Giveaway : $100 Bunnings Voucher ~ The Grass is always greener ...

when you water it , once a week , using a soaker hose !

  "The grass is always greener on the other side, until you jump the fence and see the weeds up close."
- Albert Grashuis 

That used to be our grass when we first moved into our suburban home. So about 5 yrs ago Hubby got a bobcat guy in and totally removed the top layer of the entire backyard - to get rid of the weeds as nothing else was working... or so he told me ! I just wanted rid of the bindii with toddlers !!

Before he laid new turf , he put tonnes of new topsoil and sand, then installed buried irrigation tubing ...just after this water restrictions came in. 

This was May 2011 

Yes it was that green and big ! Though looks larger than it is.

My husband loves his grass and lawn mowing. He used to do it for a living ( He still has the mower brochure of his first ride on he bought we with lived on one acre in 1993. When we moved back to small backyard in 2000 he sold it to my brother - it still goes.) . I am told he used to mow the grass at his primary school at 11yrs.

DH tended our lawns lovingly and refused to palm the job off to the teen because he just didn't cut it right. While we were away in WA - the teen spilt  roundup ...a weed killer in a few patches {or maybe he was using it to weed o_O}

This was Dec 2011

Ignore the weeds at the back - hubby didn't get to them before I took the pic

Our lawn ~ soft leaf Buffalo ST26;  is also a low maintenance lawn.

I know that some of my friends struggle to get their husbands to keep the lawns mowed, let alone manicured or  keeping a check on weeds. They are not alone...

Turf Australia – the industry body that represents all turf growers in Australia, recently conducted consumer research which revealed that 80% of Aussies have a lawn, but only 30% of them know how to care for it properly. In fact, less than 1/3 of the respondents to the survey knew what type of grass they owned in their own garden !

In December, I was offered the opportunity for a turf consultation with a local turf retailer. Some of the biggest turf suppliers in NSW are from Hawkesbury region (flood plains?). Chris from Millers Turf was my expert!

He gave me some of his expert hints and tips to care for your lawn at different times of the year . Most turf retailers can help households choose the right grass variety for their requirements - they can lay it or tell you the best practices for laying it yourself and maintaining it.

How often should you and much should you water established lawn ?

Once a week you need to give a good soak - (see more details here)

Unless you have a run of 40 °days and no rain ; you will need extra watering.

The best time to water is in the early morning -less water is lost due to evaporation.  

The worst time to water is in the evening because the lawns stay wet at night, which encourages disease and fungus development.

What about Fertilisers ?

Chris said he recommended we (and most people) can use Scott's Lawn Builder - available at Bunnings or anywhere :). It is a good all purpose fertiliser. Retailers like Millers can also advise on specific fertilisers matched to your turf or if you have a problem. Done !!  

Application is recommended every 6 weeks or so from October to March (follow pack directions and water it in well).

We have a few different grasses growing back where the Roundup killed off the grass. Our lawn is quite susceptible to weed killers :(.  We can either leave it or cut it out in a larger patch and lay new turf again. Hubby is undecided as we have new tenants moving in.

How often should you mow ?

Once a week minimum , more in growing season and throughout summer to keep it looking green, and reduce dead looking patches - when you do mow.

I had a few questions about laying new turf in a small patch on our farm. Since our new backyard is now 1000 acres - it will be just be big enough for the boys and dogs to wrestle on play on , our BBQ table & chairs, a special seat and under my the hammock.  

Since I can't have this 

1. My hammock

 We will need to select a hardy grass and non allergic too-   ! I won't detail it all here but all the answers can be found on Millers website.

I know now we need to keep the grass 1m radius from native trees and shrubs so I'll be careful planting new ones.

Chris gave me a copy of 

My husband has the book now !

New turf requires a great deal of water in the first couple days and or it will die off, if not properly watered to the dirt below. It also needs good preparation.

Some turf retailers can also advise or provide lawn care programs - how much or how little fertiliser it needs, how to fix brown patches, how to fill in gaps and weeding, etc. 

So on with the giveaway - 

I have one $100 Bunnings Gift Voucher to giveaway with thanks to Impact Communications and Turf Australia.

I hope you have fun planning a garden make-over, so your lawn is always ready for a  BBQ with family and friends !

Tell me in the comments what is your dream backyard or what you would do with the $100 ?


a Rafflecopter giveaway

My husband thinks it is well worth maintaining a patch of green lawn - even on tank water (outside of a drought of course).

Disclaimer: Millers gave me a free consultation as part of Turf Australia campaign. All opinions are my own. I was not obliged to mention them but their website is a wealth of information.
♥

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