Instant lawn cost | Cost of instant lawn | $ cost to lay

Before you discount lawn seed, consider the list of crucial steps laying instant turf. After all, instant turf can be an expensive exercise, you don’t want your new turf to die, deteriorate or become weed or disease infested, so you need to be diligent in getting the preparation right.

Preparatory steps to consider laying instant lawn

1. Knockdown weed control (kikuyu & couch)
2. Turf cutter hire and labour
3. Manual cut out to paths and perimetres
4. Lift and Bin hire
5. Council bin permit
6. Rotary hoe
7. Trash rake out/labour
8. Picking stones out
9. NPKS  and trace element fertiliser
10. Treatment for non-wetting sands
11. Incorporation of organic fertiliser
12. Insecticide for cockchafer control
13. Profile levelling
14. Sod purchase and delivery
15. Sod laying
16. Rolling
17. Clean up.

By the time your instant lawn is professionally laid and watered – it can be an expensive exercise costing thousands.

Most householders realise that the cost of instant turf goes way beyond dollar per square metres Ex the turf farm. There are also substantial costs in soil and site preparation and laying turf – and if you are going to the trouble, then you really should be considering installing auto irrigation.

Realising now that laying instant turf can be a major expense, householders cancel the proposed home lawn renovation and move it to the backburner.

Lawn reseeding – Now that’s a good idea.

Lawn reseeding from reseedmylawn is professional lawn renewal at a fraction of the cost of instant lawn. reseedmylawn is a new and disruptive technology using specialised machinery and agronomic practises thats puts lawn renewal in reach of every householder. It’s new to Melbourne householders but not to the professional turf industry or domestic households in Europe or north America where overseeding is common practise. We only use certified professional fine leaf turf type lawn seed from the premier turf seed companies such as Heritage seeds, PGG Wrightsons and Barenbrug

Understanding lawn reseeding

Before we understand lawn reseeding, its best to explain the difference between warm season and cool season turfgrasses.

The grass base of most Sandbelt lawns are Couch, Kikuyu and more recently Buffalo, otherwise known as WARM SEASON turfgrass. These grass types have excellent heat and drought tolerance and reproduce from runners, rather than seed. In full sun, they grow actively in the Sandbelt from early summer to mid autumn, before heading into dormancy for the cold months. In shade regions, these grasses struggle to grow or can die back. During winter dormancy, growth is at a standstill, they suffer wear damage, loss of leaf and color pales; inevitably annual winter broadleaf and grass weeds like wintergrass take hold.

Turf grass growth curves

Unfortunately, many Sandbelt lawns have little warm season grass base and become dominant with undesirable grass and broadleaf weeds, particularly through the cooler months (late March to late Nov).

The ideal 4-season lawn

The strategy for an ideal 4-season lawn in Melbourne’s Sandbelt is to:
a. Summer: Promote the spreading growth of the warm season grass base, if present and coverage is adequate.
b. from early Autumn onwards: Lawn reseed with cool season turfgrasses with the option of keeping the new grass long term.

Lawn reseeding

Lawn reseeding is the process of drilling lawn seed into and under dormant couch or kikuyu, or sprayed out or existing old lawn.
The main COOL SEASON lawn seed varieties are turf-type fine leaf perennial ryegrass, rhizomatous tall fescue and fine fescues. These grasses make a beautifully rich, vibrant colored,  fine-leaf lawn with excellent cool season growth, wear and shade tolerance. Without soil moisture, their Achilles heel is tolerance to prolonged drought and extreme heat. These perennial turfgrasses may persist 4-seasons with easy common sense care and are established from seed from early autumn to late spring. The best turf-type  fine leaf perennial ryegrass examples are the stadium ovals used by the AFL in Melbourne, Geelong, Adelaide, Launceston, the VRC racetracks, Lord’s cricket ground and Wimbledon.

Renew your lawn from lawn seed

In just 5 to 12 days from drilling lawn seed, your tired old lawn will be renewed with dense vibrant coloured fine leaf perennial turf grass. You can retain stunning lawn cover for at least 10 months, and over summer into the following year with strategic watering and a little care. Our Turf reseeder™ accurately drills lawn seed into and under existing lawn and bare ground for ideal seed-soil contact and seed wet-up, resulting in dense and uniform establishment. Vertical blades slice into existing lawn, creating a slice opening; depositing and securing seed at correct depth and rate, with minimal lawn disruption or soil tillage. Minimal soil disturbance ensures resident weed seeds remain dormant and weed germination is minimal. Turf seed is well covered, protected from birds and flotation; and is mostly free from weed seed competition.

Reseeding options for winter-spring

a. with knockdown weed control.

The most prevalent are lawns with sparse warm season grass base, dominant with annual summer or wintergrass weeds and broad leafs. With nothing worth keeping, total knock down weed control is the best option. After reseeding, the result is a stunning lawn transformation.

b. with selective or NIL weed control (couch, kikuyu & lawn repairs)

Turf reseeding™ fine leaf ryegrass over existing turfgrass or couch and kikuyu heading into winter dormancy  retains the warm season turf base. From late November onwards, the warm season grasses (if present) begin to grow aggressively again and dominate through summer. The options are for nil, or selective weed control pre or post ryegrass establishment.

Control of winter grass, broadleaf weeds and lawn grubs (cockchafer)

Turf reseeding™ is extraordinarily successful with new grass so competitive and dominant that post emergent weed control for annual winter grass and broadleafs are often not worth worrying about. There are however, a range of selective and long lasting weed and insect control choices available.

 

Fine leaf lawn established from lawn seed

Cost of watering – Managing your lawn for longevity

Ryegrass lawns can be easily assisted for longevity. During hot mid to late summer, frequent short waterings are required. Budget on $3 to $6 per week (SE Water) for watering 10-20mm. If the lawn has regressed through late summer, an option is to remedial oversow the following autumn, to thicken up the grass population. If required the fee for remedial oversowing is a fraction again of the initial lawn renovation and may well be covered under warranty.

SHADED AREAS lawn reseeding™

Warm season grasses may not thrive and recede without adequate sunlight. In mostly shaded areas, establish and maintain cool season grasses. Warm season grasses in full sunlight and cool season grasses in shaded areas can make a fine full cover lawn.