Things You Should Know Before Laying Your First Lawn

Some people spend more time deciding where the fireplace should go and what outdoor furniture to go with than they do picking their turf. Grass is grass, right? You find a variety you like the look of, order it, lay it, job done.

Except that's exactly where things go wrong.

You see, the biggest mistakes we see lawn owners make aren’t when the green, green grass is there in your yard, established and needing a little helping hand to thrive.

No, they happen before it even arrives.

One of the biggest mistakes first-time lawn owners make is not understanding what their yard actually needs before they buy, not taking the time to prep the foundations right, and missing what it's going to take to keep that lawn looking fantastic once it's down. Get these things right up front, and everything that comes after becomes a lot easier. Get them wrong, and you'll either be working much harder than you need to, or you'll be starting over entirely.

So before you hit order, here's what's worth mulling over.

1. Know what your yard needs

Before variety names, price points or anything else, can we start with your yard?

• Sun and shade. How many hours of direct sun does your space get? Is it full sun all day, fully shaded, or a mix of both? Some varieties will thrive in one condition and struggle in the other.

• How the space will be used. Cricket every arvo? Big gatherings on the weekends? Kids and dogs running laps every afternoon? Or a low-traffic area that's mostly there to look good? Wear resistance matters enormously for some yards and not at all for others.

• Your lifestyle and family dynamics. Pets or no pets, kids or no kids, high maintenance or low maintenance, these all shape which variety is actually going to work with you and your family. 

There's no single right answer across all of those, which is why spending five minutes thinking through your yard before comparing varieties will save you a lot of headaches later. Your turf is meant to fit your yard.

👉 Compare turf varieties suited to your conditions

2. Get your foundations right

If there's one thing that makes or breaks a new lawn, it's preparation. The best turf in the world won't perform on a poor foundation, and a poor foundation is one of the main reasons people end up struggling down the track.

We go deep into preparation in Guide to Getting the Foundation Right, but we’ll speed run it for you.

Getting your prep right means:

• Finishing all other landscaping first. Turf goes in last, not first. If you've got edging, paths, retaining walls or garden beds going in, do those before your lawn arrives.

• Removing the old stuff properly. Old grass, weeds, and any existing lawn need to be long gone. If there’s anything still growing underneath your new turf, it’s most likely going to be rearing its ugly head down the line. 

• Getting good soil in. Fresh soil is the foundation your turf is going to root into. We always recommend a minimum of 75–100mm of good-quality soil or underlay. Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo and Nullarbor Couch are adaptable to most soils. Zoysia Sir Grange, Zoysia Australis, TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda and Stampede prefer sandy loam mix (80% sand / 20% loam).

• Levelling and drainage. The shape and level of your soil will become the shape of your lawn, so factor in drainage and water flow now (not later).

It sounds like a lot, but most of it is a one-time effort. Skimping on prep means you'll likely be doing it again, and this time with a lawn in the way.

3. The first few weeks are critical

Once your turf is down, the next two to three weeks are the most important of your lawn's life. This is when your turf is establishing roots into the soil, so take note: what happens during this window has a direct impact on how well it performs for years to come.

What that looks like in practice:

• Laying it on the same day it's delivered. Turf is living, and it needs those roots back in the ground as soon as possible after they’ve been severed by our harvester. We harvest to order and only do same-day delivery.

• A lot of watering. More than you think is necessary and more deeply than you think is necessary. For the first two weeks, we typically recommend watering twice a day. Week two to four, you can reduce watering frequency slightly, but never let those roots dry out during establishment.

• Staying off it. At a minimum, there should be no to very, very low foot traffic for the first fortnight. Every time you walk on new turf before it's rooted, you're disrupting that process. So, please stay off the new lawn.

Once you can tug a corner of turf and feel resistance (roots anchoring into the soil), you've made it through the critical window. From here, you taper back the watering to a normal schedule, life resumes as normal, and you can enjoy your yard.

4. Ongoing maintenance is simpler than people think

Once your lawn is established, keeping it in great shape isn’t complicated (after all, we picked a turf variety that thrives in your yard). It mostly comes down to:

• Regular mowing at the right height for your variety

• Fertilising a few times a year, depending on your variety

• Adjusting your watering based on the weather and the time of year

The one thing worth knowing here is that different varieties have different maintenance appetites. A Nullarbor Couch lawn is going to need more frequent mowing and feeding than a Sir Grange Zoysia, which is naturally slow-growing and low-input. That's not a reason to avoid either; it's just a reason to pick the variety that matches how much time and effort you actually want to put in (rather than finding out six months down the line).

Dream lawns start here

Get your prep right. Pick the right turf for your situation and your lifestyle. Water it properly through establishment. Understand what your lawn needs long-term. Do those things, and you'll have a lawn that looks fantastic year-round, without working harder than you need to.

👉 Compare turf varieties and find the right fit for your yard

If you'd like a hand choosing, our team is always here. Give us a call on 1300 781 175, email sales@goturf.com.au, or visit us in store at Unit 57/109 Leitchs Rd, Brendale, QLD 4500.