16 May 2013

Turf laying in North Canberra

| Watson
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I am finally preparing to move into our brand new house in the Gungahlin area. One of the things I want to tackle straight away after I move in is the backyard. I have a dog and I want grass in there asap. Because of a combination of having to organise the move, not being able to take time off from work at that time of the year and a dodgy back, I want to outsource the whole soil preparation and turf laying process.

So, recommendations? Do you know anyone who can manage the whole process (and doesn’t charge excessively of course)? Or will I be better off organising the delivery of the soil and the turf and then just find any old landscaper to prepare the soil and lay the turf? The negative will be that there is not much space between the house and the side fence. Barely enough for a wheelbarrow. The positive is that it is tiny though. Less than 50m2.

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turfsupplycanberra10:26 am 08 Oct 16

we turffed ours using synthetic turf / Astro Turf / Artificial turf and product from Evergreen Turf Supply Canberra was great. they provided us CSIRO testes synthetic turf .

turfsupplycanberra12:20 pm 18 Apr 15

If you are considering laying artificial turf. You can contact EverGreen Artificial Turf suppliers . High quality 45 MM CISRO Tested turf for color fade and UV.

Please visit our website for turf products and Outdoor furniture http://www.artificialturfsupplycanberra.com.au or send us an email on sales@artificialturfsupplycanberra.com.au and of our team member will help you.

turfsupplycanberra12:19 pm 18 Apr 15

If you are considering laying artificial turf. You can contact EverGreen Artificial Turf suppliers . High quality 45 MM CISRO Tested turf for color fade and UV.Please visit our website for turf products and Outdoor furniture http://www.artificialturfsupplycanberra.com.au or send us an email on sales@artificialturfsupplycanberra.com.au and of our team member will help you.

Thanks for your input!

I have to say that I hate couch with a passion. Even though I successfully manage to grow veggies in my own Jackie French wilderness style way, I am not much of a gardener so I’d rather put up with the occasional bare patch than with having to tame the grass before it takes over the world. Also, I don’t like the idea of it dying off in winter.

In a way it’s also just a temporary measure until I’ve decided what to do with the backyard after we’ve lived there for a little while. We may end up keeping very little lawn, if it’s up to me. But I don’t want to feel rushed and don’t want to have bare soil for any longer than I strictly need to.

The landscaper I talked to did immediately say “very poor soil” when he heard that it was in Casey. So he at least is aware of the need to add plenty of top soil. But the ‘no access for the dingo’ may be a bit of a sore point there. The space between the house and the fence will be 8cm too narrow to allow access! So next I’ll try talk the builder into letting him do the soil prep before the fences are put in, but I don’t hold out much hope.

sepi said :

Don’t get a turf blend with any couch or creeping grass in it if you ever plan to have a garden bed of any sort.

Should point out that Sir Walter is Buffalo and Conquest is Couch, both running grasses. Very drought tolerant though and Sir Walter is surprisingly soft. Just have to check and chop with a spade or round thing with spikes on a regular basis so it doesn’t go into the garden beds.

Have to agree with a few other posters that you may have to wait a few months now as the soil will be too cold. We laid our Canberra Blend about 4 weeks ago which felt like a race against time, though the extra week or 2 of bonus warmth made us smile.

It’s all in the prep, so regardless of how much or little you spend, make sure you get someone to prepare the soil properly for you, and don’t forget the weed killer before laying out the green carpet!

Regardless of where you purchase your turf- have a read of Canturf’s maintenance/ how to page which is full of no-nonsense tips.

So far the lawn is looking luscious, but then again it does it get watered and plucked every day at the moment by a green thumb (not me).

Don’t get a turf blend with any couch or creeping grass in it if you ever plan to have a garden bed of any sort.

A) what grass are you laying. If you have pets that are running around, then get a warm weather grass. Either sir Walter from canturf or Conquest from McMahons Lawns. While they go brown over winter, they are a creeper and will repair themselves where your beloved pets have damaged the lawn. While the cold blends stay green over winter, you need to re-seed damaged areas (friends with 2 dogs are sick of doing it).

B) when to lay – not now. The frost will kill the grass while it is trying to establish. Mcmahons told me you need to lay summer grasses 4 weeks before the first frost. The Canberra cold blends can be later, but I wouldn’t risk it with the frosts coming weekly now.

