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Benefits of Top Dressing Your Lawn with DIY Organic Compost
October 2nd, 2019 | by chilliAt Go Turf, we believe there’s nothing more important than a healthy soil foundation for your turf to thrive. Nutrient rich soil and good quality compost is key for injecting healthy micro-organisms and bacteria into your soil. With the organic-lawn care trend steadily growing throughout Australia, we thought we’d fill you in on the benefits of using organic compost to top dress your lawn this spring.
Top dressing is a process of spreading a thin layer of topsoil mixture (often sand and blended top dress mix) to the surface of your lawn to revitalise or repair suffering landscape areas. Now, we’re not suggesting that you throw your vegetable peels and fruit cores straight onto the grass when referring to ‘organic compost’. However, when done correctly, the growing compost pile is growing in your backyard can be used to top dress your lawn. Of course, this is once the compost pile has broken down into a soft, dark and crumbly soil mixture. Similar to the photo pictured below.
Organic Compost Benefits
1. Nutrient Rich
Did you know that organic compost hosts more bacteria and microorganisms than most products on the market? These nutrients are essential for helping your turf to fight off diseases, pests and increase water retention. Organic fertiliser mixtures are well known to reduce turf’s susceptibility to compaction, thus increasing water absorption. The upcoming summer is always a stressful time for living organisms, including turf. So, using a water retaining top dress on your lawn is highly favourable this time of year.2. Microbes Thrive
Another benefit to using organic compost is that it encourages the healthy microbes in your lawn’s soil to thrive! Organic compost hosts an array of natural chemical compositions including:- Carbon Dioxide
- Nitrogen
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
These natural chemicals are all very good for turf as it helps to feed the important microbes living within the soil. More often than not, synthetic or pre-made topsoils do not have the density or the presence of these chemicals. So, next time you’re looking to top dress your lawn, opt to use your organic compost heap as a nutrient rich alternative.
3. Reduce Costs
If you’re looking to reduce the costs of lawn care, why not try organic composting? The decomposing process may take anywhere from 3 to 4 months; however, you will be surprised at the amount of yard trimmings and kitchen scraps you will accumulate! Save yourself a few hundred dollars and start investing in organic composting.
Top dressing your turf with compost
Now, you’re probably wondering how you would top dress your lawn using organic compost. Using a shovel and a rake, we recommend that you throw the compost over the chosen area. Then evenly spread the compost on your turf, aiming to have a thickness of about 1cm. Don’t be afraid that your turf doesn’t look nice today, because after a few days the compost will barely be noticeable. Aim to top dress the turf about twice a year to maintain a healthy and happy lawn throughout every season.
Go Turf is the largest independent turf producer on the Sunshine Coast. We pride ourselves on supplying developers, builders, landscapers, homeowners and other turf producers with high quality and amazing value grass suited for South East Queensland conditions. If you have any further questions regarding the maintenance of your turf variety, feel free to give us a call!
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The Importance of Laying Turf on Same Day as Delivery
August 22nd, 2019 | by chilliLaying turf may sound easy. However, the key to the successful installation for lush green grass is all within the preparation. There are a few steps you have to consider before laying turf to ensure its survival within a new environment. So, we’ve written this handy blog to inform you of the urgency and importance for laying your turf on the same day as delivery.
What is pallet burn?
Have you ever heard of pallet burn? Pallet burn is a term used to describe the heat stress in which turf slabs endure when left on a delivery pallet for too long. The process of pallet burn begins in the centre of the slab, combined with nitrogen in the leaves, moisture in the soil and the weight of the turf. As a direct result, parts of the turf eventually die off and you are left with unsightly dead patches across your new lawn.
Why is laying turf a time-critical process?
There are a few reasons for laying turf in a time-sensitive process. Firstly, most people forget that turf is a living product. This means that it has a short window from harvest to installation before it begins to slowly die. So, laying turf on the same day as delivery will increase its chance for thriving and surviving. We always explain to our customers, the healthier the turf when first laid, the better start to life as your new lawn it will have.
