MIDDLE RIDGE PALMETTO BUFFALO INSTALLATION

In December 2025, 1st Class Lawn Care prepared and installed approximately 145 square metres of Palmetto Buffalo turf at a residential property in Middle Ridge, Toowoomba. The project replaced an existing couch lawn and converted unwanted garden-bed areas into a larger, more consistent lawn. Palmetto Buffalo was selected because it matched existing turf elsewhere on the property and was better suited to the shaded sections of the site.

The old couch grass was treated over approximately two months before the installation work commenced. This staged preparation allowed the unwanted grass to be controlled before the old lawn and garden areas were cultivated. An onsite soil pH test returned a reading of 6.5 in the property’s characteristic red volcanic soil.

A 9 hp rotary hoe was used to cultivate the existing soil and work through the areas previously occupied by the couch lawn and garden beds. Approximately one cubic metre of soil underlay was imported to assist with finished levels and provide the prepared surface required for laying. Rakes, screeds and levelling rakes were used to grade the 145 m² area, while levels were used to check the finished falls.

The prepared soil was rolled before turf installation. Palmetto Buffalo rolls were then laid with staggered joins, trimmed by hand around edges and rolled again after installation. A soil wetting agent was applied, and the customer was instructed to keep the turf moist for four weeks by watering morning and night for the first two weeks and each morning for the following two weeks.

Palmetto Buffalo was selected for this 145 m² Middle Ridge turf installation for two practical reasons. The property already contained established Palmetto Buffalo in other areas, so using the same turf variety created consistency across the site. The new lawn also included shaded areas where turf selection needed to account for lower sunlight rather than being based only on appearance.

The previous lawn was couch, but the project involved more than replacing one turf variety with another. Existing garden beds were removed and converted into additional lawn, changing the usable layout of the property. The soil beneath the old couch and garden areas was cultivated with a 9 hp rotary hoe so the entire new lawn area could be prepared as one surface.

The property contained red volcanic soil with a measured pH of 6.5. Approximately one cubic metre of soil underlay was introduced to assist with levels and preparation. Rakes, screeds and levelling rakes were used to establish the new surface and check the falls before laying began.

The Palmetto rolls were staggered like brickwork so joins did not form continuous lines across the new lawn. Pieces were trimmed manually around the site’s edges and converted garden-bed areas. The turf was then rolled to improve contact between the turf backing and prepared soil. Turf selection, soil preparation and installation method were therefore treated as connected parts of the project rather than separate decisions.

The Middle Ridge property contained red volcanic soil and returned an onsite soil pH reading of 6.5 before the 145 m² Palmetto Buffalo installation. The old couch lawn had been treated over approximately two months, and the project also required former garden-bed areas to be incorporated into the new lawn.

A 9 hp rotary hoe was used to cultivate the existing soil across both the former lawn and garden-bed areas. Rotary cultivation loosened and combined the prepared areas so they could be graded as a single lawn surface. Approximately one cubic metre of soil underlay was then brought into the property to assist with the required levels.

Rakes were used for broad movement and distribution of the prepared material. Screeds assisted with checking and correcting the surface, while levelling rakes were used for finer adjustments. Levels were used to check the finished falls rather than relying entirely on visual judgement. This was particularly important where old garden beds had been converted into lawn and the new surface needed to meet surrounding paths, edges and established areas.

The prepared soil was rolled before installation to create a consistent laying surface and reveal areas requiring further correction. Once preparation was complete, the Palmetto Buffalo was laid, hand-trimmed and rolled again to create contact between the turf and the prepared soil profile.

Access to the 145 m² installation area was restricted to a narrow passage beside the Middle Ridge house. Larger material-handling equipment could not reach the work area, so the turf, approximately one cubic metre of soil underlay, tools and other installation materials had to be transported through the property using wheelbarrows.

The narrow access increased the manual handling required during soil preparation and turf installation. Material had to be moved progressively into the work area rather than tipped or delivered directly beside the lawn. The restricted access did not remove any preparation stages: the existing couch and garden-bed areas were still cultivated, additional soil underlay was introduced, finished levels and falls were checked, and the prepared soil was rolled before laying.

The Palmetto Buffalo rolls were positioned with staggered joins, trimmed manually around edges and rolled after installation. A soil wetting agent was applied, but no starter fertiliser was used by 1st Class Lawn Care during this project.

The customer was instructed to keep the new turf moist for four weeks. Watering was recommended in the morning and evening during the first two weeks, followed by morning watering for the next two weeks. Our scope ended after preparation, laying, wetting-agent application and establishment instructions. We did not complete the first mow or provide ongoing maintenance at this property. The project video shows the preparation, turf-laying process, rolling and finished installation.