Preparing a New Lawn

Preparing for a new lawn is an exciting time, since this means that soon you will have a fabulous new lawn to call your own, but careful preparation is now essential. With the proper preparation now, before you lay the new turf will ensure that you will give it the best start at life and a chance to prosper.

This is the best time to consider aspects, such as drainage and irrigation.

Remove the existing lawn if there is one and spray the entire area with a weed killer such as Glypho 360, to remove any unwanted weeds and vegetation. Remember, to always read the instructions and to follow them. This is the best way to go, since digging out the existing grass will not remove all the roots, as some can go down to a depth of over a metre.

Now you will need to improve the structure of the soil. The optimum way to do this will be determined by the type of soil in your backyard. Cultivate a clay soil with Gypsum and for the more sandy soils use lots of organic matter.

If your yard already has 150mm depth of good soil then there is no need to bring in any new soil, but if not you will need to spread a layer of 100mm of turf underlay soil mix over the entire area. For a depth of 100mm you will need 1 cubic metre of soil for every 10 square metres. Give the soil a good turning over with a rotary hoe or you can do this by hand.

The next step in your preparation is to add Sir Launcher to the soil. This product is perfect regardless of the variety of turf you are about to lay down, due to its combination of high quality fertiliser and moisture magnet water crystals. The Sir Launcher will ensure the best start for your new lawn.
Note:- Never use Sir Launcher directly onto your lawn.
Mix Sir Launcher into the top 75mm of soil and level it out.

Check the pH soil level to see if your soil requires any further additives. If your soil is too alkaline or too acidic, you may need to add lime or dolomite to get the pH level correct. It makes sense to take this action at this point, rather than dealing with soil problems later on, when it will affect your new lawn.
For more information on pH soil level testing and what to do if the balance isn’t quite right, see our blog; pH Levels and your Lawn

Preparing for a new lawn and disposing of your existing lawn can prove to be a big task, so if you require any advice or practical help at any stage, just get in touch with the Daleys Turf team. Our team are happy to help with all your lawn care requirements, both before you lay your new lawn right through to your lawn care maintenance years down the track. Undertaking the right preparation now will allow your new lawn to become established more easily.