone know if the Rainbird system (new one with the copper tubing [as it was decribed to me]) is better / worse than the KISS underground watering system ?

Appreciated any advice that might be out there.

BeatrixKiddo · Jul 10, 2012 2:25 pm

Whats the lawn going to used for? Is it grass for "looking at" or grass that will be played on/subject to wear?

Cooped07 · Jul 10, 2012 6:22 pm

I wish we have of treated the clay soil underneath ours.. Just a thought!

Captain Morgan · Jul 10, 2012 10:27 pm

thanks guys.

lawn is front yard and will get a bit of walking on but nothing terribly hard wearing.

BeatrixKiddo · Jul 11, 2012 11:11 am

Captain Morgan

thanks guys.

lawn is front yard and will get a bit of walking on but nothing terribly hard wearing.

Ok then, there is no need to replace the soil unless its totally screwed. You are best to amend your existing soil as per option 1. Whether your existing soil is screwed and what amendments are needed requires a few quick tests by your contractor.

Can't help you with your irrigation sorry.

TheGardenWhisperer · Jul 30, 2012 8:48 pm

If using integrated drippers (Netafim or KISS) they must be accompanied by a very expensive valve called an RPZ valve (~$500) alnog with being calibrated and checked each year by a certified plumber. This is outlined in the Irrigation Association Standards.
Not using these can compromise the integrity of your domestic water supply of you and your neighbours.

Make sure the contractor blends the soil components together. Having layers of different soils is going to result in wasted money and higher costs to you for a long time to come. So the clay you have, 15% sand, around 15% compost and zeolite at 3-5kg per m2 all to a depth of 20-40cm.

Future proof and very low ongoing maintenance costs

So see if rather than excavating the 100mm they use a ripper or rotary to turn through to 20-40cm. Should get the cost down too