Many of us want our lawns to look great, but when embarking on a new lawn project,lots of people also forget some key tasks for the most important part – preparing the soil.
So, you’re finally ready to plant your turf or seed and it’s time to prepare the soil. You’ve got a fair bit of work ahead of you, but by avoiding these most common mistakes, you’ll be on the right track.
The most important part of having a nice lawn is maintaining the soil.So, it’s important to properly prepare before seeding or laying turf. For many people, preparing the soil seems like an overwhelming task. But the long-term gains far outweigh the short-term pains.
It’s easy to make mistakes when they are digging and preparing the soil – but don’t worry! This blog post will help you avoid these common errors so that you can enjoy a beautiful, healthy garden without any hassle.
A quality and regular supply of lawn feed will of course help to keep the grass strong after it’s been laid.But great soil will mean you have less physical work as the months and years go by.
Mistake No.1 – Not checking the PH
When preparing soil for turf or seed, it is important to remember that not all soils are the same.
Soil pH levels can range from 4-9 (slightly acidic) and 7-11 (neutral).
It’s crucial to have the right balance of pH specific for your turf to grow properly. Your supplier will be able to advise on this too. If you have acidic soil, the best way to change this is by adding lime or an organic material called calcified seaweed before laying the new turf.
You should always test your soil before adding anything though because you just never know if you even need to add any type of pH modifier to the soil.
Mistake No.2 – Not using Pre Turf Fertiliser
Pre-turf fertiliser is a must use for any new lawn project. Using this product at approximately 30grams per m2 will give your new turf the very best start.
Some people don’t realise it’s available and some decide to miss it out because they spend so much money on the turf itself.
But this fertiliser will help the new grass establish its roots into the current soil so much faster. That means it will stay green because it can utilise the nutrients and water from the prepared soil much quicker.
Mistake No.3 – Not rotovating (or tilling) the soil
The process of rotovating the soil when laying turf exposes helpful microbes to the surface where they can thrive.
Ensuringyour new lawn has great drainage and healthier, greener grass, are just a couple of reasons why rotovating should be an integral part of your soil preparation.
Rotovating can also expose any pieces of rock or weeds that haven’t yet been removed from the ground. If you come across these, be sure to remove them.
A further benefit of rotovating is that it will make it easier for you to level the soil.
Mistake No.4 – Not giving enough time to remove/prevent weeds
This is where you need a little patience,or at least plan ahead.
Giving enough time to kill off weeds from the old soil will truly help your lawn thrive after it’s been laid. It will save you so much time in the future because your new grass will be the dominant force and not weeds.
After rotovating, you should let your soil ‘sit’ for 2-3 weeks.
During this time, you will see weeds starting to establish themselves above the ground.
At this time, you should spray a strong weed killer. Then you need to wait another 3 weeks minimum before laying the turf. Do not lay anything straight after applying weed killer.
So, you can see, there is some waiting time of around 6 weeks if you want to do the job properly. But I promise,a good lawn will come to those who wait.
These are just a few tasks that some people forget when preparing their new lawn. If you’re doing things yourself and it’s your first time, be sure to read up on the best preparation methods.