What are the signs of pallet burn?
The first sign of pallet burn on your turf order is the presence of semi-circle patches. It’s hard to miss and this is a clear sign that the pallet had begun to combust. Unfortunately, there are no real preventative methods for avoiding this other than laying the turf on the same day as delivery. Preparation is key, so to avoid being out of pocket, we highly recommend laying the turf as soon as possible.
Do you have a strategic turf laying plan?
Before the delivery of your new turf, have you considered a strategic turf laying plan? This involves completing any necessary gardening, clearing the ground, performing a soil analysis and making necessary improvements. Not to mention the aftercare post-installation such as mowing, fertilising and upkeeping plans. If you’re unsure of these steps mentioned, take a look at our installation instruction handbook for more information.
“Correctly preparing your yard for new turf is vital to successful installation and lawn growth”
If you’re looking to pick up the turf from any farm, we highly recommend that you lay it on the same day. The same rules apply for turf that is delivered to your home or work. Did you know customers of Go Turf can take advantage of our efficient delivery service, straight from our Beerburrum farm to your doorstep? This will ensure you have the freshest turf possible. We also offer next day delivery on orders made before 2 pm, dependant on weather conditions.
Go Turf is the largest independent turf producer on the Sunshine Coast. Supplying developers, builders, landscapers, homeowners and other turf producers. Call us on 1300 781 175 today and be confident in the quality and service of your brand new, green lawn.
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Top 10 Health Benefits of Turf and Green Spaces
July 25th, 2019 | by chilliHave you ever considered the health benefits of just sitting in the garden, walking around a park or hiking through the forest? Green spaces, trees, flowers, turf and the smell of freshly mowed grass, these are all the things that warm our heart and help us to maintain a sense of balance in our busy and stressful lives.
The problem is that deforestation, land clearing and urbanisation not only reduces our access to green spaces, but they can also negatively affect our physical and mental health.
An article published in The Economist in 2018, stated that deforestation and land clearance in Queensland is rampant along the east coast, equal to removing 1000 rugby pitches every day. It goes on to say that Queensland mows down trees twice as fast as Brazil, mainly to provide land for grazing cattle, but we also need to clear land for new housing projects as well. If we keep reducing our green spaces, however, will this affect our health?
Do green spaces really improve our physical and mental health?
A report by the World Health Organisation states that urban green spaces provide a host of physical and mental health benefits. These benefits range from reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality to less obesity and type 2 diabetes, better pregnancy outcomes and lower levels of depression.
With the continuing rise of Queensland’s population and as more land is cleared to provide new housing, our green spaces are being slowly eroded, acre by acre. Studies have shown that living in highly urbanised areas can be detrimental to our physical and mental health, and unfortunately, many disadvantaged people are forced to live in densely populated environments that lack green spaces.
This isn’t just a fly-by-night problem – studies all over the world now agree that exposure to the natural environment has many important health benefits. In fact, the University of Wollongong is part of a $3.2 million, five-year project to investigate this matter. In partnership with Hort Innovation, they will examine how outdoor spaces influence our lifestyle choices and our physical and mental health. Outdoor spaces are that important!
How can homeowners improve their outdoor spaces?
The easiest and one of the most affordable solutions to a lack of green space in your suburb is to lay a lawn of good quality turf. This way you can reap the benefits provided by open green spaces at home. Even if you have a large patio and a veggie garden, there’s usually somewhere you can plant a lawn of grass and spend some quality time in your garden.
Walk the dog, take the kids to the park or go hiking along your local trails, all of these activities bring you closer to nature and help to improve your physical and mental health.
The health benefits of green spaces are numerous, but what are the benefits of a healthy grass lawn?
- Noise reduction, which is perfect when you live in a noisy environment.
- Better air quality, which is ideal when you live close to busy roads or freeways.
- Improved health – reduces blood pressure, stress and depression.
- Spending time in green spaces leads to fewer problems with child behaviour.
- Natural environments lead to greater work productivity.