C) prep – if ur soil is anywhere near as bad as ours and the builders chucked all their fill in, make sure you get a full 10-15cm of good sandy soil under it. It’s back breaking work getting all that soil into the back, but worth it long term (I moved 8 cubic meters). Also check your weep hold height and drainage as the extra soil may be an issue.

Holden Caulfield1:12 pm 17 May 13

Watson said :

Would be quite a bit more expensive if you go through Canturf compared to a landscaper as you cannot get the turf at wholesale prices like they do, I realised. Same with soil, I assume.

With the amount of lawn you require it’s relatively small margins we’re talking though. But margins nonetheless.

I_P said :

mp2615 said :

One of my friends had her front yard turfed by a guy she found on here. 30 sq m. Mow and behold. No trouble and looks great 6 months on

Do you mind sharing the details of this person? I am looking to returf too.

Watson – I have been told by a couple of landscapers and Canturf that August is the earliest to get lawn laid as it is warmer which allows the lawn to establish better. When I spoke to Canturf they said they also lay the turf for a fee (I think it was $3/m2 ish) but they won’t prepare the ground before hand ie add top soil etc.

Would be quite a bit more expensive if you go through Canturf compared to a landscaper as you cannot get the turf at wholesale prices like they do, I realised. Same with soil, I assume.

ACT Lawns & Gardens 0412 472 936

mp2615 said :

One of my friends had her front yard turfed by a guy she found on here. 30 sq m. Mow and behold. No trouble and looks great 6 months on

Do you mind sharing the details of this person? I am looking to returf too.

Watson – I have been told by a couple of landscapers and Canturf that August is the earliest to get lawn laid as it is warmer which allows the lawn to establish better. When I spoke to Canturf they said they also lay the turf for a fee (I think it was $3/m2 ish) but they won’t prepare the ground before hand ie add top soil etc.

mp2615 said :

One of my friends had her front yard turfed by a guy she found on here. 30 sq m. Mow and behold. No trouble and looks great 6 months on

Saw him mentioned in another post. Might call him too and see what he says about the timing. Thanks.

JC said :

Hangon a second. You are moving to a new house in Gungahlin and you have room to lay turf. Common your pulling the piss aren’t you?

My backyard is 9×5 ish.

JimCharles said :

Watson said :

But he told me that you cannot lay turf from now until the end of July. Bugger!

Don’t know why that is? You want it cool and damp, a little frost won’t hurt it but frozen ground in July might.

The ground never really freezes here though, does it? Not more than a cm or so for a few hours occasionaly anyway, I would’ve thought.

I know nothing about lawn or turf, so I just took the landscaper’s word for it. He says he has a couple of jobs to finish and then waits until the end of July. He sounded good though. Offered to come look at the yard once the retaining walls are done.

One of my friends had her front yard turfed by a guy she found on here. 30 sq m. Mow and behold. No trouble and looks great 6 months on

Watson said :

But he told me that you cannot lay turf from now until the end of July. Bugger!

Don’t know why that is? You want it cool and damp, a little frost won’t hurt it but frozen ground in July might.

Hangon a second. You are moving to a new house in Gungahlin and you have room to lay turf. Common your pulling the piss aren’t you?

Watson said :

Holden Caulfield said :

…I don’t ask friends for help unless as a last resort….

What are friends for???

Holden Caulfield said :

DIY FTW.

Accepting your claim that you’re unable to do it yourself, can you ask someone nice, family or friend, to do it for you? A small portion like that shouldn’t take too long.

I am happy to pay someone to do it for me. I don’t have any family here and I don’t ask friends for help unless as a last resort.

And from the figure the landscaper mentioned to me, because they get the turf wholesale, it would barely cost me more to get someone to lay it compared to ordering the turf myself!

I called them but they only supply turf and didn’t offer to get me some contacts.

I did talk to one landscaper though who would order the turf at wholesale price, so it would be relatively cheap. But he told me that you cannot lay turf from now until the end of July. Bugger!

Holden Caulfield3:48 pm 16 May 13

DIY FTW.

Accepting your claim that you’re unable to do it yourself, can you ask someone nice, family or friend, to do it for you? A small portion like that shouldn’t take too long.

I reckon these people may have a list:
http://www.canturf.com.au/contact/index.html

“Less than 50m2.” Wow, welcome to the back yard of the future! Should be cheap and low maintenance though! 🙂

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