Lawn Laying Specialists in Christchurch

Instant lawn (turf) laying in New Zealand costs $15 to $30 per square metre for supply and installation. This includes site preparation, soil conditioning, turf supply, and laying. A 100-square-metre lawn costs $1,500 to $3,000. Premium turf varieties cost more. Soil preparation for difficult sites (clay, rocky, or compacted ground) may add $5 to $15 per square metre. Hydroseeding is a cheaper alternative at $3 to $8 per square metre but takes six to eight weeks to establish.

The most common lawn turf varieties in New Zealand are tall fescue (drought-tolerant, hardwearing, stays green in summer, suitable for most NZ regions), ryegrass and fescue blends (quick establishing, good colour, the traditional NZ lawn mix), kikuyu (warm-season grass, vigorous growth, excellent for warm northern areas but invasive), and couch/bermuda grass (fine-textured, warm-season, needs full sun). For Christchurch, your lawn specialist will recommend the best variety for your soil, sun exposure, and intended use.

Proper site preparation is essential for a successful lawn. The process includes removing existing vegetation and debris, rotary hoeing or cultivating the soil to 100 to 150mm depth, adding topsoil or compost if existing soil is poor, levelling the surface (a 1 to 2 percent fall away from buildings for drainage), applying a starter fertiliser, compacting lightly with a roller, and then laying the turf. Skipping preparation steps leads to an uneven lawn with poor root establishment.

New turf needs careful watering for the first four to six weeks. Water daily for the first two weeks (morning watering is best), then every two to three days for weeks three and four, then transition to deep watering two to three times per week. Do not walk on new turf for at least two weeks. First mow when the grass reaches 50 to 60mm, cutting no more than one-third of the blade length. Apply fertiliser after six weeks. Avoid herbicides for the first three months.