Three Tasks To Do Before Your Turf Installation Occurs

As the Australian summer comes to an end, it is time to turn your mind towards landscape chores needing your attention. Autumn, for example, is the perfect time of year to pull out an old, dying lawn and replace it with new turf. The reason for this excellent timing is that the soil in your garden is nice and warm from the constant summer sun, but the summer heat has left the country. So, a combination of warm soil, acceptable daytime temperatures, and cooler nights make perfect grass growing weather. However, before your new turf can be installed, there are three preparation tasks you need to do.

Weed Spray

You can't put new turf down on top of weeds because the weeds will grow up to take over your new lawn. Therefore, you need to attack your current lawn with a weed spray sooner rather than later. Weed sprays can take 7 to 14 days to work, and sometimes you may need a second dosing. So, make sure you weed spray at least two weeks before your new turf is scheduled for installation so that the chemicals have time to do their job.

Remove Existing Lawn

Once the weeds are dead, you can remove them and the existing lawn at the same time. There is an easy way and there is a hard way to get rid of the lawn, and the size of the lawn also plays a part in which method you use. The hard way involves manual labour and the use of a garden hoe. Use a powered edger to cut your lawn into 1-metre squares. Then, use the garden hoe to rip up each square until the lawn is gone. This is labour intensive, but it costs nothing but time. The faster method is to hire a sod cutter. This machine is walked over the lawn, and it cuts the grass into strips which you then pick up and remove. This is a good way to cut up a very large lawn but does not work as effectively in a small space as it needs room to move.

Remove Rocks

Once the lawn and weeds are gone, your last task is to remove any rocks you see embedded in the dirt. These can be dug out using a spade. Rocks left in the soil hinder turf root growth, which is why they must be removed now.

Once you have finished these three tasks, then your lawn is ready for the arrival and installation of new turf. Your turf installation provider will also give you instructions on how to care for this product once it has been laid down.