Instant lawn installation

Roll on turf allows you to enjoy a lawn of instant beauty and maturity without the usual time-consuming hassles of seeding or planting runners. The following steps are the basic steps to a beautiful lawn.

STEP 1 - Measuring & Ordering
With a tape, measure the area of your planned lawn. Include these measurements on a sketch of the lawn area, with the length, width, and any unusual features. Multiply the length by the width to determine the area (sq. m). If you are having difficulty we will be happy to determine the amount of instant roll on lawn you will need from your sketch. Prompt installation on the day of delivery is crucial to a strong beginning for your instant lawn.


STEP 2 - Soil Preparation
For best results, dig the area to a depth of 10 to 15 cm. (4 to 6 in.) or cover area with good quality top soil. Eliminate drainage problems by having soil slope away from foundations, etc. Rake and smooth the soil removing rocks, roots, and any debris. Roll the area lightly with a roller 1/3 full of water. This will firm the soil surface and reveal low areas that need more soil. Keep the grade 2 to 3 cm. (1 in.) below sprinklers, paths or driveway. A good starter fertilizer (2:3:2 or 6:3:4) is a must to ensure all the trace elements are available in the soil. Spread the fertilizer evenly and rake into the top quarter inch of soil, this will feed the lawn while it becomes established. Water the prepared area to settle soil and provide a moist base for the turf. Moistening to a depth of 5 cm is recommended for most soils.

STEP 3 - Turf Installation
Install your lawn immediately upon delivery or pick up as it is a perishable product. Begin watering lawn within 30 minutes of installation. Turf is a living plant that requires ground contact and moisture to survive! If laying large areas on hot days soak lawn well after lying (lawn should be kept wet at all times). Protect un-laid turf by placing stacks in shade, covering with moist sacking, and/or sprinkling. Begin installing turf along the longest straightest line. Butt and push sides and ends against each other firmly, without stretching. Avoid gaps or overlaps. Stagger the joints in each row in a brick-like fashion, using a large serrated knife to trim corners, etc. On slopes, place the turf pieces across the slope. N.B. Avoid standing on the lawn. To avoid causing indentations or air pockets avoid repeated walking or kneeling on the turf while it is being installed or just after watering. It is important after installing the turf, to tamp, roll or preferably lightly compact the lawn to improve turf/soil contact, eliminate air pockets and remove uneven patches. When all the lawn has been laid and compacted, water it heavily.

STEP 4 – Watering
Soak lawn heavily each morning for three weeks. On hot days watering around midday will be necessary to keep the lawn moist. Avoid watering when conditions are windy to maximise watering efficiency. Gradually reduce the frequency of watering to encourage deep rooting; this may take 1-2 months. To maintain very presentable, a mature lawn on deep draining soil will require watering twice a week for 20-30 min per time. Extreme heat wave conditions mean more watering. 30 mm twice a week is the maximum water requirement for most established lawns.
N.B. FAILURE OF A NEW LAWN TO ESTABLISH ITSELF IS GENERALLY 100% ATTRIBUTABLE TO A “LACK OF WATER”
HAND WATERING IS NOT RECOMMENDED AS IT WASHES THE SOIL AWAY FROM UNDER THE ROLLS. WATER BY SPRINKLERS ONLY.
Roll on and shredded lawns are very susceptible to dehydration and dying off in the first 5-6 weeks after planting.
Therefore they must be kept moist continuously during this period. To accurately determine a watering program which achieves this, and remains efficient, requires an astute evaluation of the environmental conditions present.
Temperature and prevailing winds are the most important environmental factors to consider. When determining your watering program, other environmental factors to consider include the protection the site gets from sunlight, strong winds and the quality and depth of the topsoil.

EXAMPLE OF A WATERING PROGRAMME: for a new lawn in the height of summer in an area which receives strong easterly winds with no protection. On hot days in summer it may be necessary to water four times a day for 10 minutes at a time in the first two weeks, then twice reducing to once a day for 15 minutes for the next 3 weeks early in the morning. Care should be taken not to water when the wind is actually blowing as it will severely reduce the precipitation rate i.e. the amount of water that actually hits the ground. If watering in the wind is unavoidable compensate by watering for longer.

After 5 weeks, as for any lawn situation, deep rooting should be encouraged by reducing the frequency of watering from 7 times a week down to 1-2 times a week, over a period of 2-3 months.

Lawn should be watered with a fixed, below ground irrigation system, preferably professionally designed: ideally it should be matched to an automatic controller. Hand watering should be AVOIDED as it is too uneven and can erode the soil by pitting. Small amounts of water i.e. 10 minutes per day are quickly lost in evaporation (within the first two hours after the sun is up), leaving the grass roots close to the surface and exposed to the heat of the day.