Landscaping - advice for putting new turf in backyard

gippyz

Likes Dirt
Heya burners, any of you have experience laying a new turf in the backyard? We have had some reno done in the beginning of the year and the turf has been severely damaged and need to be replaced.

Advice needed:
  • What sort of turf is the best for high traffic environment? What do you have in your backyard and does it work? No kids just a hyperactive dog love running around and playing chase. There are so many different types out there and it is very hard to determine which grass type that is both soft to sit on but also fairly resistant to high traffic.
  • Any recommended store you know which have samples of grass? If need be, maybe best to visit after the COVID restrictions are lifted. We're in Sydney.
  • Any tips as to how to lay the turf down? We're quite handy and prefer to do things ourselves rather than paying a landscaper to install them. Have had a look at some videos online, and it looks as simple as flattening the ground and just lay the thing down. Water everyday.
Thanks!
 

Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
What creaky said..
If you get full sun then any of the warm season grasses work well except zoysia, it grows too slow to repair damage from the dog..
That’s leaves kikuyu, buffalo or couch.. Pick whichever one you like. Generally Buffalo performs better if its shady, couch or kikuyu if it’s sunny..
 

shiny

Go-go-gadget-wrist-thingy
3rd to what @creaky said.

Kikuyu can be aggressive and send out lots of runners and get places you don’t want it. There is some hybrid grasses on the market now. Good place to start for general info:

https://lawnsolutionsaustralia.com.au/grass-types/

Worth installing pop up sprinklers on a timer. I installed them myself and local shop gave me a guide for best placement. Beats having to stand around with a hose or move a sprinkler around.

Soil prep is important too. From memory we laid sandy loam and added some quality soil on top with gypsum and laid the grass out on top. It has grown really well and we have had it in place for around 5 years now I think.
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
3rd to what @creaky said.
Soil prep is important too. From memory we laid sandy loam and added some quality soil on top with gypsum and laid the grass out on top. It has grown really well and we have had it in place for around 5 years now I think.
Soil prep is critical, the grass will hold up a lot better in adverse conditions if you take the time to do it.
 

creaky

XMAS Plumper
any of the warm season grasses work well except zoysia, it grows too slow to repair damage from the dog.
We got Zoysia in our back yard about 4 years ago. Lovely grass in summer but struggles to stay green during winter, even in Brisbane. I probably would have not chosen it in hindsight....
 

gippyz

Likes Dirt
Thanks folks for the advice and info.

The backyard receives a lot of sun, even during winter. The old grass we had grows crap loads of runners around, and we don't want them this time round as it was a nightmare to keep those runners away from the garden beds. So I guess kikuyu is out of question. Never heard of couch grass or the hybrid types - will check out. Thanks for the link @shiny.

Soil prep - ours is loam. Our plan is to flatten the ground and then buy some top soils for growing grass. The soil and sand around the corner has "special" type soil for grass. Do we need to sprinkle some fertilisers as well?

Also, we have seen houses (when walking the dog) that have a nice think grass. Like very thick but well trimmed. How do u maintain the grass to be like that? The dog likes that sort of grass so much that we have to drag him away during walkies.

Re: mulch. Yes the garden beds are full of them now. We have had bad times with weeds. So the mulch is now very very thick. Weeds still get through but not anywhere near as bad as before.
 

Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
We got Zoysia in our back yard about 4 years ago. Lovely grass in summer but struggles to stay green during winter, even in Brisbane. I probably would have not chosen it in hindsight....
I had empire in my backyard, absolutely shithouse in Melb autumn/winter/spring then took all of summer to recover only to then die off again.. I have tried samples of nara, it’s a bit better but not much.. Def a grass suited to proper tropics or full sun and no traffic..

Back on topic;
I would get hybrid couch over buffalo with an active dog.. Tif tuf is good but a bit $$$. Santa ana couch has been around for decades and works really well - plus it’s cheaper. If you are right into your lawns you can have a mcg or scg finish with couch..