- Turf provides a healthy clean environment that’s ideal for people of all ages.
- Grass is the safest surface for outdoor leisure activities, games and sports.
- Mowing a lawn gets you outdoors and provides valuable cardiovascular exercise.
- The green colour of grass makes us feel closer to nature.
- Nature is an essential part of our lives and turf is a vital part of our landscape.
For help selecting the right turf for your home, call us on 1300 781 175 or shoot us an email today.
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Lawn Tips: Autumn is the best season to lay new turf
July 25th, 2019 | by chilliMany people would believe that spring is the best time to lay new turf because everything is bursting to grow, however, that’s not quite the case! In our opinion, autumn is the best time to lay new turf because it’s a season when plants drop their seeds, put all their energy into growing new roots. Turf thrives off healthy roots, which is one of the few reasons why autumn is our favourite season for laying new grass. Continue reading our blog if you’d like to learn more about laying and maintaining turf in Autumn.
Autumn offers the perfect weather for laying new turf
Autumn is the best time of year to lay new turf as the air temperature is much cooler, giving you more time to lay your new lawn once it arrives at your property. Whilst it is crucial that you lay your new turf upon its arrival to avoid pallet burn and rotting, the summer and winter seasons are a much harsher time for installation. We recommend keeping an eye on the weather, as your new lawn will need regular watering for at least the first week (if it doesn’t rain). Throughout the hotter seasons, however, we would recommend a much deeper soak, over a few weeks to avoid it from drying out.
Autumn offers the Ideal soil conditions for laying new turf
During autumn, the temperature of the soil isn’t too hot or too cold, providing new roots with plenty of encouragement to dig deep into the soil. It’s always best to add a few inches of good quality topsoil with organic matter to your ground, prior to laying your new lawn, as this provides a good substrate for the lawn and encourages the growth of roots.
You might also need to improve your soil quality to give your lawn the best chance of establishing itself because the deeper and faster the roots can grow, the more drought-resistant your new lawn will be. Plants put a lot of energy into their root systems during the autumn season, so it makes sense to leverage this natural growth and give yourself the best chance of establishing an awesome lawn by spring.
We highly recommend using our Autumn Blend Lawn Fertiliser to support your turf going into the cooler months. This special blend feeds and strengthens your lawn for up to 3 months which will result in better lawn health and less mowing during the autumn and winter months.
Autumn is the best time to work outdoors
Most of us look forward to working in the garden during autumn, simply because the weather is comfortable to be in throughout the day. This is a time where we can help our garden the most to gather its strength during the winter season, ready for a burst of beautiful blooms in spring.
The uncomfortable heat during our Queensland summer and crisp temperatures throughout our winter can make installing turf during these seasons difficult. Laying your new turf in autumn is one of our more important tips, as it helps to establish your lawn quickly, creating a lovely lush expanse of grass in the springtime.
The perfect season to lay your new lawn is in autumn when all the stars align to give your turf the very best opportunity to establish itself. If you need quality turf for your garden, call us on 1300 781 175 or send us an email today.
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Your Guide to Turf Types: What’s best for your lawn?
August 23rd, 2018 | by chilliIt might seem simple enough, I mean, grass is grass right? Not really.. Certain turf types can thrive or take a dive in your backyard depending on how much direct sun your yard gets, your soil type, where you live and more. We thought we would put together a handy guide on the types of turf, their characteristics and their benefits so that you can choose the most suitable turf for your home. However, if you would rather speak to our team about your requirements you can also call us on 1800 959 176 and we can help you find the perfect turf for you at the best price.
Sapphire Buffalo
An Australian grown turf breed, Sapphire Buffalo has a soft and fine-textured leaf, making it lovely under foot. Known for being a fast growing turf, it will recover quickly from excessive wear, making it ideal for household lawns and recreational areas. Thanks to its deep system, Sapphire Buffalo will keep a nice, green colour throughout the winter months. People often refer on Sapphire Buffalo as the ‘street-envy’ turf, thanks to its truly deep, rich green colouring. As Sapphire Buffalo turf tolerates shade and cold quite well, it’s an excellent choice for coastal and inland regions. Yet another benefit of Sapphire is less seed (39% less than other Buffalo turf varieties) making it a great choice for people who suffer from allergies as there will be less seed in the air when mowing etc.
