Thinking about planting a new lawn but don’t know where to start? Not all lawns are the same. Just as with other plants, you need to consider important factors like climate, soil type, water and maintenance.

Be sure to choose a lawn that’s tough enough to suit your needs.

The amount of water, sun and shade in your garden will determine which lawn is right for you. Some hardy lawns, like Emerald Kikuyu, can withstand both drought conditions and waterlogging.

Check your soil type with a pH test kit. Most lawn species grow best in well-drained soil with a pH level of 5.5–6.5. If your soil has too much sand or clay, or a pH level outside this range, you will need to improve it first by using a soil activator.

Mowing your lawn too short reduces the amount of leaf the lawn has to absorb and retain moisture and nutrients, and can expose the roots. If the lawn is cut too short you will find that the lawn dries out quicker, therefore requiring more watering, and in Winter – the lawn will be more susceptible to the cold and as a result may have a greater loss of colour. Buffalo lawns are very sensitive to being mowed too short due to their shallow root system. (Buffalo lawns prefer a leaf length of around 30mm to 40mm.)

Beetles: Beetles lay their larvae in the soil and the larvae will eat the roots of the lawn. You will see black beetles in the lawn and if you have a lot of birds picking in the lawn this may be an indication the beetles are the problem. Generally this will occur in spring. Lawn will be easy to pull out of the ground as the roots are gone, you may also notice holes in the ground. There are chemicals in your local hardware store available to spray on the entire area and you may need to do this a few times and also again the following season to help eradicate the beetles.

Dogs love digging holes, especially in loose dirt. To patch up a hole – take some runners from another section of lawn, bury 90% of the runner and keep them damp for a couple of weeks. Don’t forget to keep the dog off that section until the new lawn is established.

Brown patches in the lawn: Dog urine can kill lawn especially if they use the same spot repeatedly. Female dog urine is stronger than males. You can reduce this by putting the dog on tin food and small amounts of dry food (dry dog food is high in sulphur/protein causing the lawn to burn). Regular watering of the lawn will help to dilute the urine. If you have sub surface irrigation you will need to also water from above the ground to reduce this problem.

No brainer. Turf all the way.