The prep is the most important part, it’s like the foundations of a building.. You want a minimum 100mm of friable sandy loam as a base. Preferably 150-200mm. You can rotatory hoe your existing soil 100mm deep then lay 100mm sandy loam on top. If your exisiting soil really is sandy loam then you can lay 20mm of plain compost (not mushroom) and rotary hoe that through to 150-200mm depth..
Once you have the soil sorted you want to firm it up either with a roller or plate compactor. You just want the soil firm enough that when you walk on it you feet don’t sink in.. That way when you walk all over it laying turf rolls you won’t end up with a bumpy lawn.. This part is important to a good finish, you will need a soil spreader to get it as level as possible.. Removing the high parts and filling the low.. If your really fussy get a long straight edge and screed the soil.. Level the soil then firm it up..
 

gippyz

Likes Dirt
Thank you @Kerplunk! Will take all your advice to heart and put them to practice. Our existing turf is bumpy. I presumed the previous owner didn't take much care of flattening it. We will need to get the hoe, compactor, compost, and the sandy loam as we don't have them - after lockdown.

Will research into the santa ana couch and tif tuf turf and make a decision - plenty of time as we're in lockdown here, I can't imagine it's possible to order any turf and get them delivered atm.

thank you again!
 

Art Vanderlay

Hourly daily
Santa anna couch here (Gippsland, Vic). Laid it about 10 years ago. Very low maintenance. Spray it once a year to rid all the winter grass.
Is dormant through winter but need to mow it once a week in the warmer months.
 

Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Thank you @Kerplunk! Will take all your advice to heart and put them to practice. Our existing turf is bumpy. I presumed the previous owner didn't take much care of flattening it. We will need to get the hoe, compactor, compost, and the sandy loam as we don't have them - after lockdown.

Will research into the santa ana couch and tif tuf turf and make a decision - plenty of time as we're in lockdown here, I can't imagine it's possible to order any turf and get them delivered atm.

thank you again!
Make sure you apply herbicide to kill off your existing grass, ie round up. Digging it up doesn't work as any left over runners will re-shoot and infest your new turf.. Spray it once, wait a couple of weeks then spray again any bits that survived.. You can then scrap it off..
 

gippyz

Likes Dirt
Make sure you apply herbicide to kill off your existing grass, ie round up. Digging it up doesn't work as any left over runners will re-shoot and infest your new turf.. Spray it once, wait a couple of weeks then spray again any bits that survived.. You can then scrap it off..
Something like this Herbicide? https://www.bunnings.com.au/roundup-5l-herbicide-liquid-concentrate-weedkiller_p3010349

Should I be concerned of the run-off as we currently have veggie batch right next to the turf - separated by rows of bricks.
 

Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Something like this Herbicide? https://www.bunnings.com.au/roundup-5l-herbicide-liquid-concentrate-weedkiller_p3010349

Should I be concerned of the run-off as we currently have veggie batch right next to the turf - separated by rows of bricks.
Yep that or any generic brand with the active ingredient “glyphosate”. It will kill any plant that gets sprayed..
It will be fine if you follow the label carefully, don’t apply when rain is expected or if it’s windy.. Wear ppe... Protect the veg garden from overspray with a tarp or similar.. Glyphosate goes inactive quickly..
 

ForkinGreat

Knows his Brassica oleracea
Yep that or any generic brand with the active ingredient “glyphosate”. It will kill any plant that gets sprayed..
It will be fine if you follow the label carefully, don’t apply when rain is expected or if it’s windy.. Wear ppe... Protect the veg garden from overspray with a tarp or similar.. Glyphosate goes inactive quickly..
I hate Glyphosate ..... however, rather than spray, you can get those "zero weed wands" ? dabs the evil weed killer directly onto the weed, rather than getting spray drift everywhere.

 

Cyclomaniac

Likes Dirt
Hi gippyz, landscaper here. All great advice above. I like buffalo personally, the Sapphire variety is great. The trick to buffalo is to mow it high and often. If it gets spongy you might need to drop the mower low for a few weeks or de thatch it but I have never had that problem.
The turf underlay you buy will have some fertiliser in it or at least plenty of organic matter so you won't need to fertilise straight away. Top it up 4 times a year. I like to go with a little often with fertiliser so I do it every month or two but most can't be bothered or have better things to do. Organic ferilisers are better but they do stink. Best to spread it when a bit of rain is coming to keep the smell down but not when it is about to pour or it will wash into the drains.
 
Top