TURF

Planting New Lawn

Measure the area you plan to plant so you know how much seed will be required.
Example: Length × Width = Total Square Meters
(15 m × 6 m = 90 m²).

Check your soil using a basic pH testing kit to determine whether it is acidic or alkaline.

If the soil is acidic (pH 6 or below), apply fast-acting lime at 250 g per m².
If the soil is alkaline (pH 7 or above), apply granular gypsum at 245 g per m².
Allow time for these products to integrate into the soil.

Smooth and level the seed bed by filling low areas with clean, nutrient-rich topsoil. Roll the surface to firm it.
If the area is very uneven and requires tilling, till to a depth of 10–15 cm.
For heavy clay soil, add amendments such as gypsum, lime or compost. The soil should be loose and free of lumps when finished.

This step is unnecessary if your lawn already meets your preferred pH, compaction, and fertility levels.
Keep in mind: Tilling encourages new weed and/or grass growth. If you do till, you’ll need to level the soil again, water for several weeks, and treat any weeds before seeding. You may need multiple treatments, which can extend the process to a month or more.

Apply grass seed at the recommended rate.
Spread half the seed walking North–South, then the other half walking East–West for even distribution.
You may use a starter fertilizer, but avoid over-fertilizing, as it can damage young seedlings.

Covering the seed is optional, though it can help hold moisture and keep seed in place.
If you choose to cover, apply a thin layer (up to 6 mm) of light topsoil.
Coated seeds (such as Bermuda couch or kikuyu) should not be covered more than 3 mm.

Water lightly using an oscillating sprinkler to ensure even water distribution.
KEEP SEED MOIST UNTIL GERMINATION BEGINS.
After grass starts growing, reduce how often you water but increase the depth of each watering to build stronger roots.

Wait to mow until the lawn reaches the recommended mowing height.
For most grass types, this occurs 3–6 weeks after planting. Use care—young grass is delicate, and tight mower turns can cause damage. You can ensure your grass is ready for mowing but utilising the “Pull Test”. If you can easily pull out a clump of grass with minimal resistance you can be assured your mower will do likewise damage. Wait until the grass seeds root system has embedded itself further before trying this test again.

Once you have mowed twice, apply a quality lawn fertilizer.
Avoid weed-and-feed products for at least 10 weeks, or preferably skip them entirely.
It’s best to treat weeds with a liquid herbicide and then feed the soil with a fertilizer for long-term health.

Lawn Over-Seeding

The most effective way to maintain a lush, healthy lawn is to overseed every 1–2 years.

Mow your lawn to 2.5–4 cm and remove all clippings.
Use a steel rake to loosen the soil and break up any thatch, clearing away all debris.
If the thatch layer is heavy, you may want to rent a dethatcher to remove dead grass, then rake again to loosen the soil surface.

Spread the seed evenly over the entire lawn at the recommended rate using the north-south, east-west method.
Rake lightly afterward to ensure the seed settles into the soil. Seed left on top of grass will germinate sporadically.

Water consistently, keeping the soil moist until the seed germinates.
Once the new grass is up, reduce watering frequency but water more deeply (for example, instead of two 30-minute daily waterings, switch to 1–2 deep waterings per week, about 1 hour each).

After roughly 5 weeks, your lawn should appear denser and revitalised.

Lawn Renovation

If your lawn is over ten years old or contains more than 10% weeds or unwanted grasses, it’s time to completely renew it.

Apply a non-selective herbicide such as Round-up® and allow 2–3 weeks for the grass to fully die and turn brown.

If any green growth remains, apply another treatment to ensure everything is dead.

Mow the dead lawn as short as possible and remove all clippings.

Using a steel rake, clear away the remaining debris.

Apply grass seed at the recommended rate.
Spread half the seed walking North–South, then the other half walking East–West for even distribution.

You may use a starter fertilizer, but avoid over-fertilizing, as it can damage young seedlings.

Covering the seed is optional, though it can help hold moisture and keep seed in place.

If you choose to cover, apply a thin layer (up to 6 mm) of light topsoil.

Coated seeds (such as Bermuda couch or kikuyu) should not be covered more than 3 mm.

Water lightly using an oscillating sprinkler.
KEEP SEED MOIST UNTIL GERMINATION BEGINS.
After grass starts growing, reduce how often you water but increase the depth of each watering to build stronger roots.

Wait to mow until the lawn reaches the recommended mowing height.

For most grass types, this occurs 3–6 weeks after planting. Use care—young grass is delicate, and tight mower turns can cause damage.

Once you have mowed twice, apply a quality lawn fertilizer.

Avoid weed-and-feed products for at least 10 weeks, or preferably skip them entirely.

It’s best to treat weeds with a liquid herbicide and then feed the soil with a fertilizer for long-term health.

Lawn Repair

Rake the spot to loosen the soil and remove any dead grass.

Apply seed to the bare area and cover it with roughly 6 mm of compost. Ensure the seed matches the existing grass variety in your lawn. Be careful with patch repair products, as they may not blend in naturally.

