Turf Tips: The importance of soil under turf

Spending time on the turf underlay is vital to the health, longevity and visual presentation of your new lawn. People seem to consider top soil when boosting their lawn but thinking about under turf soil is often overlooked. We dish the dirt on why under turf soil is important and tips on how to do it right.

Tip #1: Quality really does matter

New builds are especially notorious for having new turf laid on the existing ground without under turf soil. Crusher dust, road base and other similar materials that surround new builds have no benefit to your freshly laid turf.

The right under turf soil combines free draining material such as sandy loam to allow for water to move through the material. It should have organic matter which retains water and food for your new turf. By laying turf on the recommended soil, you are giving your new grass the perfect platform to thrive as it will be the ideal material to encourage root development.

Tip #2: Getting the right depth 

It’s recommended to check the quality of your existing soil as it can create problems if it doesn’t have the essential nutrients required to keep your new lawn alive. Unless you have perfect turf that is well aerated, we suggest removing 100 – 150mm of your garden soil. For a depth of 100mm, you will need 1 cubic metre of soil for every 10m² of turf. This will allow room for specific turf soil that has nutrient enriched organics consisting of manures and composted aged vegetation.  Quality soil gives your new lawn a solid bed of organic matter that is free draining and full of nutrients. Air is another important factor with old under turf soil often compacted and lacking in oxygen. A generous layer of fresh soil under turf also gives more oxygen allowing your lawn to breathe better.

Tip #3: Create levels

Great levels are vital for a great lawn. Whether you are getting soil delivered or doing it yourself, a crucial stage of the process is creating levels to allow the water to drain rather than pool. Our turf farm uses GPS driven laser levelling to get the perfect grade. You want the grade to be enough to help drainage but not enough to create problems with maintenance tasks.

Tip #4: Smooth finishes

With the grade of your new lawn now perfect for drainage, the final step is getting a nice smooth surface for your lawn. Any lumps, bumps, divots or large footprints in your under turf soil will lead to an uneven lawn finish. Aside from not looking great, uneven under turf soil can cause problems with ongoing maintenance and mowing.

Once the soil under turf is smooth and level, you can lay the grass. We recommend using screened topsoil providing all the food and nutrients required to ensure your turf remains healthy and long-lasting.

To get more advice on under turf soil or order a new lawn and screened topsoil, call our team on (07) 3114 8281. You can also pop in and order in person at our sales office on 1/243 Bradman Street, Acacia Ridge. The office opens Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm and Saturday 7am to 12pm. For more great turf, tips keep an eye on our website and all our social media channels.
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