Ready lawn is the fastest way to go from bare dirt to a usable lawn — laid in the morning, walkable within a couple of weeks, fully knitted down in about six. It's the right call for new builds, post-renovation sections, shaded areas where seed struggles, and any lawn that needs to look finished for a sale.
The turf itself is the easy part. What separates a lawn that thrives from one that dies in patches by February is what happens underneath it, and that's where most of our time on these jobs goes.
What's included
- Spraying out or removing existing grass and weeds
- Rotary hoeing and removal of rubble and construction spoil
- Screened topsoil supplied and spread to depth
- Laser-eye levelling, grading away from the house, and rolling
- Starter fertiliser applied before laying
- Fresh-cut turf laid in staggered courses with edges trimmed to shape
- First watering, plus a written establishment schedule
Preparation is the whole job
On a new build, the ground under the future lawn is usually compacted clay with builder's spoil through it. Laying turf straight onto that gives you a lawn with roots trapped in a 20mm mat, and the first dry spell kills it.
We strip and dispose of the rubble, break up the compaction, then bring in screened topsoil to give the roots something to move into. We also grade the surface so water runs away from the house and doesn't pond in the middle of the lawn — a fall of about 1 in 80 across the section is usually enough.
Choosing the right turf for the site
For most Auckland sections in full sun, a fine fescue and ryegrass blend gives a soft, dark green lawn that handles family use. In hot, exposed, coastal sites — Beachlands, Bucklands Beach, Whitford — a kikuyu-based turf handles the heat and salt wind far better and repairs itself from runners.
Shaded sites under mature trees are the hard case. Turf needs roughly four hours of direct light a day to persist; below that, no cultivar will save it, and the honest answer is often crown-lifting the trees first or converting the area to garden.
The first six weeks
New turf needs water daily for the first two weeks — enough to keep the soil beneath the turf damp, not just the leaf. After that we taper to every second day, then twice weekly, which drives roots deeper instead of keeping them at the surface.
Stay off it as much as possible for a fortnight. The first cut comes at around three weeks with a sharp blade on a high setting; if the mower is lifting the turf, it's not ready. We leave a written schedule with dates on it rather than a vague instruction to keep it moist.
Ready Lawn Installation — common questions
How much does ready lawn cost in Auckland?
Greensward NZ supplies and lays ready lawn from $30 per square metre including ground preparation, screened topsoil, levelling and the turf itself. Turf-only supply and lay onto ground that's already prepared costs less; sites needing significant excavation or spoil removal cost more.
How long until I can walk on new ready lawn?
Keep off it for the first two weeks apart from watering. Light foot traffic is fine after about two weeks, and the lawn is fully knitted into the soil at roughly six weeks. The first mow is usually around week three, on a high setting with a sharp blade.
How much do I need to water new turf?
Daily for the first fortnight, enough to keep the soil under the turf damp rather than just wetting the leaf. Then every second day for two weeks, then twice a week. Tapering the frequency is what pushes roots deeper — constant light watering keeps them shallow.
Is ready lawn better than sowing grass seed?
Ready lawn gives you an instant, weed-free, usable lawn and stops erosion immediately, which suits new builds and properties going to market. Grass seed costs roughly a third as much but takes a full season to establish and needs careful weed control. We're happy to quote both.