The imminent arrival of your new LivingLawn is exciting, but before installation, there are some things that you should do to prepare the ground. As with so much else in life, preparation is the key to success!
Preparation
When preparing your area for instant lawn, you should make sure that the area has adequate drainage and that there are no weeds present.
To remove existing weeds, you should spray an appropriate herbicide at the manufacturer’s recommended rate.
Wait 2 weeks and apply again if necessary. Remove the old lawn with a rake and fork. Do not plant over your old lawn.
Test your soil. For acidic soils (pH below 6) add lime. (Lime is available from any good garden supplier.)
Dig and turn over the soil to a depth of 150-200 mm, mix some compost (1 bag for 5-7 m2 ) in the soil profile and rake level.
If you are installing an automated irrigation system for your lawn, install it after soil preparation and test the coverage.
Installation
Once your turf arrives, follow the steps listed below to ensure that the grass beds down successfully and remains beautiful.
- Lay your instant turf immediately upon delivery.
- Start laying your instant lawn down along the longest and straightest edge of your area. Push each piece firmly together, in a similar manner to laying ceramic tiles.
- When planting on steep slopes or batters, plant the sods perpendicular to the slope and peg them into the soil to prevent movement.
- Immediately start applying water to your new grass and saturate to ensure that the soil underneath is wet.
- It is important to keep your grass moist for up to 2-3 weeks whilst the roots are settling into your soil. Daily watering is recommended though hot weather may demand more frequent watering and wet weather will require less.
- If possible roll the instant lawn with a light roller to improve the contact between your grass and the area’s soil.
- After the grass has firmly rooted itself you can water less frequently and for longer periods to encourage good deep root growth (25ml or 15cm deep, once a week in dry periods)
Let us help!
Preparation and installation can be laborious, especially on larger properties. Make sure to discuss your needs with us in advance of delivery. We can help you or connect you to recommended landscapers.