Keep the area consistently moist until the seed has fully germinated.

For the best results, overseed 1–1.2 meters around the bare patch to help the new growth blend smoothly with the rest of the lawn.

Ground Preparation

Level your lawn by adding clean, nutrient-rich topsoil to fill low spots and smooth high spots. Roll the soil to firm it.

If the ground is very uneven (holes, tunnels, slopes), you may need to till the soil to a depth of 10–15 cm.

For heavy clay soil, add amendments like gypsum, lime or compost. The soil should be loose and free of lumps when ready.

If your lawn already has the desired level, pH, compaction, and fertility, this step may not be necessary.

Note: Tilling encourages new weed and grass growth. If you do till, you will need to:

1. Level the soil again
2. Water it for several weeks
3. Apply a weed treatment before planting seed

Sometimes multiple treatments are needed, so this process can take a month or more.

Watering Your Lawn

Each watering should moisten the soil to a depth of 15 cm, which is the active root zone for most grasses.

How long it takes to reach this depth depends on your soil type and irrigation system—water moves through sandy soil faster and deeper than through clay soil.

To determine your ideal watering time:

1. Run your sprinklers for 15 minutes.
2. After 24 hours, dig a small hole or use a soil probe to measure how deep the water penetrated.
   Use this depth to calculate how long you should water.

To calculate watering time:
Divide 300 by the depth of moistened soil in centimeters.
Examples:

• If water soaked 10 cm, then 300 ÷ 10 = 30 minutes.
• If water soaked 15 cm, then 300 ÷ 15 = 20 minutes.
• If water soaked 20 cm, then 300 ÷ 20 = 15 minutes.

Bluegrass has a shallower root system and only needs to be moistened to 15–20 cm instead of deeper levels.

For example, if 15 minutes of watering soaked the soil to 15 cm, a bluegrass lawn would only need about 15 minutes of watering, not 20.

Once you determine the correct watering duration, use the same length of time year-round.

If water begins running off before the time is up, turn off the sprinklers for 1 hour to let it soak in, then resume watering.

Applying soil conditioners or aeration products will also help water penetrate more effectively.

How Often to Water

Watering frequency changes with the season and your soil type.

First, determine how much water your lawn receives during your usual watering cycle:

1. Place several straight-sided containers (like small cans) around the lawn.
2. Run your sprinklers for your normal watering period.
3. Measure the collected water in each container.
• If amounts differ greatly, adjust or replace sprinkler heads for more even coverage and test again.
4. Use the average amount to plan watering frequency.

In the hottest part of summer:

• Kentucky Bluegrass uses about 6–8 mm of water per day.
• Bermuda couch grass uses roughly 4–5 mm per day, though it can use more if extra water is available.
• Kikuyu uses roughly 4-5mm per day, tough enough to handle dry spells, this grass is always at its best with a little TLC.

Example:
If your 30-minute watering session applies 25 mm of water on bluegrass, you would need to water about every 3 days in peak summer heat.

Watering more each time means watering less often.

Avoid shallow, frequent watering—this promotes shallow roots, making the lawn more vulnerable to drought and pests.

If you must water more than three times per week, consider improving the soil, choosing a different grass type, or adjusting your lawn-care practices.

In spring and autumn, water less often but for the same duration each time.

Fertilising Your Lawn

Strong turf starts with the right nutrition. Regular fertiliser applications help maintain healthy growth, improve colour and density, and support recovery from grazing, traffic and seasonal stress.

Whether you’re establishing a new lawn or maintaining an existing turf area, a balanced fertiliser program can help maximise performance throughout the year.

Mowing Your Lawn

Most mowers can be adjusted up or down, so set your mower on a flat surface (like a driveway) and test which settings give you the correct height. Adjust the mower so it matches the recommended cutting height for your lawn.

If your lawn looks whitish instead of green after mowing, you are likely cutting it too short.

As a general rule, most grasses should be mowed to about 5–7.5 cm.

• Cool-season grasses should be mowed higher in late spring and early summer to help them handle heat and pests and to maintain strong roots.
• Warm-season grasses can be mowed on the lower end of their recommended height during summer to encourage denser growth.
  Remember: shorter mowing heights require more frequent mowing.

Follow the “1/3 rule”: never remove more than one-third of the grass blade in a single mowing. Cutting off too much at once stresses the plant and forces it to use energy to replace lost leaf tissue.

If your lawn gets too tall, don’t scalp it all at once. Instead, lower the mower height gradually over several mowings (every 2–3 days) until you reach the proper height. This prevents plant stress and avoids leaving large piles of clippings that can smother the grass.

Whenever possible, leave the clippings on the lawn. They act as free organic fertilizer, and if you follow the 1/3 rule, the amount of clippings will never be excessive. Many mowers have mulching features that chop clippings into tiny pieces, helping them break down even faster. Returning clippings reduces fertilizer needs and is better for the environment.

If worried about thatching, remove clippings but be prepared to feed lawn more frequently with a quality all round fertiliser like BPS Agriblue.