To prepare the area for your Santa Ana Couch lawn you need to have a smooth base free of any grass matter or debris. It is important to have a well worked friable base on which to install your turf. This can be achieved by rotary hoeing if the existing soil is suitable or by the addition of topsoil if there is little or no useable soil. A depth of 100mm or more of suitable topsoil is required. Rake the entire area to ensure there is a smooth even surface, allowing about 20mm below paths and driveways for the thickness of the turf.

Apply the supplied started fertiliser or Laucher Pack and start laying the turf along a straight edge, such as a driveway or footpath, furthest from the stack of turf. Therefore it won't be necessary to walk over any freshly laid lawn. The QWELTS should be laid in a brickwork pattern, ensuring all edges are butted and pushed together but not overlapping. The turf can be trimmed with a sharp knife to conform with paths and garden edges, etc.

For the best result it is recommedned (however this is not absolutely necessary for couch) that once you lay your Santa Ana Couch that you top dress it with white washed sand at approximately one quarter of a cubic metre per 100 square metres, concerntrating on the joins to help stop the edges from drying out. You may also roll your turf after top dressing to achieve maximum soil contact.

It is essential that watering of your Santa Ana Couch lawn commence immediately upon installation. A thorough soaking of the turf is required. For larger installations, watering should commence as sections are completed. It is vital that the turf is kept moist until root growth is established. This can be checked by lifting a small corner of a QWELT, to ensure that water has thoroughly soaked the turf and sub soil. Once root growth has commenced, watering can begin to be spaced.

Generally Santa Ana Couch only needs to be fertilised in September, December, March & again in April. A maintenance feed during the Summer will keep it strong and healthy.  For a premium result use Sir Walter Fertiliser every 8 weeks (except winter). Fertiliser requirements vary depending upon the nutrient levels of your soil.

Lilydale Instant Lawn offer a 10kg bucket of Sir Walter Fertiliser for $50.00. The 10kg bucket will fertilise approximately 400 square metres of turf. You are welcome to purchase the Sir Walter Fertiliser from our Yarra Glen farm or from our online store to have it delivered directly to your door (additional  charges will apply).

The first mow of your Santa Ana Couch lawn can be undertaken as required. We recommend you take one third of the leaf blade off with every mow. During the warmer times mowing may be necessary every week, however this will vary depending on how much you water, fertilise, and the weather conditions. Santa Ana Couch can be mown between 18 - 25mm in the warmer months, but the lower you mow your lawn the more often you will need to mow as you need consistency when mowing low. During cooler months Santa Ana Couch requires little or no mowing, we recommend to raise the mowing height to 25 - 30mm.