Wintergreen Couch
Wintergreen Couch is a hybrid green couch that, such like its name suggests, retains its colour really well throughout the year and has a fine, dense foliage, making it a common choice. It is perfect for families who want a durable yet soft lawn at an economic price. It has produces slightly higher seed head and has a finer leaf than other couch varieties, giving it a lush, dense turf surface. Wintergreen is used extensively in home lawns, council parks and housing estates ad is the most common choice in Queensland. Wintergreen couch prefers full sun, so if you have a shady backyard you should consider another turf variety.
Empire Zoysia
Empire Zoysia is extremely durable and easy to look after. It has excellent wear tolerance and thrives in heat and humidity, making it the most suitable turf for our South East Queensland climate. Zoysia grows well in the shade and will generally out-compete weeds once established. One of the biggest benefits of Empire Zoysia is that it generally needs less watering and less mowing than any other turf variety in Australia. It’s also labelled as a drought tolerant lawn, making it a great choice for those of us who live in a drier area or have a knack for ignoring the lawn.
Nara Native
If you live in an area with a higher salt level soil, such as near the ocean, Nara Native turf may be the best choice for you. It is low maintenance and very salt tolerant with a beautiful fine texture that’s lush under foot. It’s quick to establish, requires little maintenance such as mowing or edging and rarely gets pests of diseases. Extremely well suited to humid and dry climates and although can show signs of rust in wet winters and colder areas, it will tolerate them well and affected areas will generally be camouflaged in the mature leaves.
We are the biggest (and best) turf supplier servicing the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane. So whether you need a lot or just a little, the friendly, local team at Go Turf can help. Call us on 1300 781 175 or send us an enquiry for a free quote. We offer delivery and installation services or you can pick up your new turf directly from our farm in Beerburrum, we make it as easy as possible for our customers.
Image Source: Empire Turf
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Allergy sufferer? Make sure you lay a low allergy lawn
July 26th, 2018 | by chilliMany of us know the pain of having allergies, and there’s a certain time of year when everything gets even sneezier and itchy; spring! That time of year when everything is flowering, the rain shifts all the dust and pollen in the air and you have that constantly stuffy nose, itchy, watery eyes, and non-stop sneezing attacks? Yeah, spring.
If you are a fellow hay fever and allergy sufferer, fear not, there is a turf made just for you; Palmetto Buffalo. A lot of families opt for a low allergy lawn so that both themselves and their children can enjoy their time in the backyard without ramifications of allergies. This is especially true for children who are constantly playing and rolling around in the backyard, it would be a shame for them to miss out on such pleasures because of a sneeze attack!
A low allergy turf solution
Research from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Queensland and HAL Richmond, NSW data have shown that Palmetto® Buffalo turf has 40% less seed than the average of other popular Buffalo types. Is it this seed, which is so common on cooler region turf types, which put large amounts of pollen in the air, especially when it comes to mowing and maintaining your yard.
The benefit of Palmetto Buffalo is it’s softer edge when compared to other Buffalo types, which means less skin irritation for children and pets. While you might not notice the microscopic shape of these grass blades, they can made a huge difference to allergies and skin irritation. Check out the image below for an example of allergenic verse non-allergenic grass blades.
Another benefit for not just the allergy-inclined, but for everyone, is that Palmetto Buffalo turf can be left a lot longer without mowing. So not only does that make it more suitable for those with allergies, but also those who are too busy to be consistently maintaining their lawns. What’s better than that?
Want some advice on the best lawn for your yard and needs? Give the team at Go Turf a call. As the largest turf supplier on the Sunshine Coast, we understand your needs and offer a complete solution for transforming your yard. Call us today for a free quote on a wide variety of high-quality turf, cut daily on our farm.
