Preparing The Ground for Turf

Posted on 13th April 2012 in Sir Walter Turf, Soil, Turf

You can lay turf on ‘dirt’ but we don’t recommend it.

Usually it is best to get a bobcat in and excavate the dirt and replace it with decent soil.

At least 20-4ml will give your turf a good start and it is also a lot easier to screed than dirt and rubble. If you’re on a really tight budget then you can skip this, but having seen the difference in lawns with good soil v dirt… I’d recommend you don’t.

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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How To Lay Sir Walter Softleaf Buffalo Turf

Posted on 16th March 2012 in Installations, Installing, Turf

If you have been considering laying some turf then we can certainly recommend Sir Walter softleaf buffalo as a brilliant product that looks great when it goes down and that will continue to look good if maintained correctly.

Below is a job we did yesterday in Yanchep where we installed reticulation and then laid 200sqm of Sir Walter.

It came up looking stunning and the client was very pleased with the result.

The key to getting it right is preparation.

You will need to bring in at least 40ml of good soil, and then finish the level 40ml below your paving to ensure the turf sits neat and tidy.

Some good organic fertiliser spread before laying and then a good soak will get the ground ready for the turf to be laid.

From there we lay the largest slabs around the perimeter and try to minimise the use of smaller pieces of turf as these dry up easier.

Once laid and cut in to the sprinklers and shape of the land we run the compactor over it to ensure the roots make good contact with the soil.

Another drink and the retic set for the watering exemption and you’re pretty much done…

 

 

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This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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We Chose Velvet Buffalo

Posted on 21st November 2011 in In My Own Backyard, Installations, Installing, Turf

We moved into this place 4 months ago and have been working on the backyard ever since. This is the start of the retaining walls with all the dirt, rubble and rubbish still in place.

 

This is today

There is still some work to be done, but this is now retained, reticulated and turfed.

We ended up choosing velvet buffalo. Originally I thought we would go for velveteen which is a beautiful soft lawn, but being a cooch variety we ended up deciding not to. We didn’t want the ‘grass in the garden beds’ issue.

So we got some velvet buffalo, a top notch softleaf variety that is available locally.

You can buy velvet buffalo at Joondalup Turf Farm, or you can call us and we will come and install it for you and turn your backyard into something beautiful too.

Here are some photos of it going in…

Weeds and mess about to be cleared, filled and levelled by the bobcat

The bobcat goes to work…

Screeding to get things level

This is my labourer

My kids worked hard today to make the transformation

We can do this to your yard too!

 

 

 

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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Replacing an Existing Lawn

Posted on 8th November 2011 in Installations, Installing, Sir Walter Turf, Turf

Sometimes your lawn gets to a point where it simply isn’t viable to revive it. It needs replacing and the question is ‘how’?

Firstly let’s hope you have bobcat access, because if you don’t you’re in for a lot of hard grunt work digging it out. I still remember digging out 50sqm of buffalo on a hot summer day. It took 2 of us 5 hours and we were going hard.

So – yes – you can dig it out, but if you weigh up your time then it makes much better sense to use machinery to get it done.

So first step is to get the old one out.

Your bobcat will need to dig down around 80-100ml and in the process will likely damage your retic. So if you’re replacing a lawn then be sure to budget for retic repairs and it may even be that its better just to re-lay the pipes. I’d allow between $200-500 for the retic.

When removing a lawn you need to allow for bobcat operator’s time, tipping costs and any associated travel costs. For 50sqm $700.00 is fairly normal but it may vary depending on the site. The bobcat then will bring in some good soil and bring the levels up to whatever is suitable for laying turf on. I always suggest leaving it 10ml below the finished level to allow it to grow and ‘boof up’ a bit.

Once the soil is in, the retic can be repaired and the final stage is the turf laying.

Our turf rates are on our main site here.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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Sir Walter Gets Laid

Posted on 1st September 2011 in Installations, Turf

Sir Walter Buffalo turf always looks great when it goes down.

Here’s one we did today in Balcatta. The ‘slabs’ of turf are a bit more expensive but they lay easier and take to the soil more easily too.

If you can afford an extra couple of bucks/metre then its worth the investment

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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Sir Walter v Velvet Buffalo

Posted on 30th August 2011 in Installing, Turf

Today I laid some velvet buffalo turf, the first time in a while I’ve been asked to do so.

The client had some Sir Walter already laid so I took a photo and you can see the difference. In the pic above, the velvet is in the foreground while the Sir W is up the back along the fence and below its reversed.

The Sir Walter has a much brighter green hue while the velvet is more of a dull green. Sir Walter is a broader leaf and the velvet a little finer.

Both lawns look great and I wouldn’t recommend one over the other. It all comes down to personal preference… Personally i like the finer leaf of the velvet but with the colour of the Sir Walter…

 

 

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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Replacing an Existing Lawn

Posted on 21st July 2011 in Sir Walter Turf, Turf

When someone calls me and asks for a quote on replacing turf in an existing yard it is often more expensive than expected. Here’s why.

  • Firstly there is the removal of the old lawn. That’s going to be a minimum of $450.00 if we get a bobcat in. You can do it manually but often it doesn’t work out much cheaper because its very hard, time consuming work.
  • Then there’s the landscape mix used to prepare the ground. A bobcat may need to bring in 3 or 4 cubic meters so this will again add to the cost.
  • Following that there’s the reticulation that gets damaged during the removal of the old turf. Its almost impossible not to damage the retic so you need to allow funds to cover retic repairs.
  • Then there’s the turf itself…

So if you’re considering replacing an existing lawn (and you want to do it right) then be prepared to allow for all of the above

 

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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Laying Sir Walter

Posted on 16th June 2011 in Installations, Installing, Sir Walter Turf, Turf

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A few tips if you’re going to lay Sir Walter turf.

- Make sure you get the soil levels right. Sir W is 40ml thick and gets pretty boofy so you could even excavate 50ml

- get a sharp steak knife for cutting it. I sometimes go thru a knife each time I lay it! A blunt knife will mean super hard work.

- be aware that your compactor is going to need some help to slide across the grass, so wet it down well before compacting.

Have fun!

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Why You Should Use a Compactor When Laying Lawn

Posted on 16th June 2011 in Installations, Installing, Sir Walter Turf, Turf

If you’re going to lay turf then be sure and do it right by compacting it at the end.

Yesterday it rained heavily and I was laying some wintergreen turf. The rain was washing away a lot of the soil on the rolls of turf making them lay unevenly and look lumpy.

I had screeded it carefully but the lumps concerned me – so before I has finished I ran the compactor over it and wammo! It looked sensational.

The compactor is used for pressing the roots into the soil, but truth is that your lawn will ‘take’ even if you don’t compact. However if you want to get a smooth, sharp appearance then a compactor is a must. You can hire them for $65/day and it’s worth every cent.

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Does Your Dog Dig Your Retic and Turf?

Posted on 14th June 2011 in Ideas, Installations, Installing, Never Seen That One Before, Sir Walter Turf, Turf

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Then here’s an idea for you!

I laid this Sir Walter turf today and the clients asked me to lay a grid of chicken wire over the top of the lawn.

The wire is approx 80ml squares and the idea is that the grass grows up thru it and the dogs are unable to dig because they cant get any grip.

I mistakenly put it under the turf initially thinking it would be better unseen, but i guess with Sir Walter and the way it grows it will soon be enveloped in lawn.

So if you love your dogs and love your backyard, but dont know how to stop them digging then this could be the solution you are looking for.

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