The builders have left a mess . . . What’s the best way to prepare the soil for new turf?
- The successful establishment of all lawn types relies on proper soil preparation
- Keep drainage and the grade of your lawn area in mind as it should slope enough to allow surface water to drain away quickly
- Steep slopes or batters can sometimes be addressed with retaining walls or garden beds.
By following this list of tips and tricks ‘built’ just for preparing soil, you should have a happy and healthy new lawn.
When Should I Prepare My Soil for Turf with a New Build?
- Preparation for establishing a lawn usually begins after construction activities have finished, or before topsoil has been introduced.
- The successful establishment of all lawn types relies on proper soil preparation. Without preparing your soil properly, your lawn can suffer from poor soil drainage, compaction, pH or fertility problems that could have otherwise been simply prevented.
Drainage and Slopes Required for Turf
- Keep drainage and the grade of your lawn area in mind as it should slope enough to allow surface water to drain away from your house yet be gradual enough to allow for easy maintenance and outdoor activities.
- Where steep slopes exist (over 40%) or grades change drastically, consider installing retaining walls or other surface plantings in these areas as mowing and other maintenance may become difficult after you’ve finished.
Getting Your Area Ready For Turf Underlay
- Removing weeds and debris is important when preparing your soil. One of the best methods for eliminating weeds is using an environmentally-friendly herbicide, such as a non-residual glyphosate herbicide like Roundup. Spray the area, and allow a few days for the plant material to die off. Then to remove a lot of the plant material on the surface mow with a catcher on a low setting. This step may need to be repeated if more plant material grows back through the soil.
- It is recommended to strip the top layer of your soil by around 150mm (six inches) and this will ensure the removal of any debris, clay or poor growing medium.
- Beware of areas where mortar or ‘brickies sand’ were stored as they can cause high pH issues in your soil, it’s the last thing you want to happen after getting your turf established.
- Then bring in a turf underlay mix or a sandy loam of around 80 – 100mm thick depending on the quality of your existing soil.
- When setting up levels, establish and stake or mark out subgrade and topsoil levels, keeping to requirements for any drainage, irrigation and shaping work. Using a lawn leveller will help ensure you can keep your levels as flat as possible.
Lawn Solutions Australia has an extensive selection of specifications for lawn establishment and to see further details on preparing your soil, click here.