For more great turf, tips keep an eye on our website and all our social media channels.
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Turf Wars Competition Winners Have Their Yard Transformed By Go Turf
July 17th, 2018 | by chilliMark and Sue Irwin spent 12 months building their perfect home, but by the time they finished, they didn’t have money left over for the lawn. So, they entered our Go Turf ‘Turf Wars 2’ competition and were lucky enough to win!
Check out the video below and see what they have to say about the team at Go Turf and their brand new Empire Zoysia lawn!
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A Mowers’ Dream: Keeping Your Mower Blades Sharp
July 17th, 2018 | by chilliIt’s something that’s easily neglected, especially during the cooler months, but keeping your mower blades sharp will have a huge impact on your lawn. Dull and worn out blades will rip and pull your grass, leaving frayed and damaged lawn. We have spoken before about how to maintain your mower, but we thought we would delve deeper and highlight the importance of keeping your mowers blades sharp and ready. Using the few simple steps we have included below, you can have your mowers blades in top condition and a cleaner cut (mowing stripes, anyone?) and better quality lawn all year round.
First and Foremost: Make sure that before you begin working on your mower you remove the spark plug! Any motor rotation during the operation could start the engine, which can be very dangerous for you and anyone around you.
Step one: Remove the blade
To start with you will need to loosen and remove the bolt that holds the blade in place. If your mower is older or a little rusty, you may need to apply some lubricant and wait a few minutes until it’s loose enough to remove.
Before you remove the blade, it pays to mark it somehow (spray paint or a marker will suffice) so that you know the correct way to reinstall it. If it’s not put back on the correct way, it won’t cut!
Step two: Check the blade
Once you have removed the blade from the mower, it’s time to check for any rust or excessive wear. See if you need to sharpen the blade or even replace it. Any minor rust on the blade can be remedied using steel wool and a little elbow grease. It pays to have a spare mower blade in your garage or shed so that you can alternate between the two or just have a replacement on hand if necessary.
Step three: Sharpen the mower blade
While angle grinders are much faster at sharpening mower blades, they allow you must less control and carry the risk of damaging the blade by overheating it. We think one of the best ways to sharpen your mower blades is by hand with a hand file, which gives you must more control over your work. As always when working with any sharp objects, take the utmost care and use protective clothing if possible.
Step four: Make sure the blade is balanced
After sharpening your blades, you’ll need to make sure that both sides of the blades are balanced. This can be done by tacking a nail to the wall and handing the blade from its centre point. If the blade is dipping to one side, you’ll need to file more off that edge on the non-cutting side. Repeat this process until the blade sits equally balanced.
Step five: Reinstall blade on your mower
Using the mark you made earlier, put the blade back into your mower and fasten the bolt into place. You need to make sure the bolt is firmly tightened as a loose blade will affect the engines timing and therefore the mowers ability to start when it comes time to mow your lawn.
Your mower blade should be checked every 6 months or so to make sure it’s in good working (and mowing) order. If not, your grass will pay the price! If you are ready to take your lawn to the next level, call Go Turf, the largest turf supplier on the Sunshine Coast and your local turf experts.
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Turf Lovers: Don’t let your lawn down this winter!
June 6th, 2018 | by chilliDid you miss the Autumn lawn care rush? Not to worry, there’s still plenty of TLC you can do this winter to ensure you lawn stays as green and healthy as can be throughout the winter months. We are lucky on the sunshine coast to have mild winter, but while we are snuggled up inside, our lawns are braving neglect as well as the early morning frost. Here’s out tips for keeping your lawn lovely and luscious all through the cooler months.
Don’t stop watering
Just because the sun might not be beaming down on your lawn all day, doesn’t mean it your lawn won’t dry out. Make sure you lawn continues to get its weekly drink of water, of course taking into account any rainfall you have had. One mistake a lot of Aussies make is assuming that frost is a good as watering and that if the weather is cold you don’t need to worry, which is a mistake your green grass will pay for.
