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

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

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

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

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

Bargain Prices on Retic and Turf

Posted on 3rd August 2011 in Local Knowledge

 

 

August is the quiet month for people in the retic and turf industry so if you are wanting work done and seeking the best price then this is the time to be getting quotes.

Be aware that in just a month or two’s time the rush will be back on and prices will rise again.

For a free quote on your needs just drop me a line or give me a call today

 

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

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

Back in Business

Posted on 9th July 2011 in General

We’re back from holidays now and ready to get stuck into whatever’s going!

If you need some retic or turf installed then be sure to give us a call for some great quality work at an excellent price.

We focus on all areas south from Two Rocks and can give you an onsite quote usually within a couple of days of your call.

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

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.

Laying Sir Walter Buffalo

Posted on 9th June 2011 in Installations, Installing, Sir Walter Turf, Turf

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Today I laid 120m of Sir Walter buffalo down in Trigg.

I buy my Sir Walter from Superior Lawns and they supply a great product. About 18 months ago they went from doing buffalo in rolls to cutting it in slabs.

While the rolls could sometimes be fragile and fall apart (esp in winter) the slabs are solid and go down really well.

Sir Walter is 40ml thick but I always reckon it’s better to start 50ml below as it can boof up quite easily over summer.

When looked after Sir Walter is a beautiful lawn, but if you don’t look after it then expect it to look scraggy and messy.

We currently supply and lay Sir Walter at approx $14.00/sqm + delivery and gst. Winter is usually a bit cheaper but recent turf price rises have meant that we aren’t able to offer such good deals.

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