EAST TOOWOOMBA EMPIRE ZOYSIA RENOVATION

In October 2025, 1st Class Lawn Care completed a full renovation across approximately 1,072 square metres of established Empire Zoysia at an East Toowoomba property. The lawn had previously been maintained using a ride-on mower. The customer wanted to reduce accumulated thatch, address compaction and surface unevenness, and develop a smoother lawn capable of being maintained with a cylinder mower.

Before quoting the renovation, we completed our mandatory onsite soil pH test. The lawn returned a pH result of 6.2, which was suitable for the planned renovation, so lime was not added unnecessarily. The Empire Zoysia was scalped using Victa 460 utility mowers before deep scarification began.

A Predator LS460 scarifier fitted with flails spaced approximately 10 mm apart completed three passes across the lawn. The passes were made East to West, North to South and diagonally, with the flails reaching approximately 1.5 inches below the surface. The released thatch and turf debris were raked and collected using Bushranger 800SP commercial self-propelled mowers.

Our Ryan Lawnaire 28 then completed one hollow-tine aeration pass using 19 mm coring tines at an approximate depth of 2.5 inches. Approximately seven cubic metres of premium, finely screened topdressing containing 80% sand and 20% organic material were applied across the 1,072 m² lawn. The material was distributed using drag mats and refined with levelling rakes. A soil wetting agent and our blend of immediately available and controlled-release nitrogen fertiliser were applied to support the renovated Empire Zoysia.

Preparing this 1,072 m² East Toowoomba Empire Zoysia lawn for cylinder mowing required more than changing from a ride-on mower to a cylinder mower. The existing lawn contained accumulated thatch, compaction and surface unevenness. A cylinder mower follows the contours of the lawn closely, so uneven areas can produce inconsistent cutting, scalping and an irregular finish. The renovation therefore focused on improving the turf canopy, underlying profile and surface levels before future cylinder mowing.

The lawn was first scalped using Victa 460 utility mowers. A Predator LS460 fitted with 10 mm-spaced flails then completed three deep scarification passes at approximately 1.5 inches. The first pass travelled East to West, the second North to South and the third diagonally. This multi-directional process worked through the established Empire Zoysia and accumulated material from several angles rather than repeatedly following the same channels.

After the scarification waste was raked and collected with Bushranger 800SP mowers, a Ryan Lawnaire 28 completed one aeration pass using 19 mm hollow tines at approximately 2.5 inches deep. Seven cubic metres of finely screened 80% sand and 20% organic topdressing were then applied and levelled using drag mats and levelling rakes.

 1st Class Lawn Care completed the renovation, while the property’s full-time gardener handles ongoing mowing. The project video records the later topdressing and levelling stages. 

The East Toowoomba renovation required several commercial machines because each stage addressed a different part of the 1,072 m² Empire Zoysia lawn. Victa 460 utility mowers were used to scalp the lawn and remove excess leaf growth before scarification. A Predator LS460 scarifier fitted with flails spaced approximately 10 mm apart then completed three passes at an approximate working depth of 1.5 inches.

Scarification was completed East to West, North to South and diagonally. The loosened thatch, organic material and turf debris were manually raked before collection with Bushranger 800SP 21-inch commercial self-propelled mowers. A Walker mower was not used on this project. Using rakes and the 800SP mowers allowed the team to progressively clear the large sloping lawn between renovation stages.

A Ryan Lawnaire 28 fitted with 19 mm hollow coring tines completed one aeration pass at approximately 2.5 inches deep. Hollow-tine aeration physically extracted plugs from the compacted profile rather than simply puncturing the soil with solid tines.

Approximately seven cubic metres of premium 80% sand and 20% organic topdressing were then distributed across the lawn. Drag mats moved the material through the renovated Empire Zoysia, while levelling rakes were used to refine the surface and work on areas requiring greater manual control. The project video shows these later topdressing and levelling stages.

The 1,072 m² Empire Zoysia lawn was positioned on a slope. The gradient did not prevent the commercial machinery from completing the renovation, but it made the work considerably more physically demanding for the crew. Scarification material had to be raked and collected across the sloping surface, while approximately seven cubic metres of topdressing required distribution, drag matting and detailed manual levelling.

Before the renovation was quoted, an onsite soil pH test returned a reading of 6.2. This result was suitable for the planned Empire Zoysia renovation, so lime was not added simply as a routine inclusion. The treatment plan was based on the actual test result rather than assuming every Toowoomba lawn required the same soil amendment.

The premium topdressing blend contained approximately 80% sand and 20% finely screened organic material. The sand component assisted with surface correction and the preparation of a smoother mowing surface. The organic portion formed part of the growing-medium blend applied to the renovated turf. Drag mats were used for broad distribution, with levelling rakes used to refine uneven areas manually.

A soil wetting agent was applied to support water movement through the renovated profile. Our fertiliser blend combined immediately available nitrogen with controlled-release nitrogen to support both the initial response and continued feeding of the Empire Zoysia during recovery. Ongoing mowing and maintenance after the renovation were completed by the property’s full-time gardener.