Take it easy on the fertiliser
In winter, your lawn is mostly dormant, so there’s no need to fertilise unless your lawn is in dire trouble. By late August, you can give your law a good dose of fertiliser, which will bring it back to life for the spring and summer seasons. We recommend the Go Turf Pro Spring Blend Lawn Fertiliser to feed, nourish and strengthen your lawn for up to 3 months. This quality fertiliser contains higher Nitrogen for effective spring growth.
Don’t let dropped leaves lie
If you have leaves dropping onto your lawn during the winter seasons, make sure you rake them up as they will block the vital (and limited) sun from reaching the grass underneath. This can hinder water, oxygen and necessary nutrients from being absorbed by the turf and cause the grass to become susceptible to disease, pests and brown spots.
Follow these tips and have a lawn that’s ready for action come spring and summer. Find your lawn is unsalvageable or don’t even have one? Give our friendly team at GoTurf a call on 1300 781 175 or enquire online today. We are a Turf Queensland accredited grower with the best selection of advanced grass varieties to cater for all your turfing needs. We pride ourselves on growing and delivering fantastic grass suited for South East Queensland conditions, at an economical price ensuring our clients receive nothing less than fuss free awesome service!
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Turf Wars: Why Empire Zoysia is the best turf for your yard
April 11th, 2018 | by chilliOur customers are always asking which type of grass best suits the South East Queensland climate, and generally (with the exception of some very shady areas), the answer is Empire Zoysia. Why, you ask? Good question. As the largest supplier of Empire Zoysia Let’s take a look at all the characteristics which make Zoysia the best turf choice.
It’s E.Z (in more ways than one)
Empire Zoysia is often referred to by its nickname, E.Z. Not only due to its abbreviated name but because Zoysia is just so easy (E.Z, get it?) to look after! From watering to mowing and just general maintenance, you won’t find a grass that asks less of you.
It’s water wise
Thanks to its wide leaf and deep root systems, Empire Zoysia is great for areas or lawns that don’t get a lot of water. It’s drought tolerant, so it can retain water and stay healthier than most other turf varieties. An extremely water efficient lawn… Who doesn’t want that?
It’s perfect for coastal areas
Thanks to Empire Zoysia’s high salt tolerance and hardwearing nature, it’s perfect for coastal area conditions, including sandy or clay soil areas. It also thrives in the heat and can tolerate cold frosty conditions better than its turf counterparts.
It’s disease & pest tolerant
Diseases and pests are no match for the hardy (yet soft) Empire Zoysia variety. This is especially true for those pesky lawn grubs which can wreak havoc on other types of grass. Even better? Zoysia is great at out-competing weeds. Once well established, its dense growth makes it much harder for weeds to establish, and even when they do, Zoysia will out-grow them.
Did we mention the mowing?!
I know we mentioned this earlier, but it definitely warrants its own point; Empire Zoysia has been proven to require only one third the mowing of other varieties. Just let that sink in… Imagine only having to mow nearly 70% less often? It’s the dream!
It keeps its winter colour
What’s better than snuggling under a blanket with a hot drink and a movie during winter? Knowing that while you’re enjoying your winter solace, your lawn isn’t turning brown and dying due to the cold conditions. Not only does Zoysia recover well from foot traffic and other ailments, it can tolerate cold conditions and keeps its luscious deep green colour throughout the winter months! Honestly, is there nothing this turf can’t do?!
All in all; Zoysia is the turf of the people. If you would rather spend your weekends socialising, spending time with family or playing golf, basically anything other than weeding and mowing; then Empire Zoysia is your you!
We are the biggest (and best) supplier of Empire Zoysia turf on the Sunshine Coast. So whether you need a lot or just a little. Let the friendly, local team at Go Turf help. Call us on 1300 781 175 or send us an enquiry for a free quote. We offer delivery and installation services or you can pick up your new turf directly from our farm in Beerburrum, we make it as easy as possible for our customers.
Image Source: Empire Turf
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