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Tip Store: Gardening: Lawns
Mend a Grass Catcher with Lingerie
I was mowing my lawn today and had had enough of the little holes in the catcher mesh, as all the grass sprays everywhere. So I used an old pair of pantyhose (extra large size) over the end of catcher and cut off the legs to use them to tie for the trees. No more mess. You can use the legs of the stocking for endless jobs around the house. Put soap in end of the stocking and attach it to an outdoor tape. Use as a storage bag for the kids balls. Oh the possibilities.
Contributed by Karen O'Connell, 12th April 2010
Contributed by Karen O'Connell, 12th April 2010
Go Straight to the Manufacturer
For Synthetic Grass off cuts contact Tigerturf, they are a manufacturer of synthetic surfaces and import their vast array of turf for domestic use right up to commercial sporting surfaces. They usually have off cuts from their large and landscape jobs. Contact them on 1800 802 570 or go to www.tigerturf.com.au.
Contributed by Amanda, St. Helena, 1st October 2009
Website: www.tigerturf.com.au
Contributed by Amanda, St. Helena, 1st October 2009
Website: www.tigerturf.com.au
Buy Synthetic Turf When Local Clubs Renovate
When wanting to jazz up our apartment balcony, we asked local bowling clubs if they had any 'fake grass' they could spare. We found one club who had recently converted their greens to real grass and were only to happy to let us have what ever we wanted.
Contributed by Sherryn, Baulkham Hills, 1st October 2
Contributed by Sherryn, Baulkham Hills, 1st October 2
Free Scraps Cover Small Areas
Some specialised stores and warehouses dispose of scrap artificial grass, if you can, go there and ask when is the best time to pick up scraps, sometimes its only a couple of dollars, other times its free. I did my small patio with scraps and pieced them together for free.
Contributed by Tanya, Barrack Heights, 1st October 2009
Contributed by Tanya, Barrack Heights, 1st October 2009
Ask Around For Leftovers
Try cricket clubs as at my son's cricket club they lay fake turf on the cricket pitches and sometimes they have leftovers - it is worth a try, doesn't cost anything to ask around different sporting clubs. Contributed by Tracey, Norman Park, 1st October 2009
Go Straight to the Contractor for Off-cuts
My daughter's school has recently received a government grant to put artificial turf on some of their playing surfaces. There was a huge bin in the yard that the workmen were collecting their off cuts in. Some off cuts where quite big. Recent government initiatives mean a lot of schools are getting grants for improving their grounds. You could contact your local school board to find out which schools in your area are resurfacing their playgrounds or which contractors are doing the work and then phone them directly. If the turf is already paid for the contractors are not fussed if you want some off cuts! Contributed by Elizabeth, Clarinda, 2nd October 2009
Bowling Clubs Are a Good Source of Synthetic Turf
Ring around the local bowling clubs and sports clubs as to when they are due to replace there old turfs. I recently saw Synthetic turf layer throwing out rolls and rolls at the tip. It would of made fabulous weed matting. "My car wasn't big enough!" The tip guys heard me and commandeered it themselves!
Contributed by Hilary, Telegraph Point, 2nd October 2009
Contributed by Hilary, Telegraph Point, 2nd October 2009
"Used" Turf Does an Excellent Job
If you are looking for artificial turf get in touch with mini golf places and indoor cricket places in your area. They replace theirs often and ask if you can have or purchase their old stuff. My parents did this for an indoor conservatory area. They got their turf for nothing from a indoor cricket place.
Contributed by Natasha, Mount Sheridan, 7th October 2009
Contributed by Natasha, Mount Sheridan, 7th October 2009
Off-cuts Grow into Beautiful Lawn
Approximate $ Savings: $200-300
I decided to do some major work to our back yard, pulling garden beds apart and cutting down several trees. After all this I was left with lots of dirt and not a great deal of grass. I wanted to turf, but inquiries came back with quotes of $200 to about $400. I finally found a place that was willing to sell me off-cuts, a trailer load - which I loaded myself - for $30. They were odd shapes and different sizes, but I puzzled them together and covered most of the area I needed to. For parts of the yard that were used less I put down the off-cuts but left spaces between them. Grass grows like yeast, so it didn't take long for them all to grow out and join each other and several months on we can no longer see the lines between the off-cuts and we have a beautifully grassed back yard. I'm quite happy to use other people's dregs for 10% of the full price!
Contributed by Jo, Flagstone, 8th November 2008
I decided to do some major work to our back yard, pulling garden beds apart and cutting down several trees. After all this I was left with lots of dirt and not a great deal of grass. I wanted to turf, but inquiries came back with quotes of $200 to about $400. I finally found a place that was willing to sell me off-cuts, a trailer load - which I loaded myself - for $30. They were odd shapes and different sizes, but I puzzled them together and covered most of the area I needed to. For parts of the yard that were used less I put down the off-cuts but left spaces between them. Grass grows like yeast, so it didn't take long for them all to grow out and join each other and several months on we can no longer see the lines between the off-cuts and we have a beautifully grassed back yard. I'm quite happy to use other people's dregs for 10% of the full price!
Contributed by Jo, Flagstone, 8th November 2008
Pick Up Turf Clippings and Get a New Lawn Free
A way to get cheap turf for your lawn is to check out local golf clubs and find out when they are going to scarify the fairways or greens. We collected around a dozen black bags of 'scarified' couch grass clippings, laid them out, covered in a light layer of sand with some fertilizer and within a very short time, had a great lawn - and it was free!
Contributed by Heather, Ellenbrook, 18th November 2008
Contributed by Heather, Ellenbrook, 18th November 2008
Give Bindii the Hot Water Treatment
Boil the kettle and then pour boiling water over bindii plant. over the next few days you will notice the plant wilting badly. Then get a small garden hoe and lift plant. Do not put in compost bin but in ordinary household bin.
Contributed by Sally-Anne, Coomba, 5th December 2007
Contributed by Sally-Anne, Coomba, 5th December 2007
Dig Them Out for Long Lasting Relief
The cheapest way to get rid of bindies and weeds is to get down on your hands and knees, with a screw driver, and pull the weeds out by hand, pushing the screwdriver into the roots to help lift the weeds out. We have been doing this for the past few months at home, and it is amazing how few weeds we know have in the once weed/bindii infested lawn.(It can also be very therapeutic, and the kids love to help pick up the weeds as well!).
Contributed by Karina, Ballarat, 5th December 2007
Contributed by Karina, Ballarat, 5th December 2007
Weed Poison
To kill weeds mix 1 cup salt with 2lts vinegar and paint on the weeds with an old paint brush Contributed by Roslyn, Bundaberg, November 21st 2006
Bargain Mowers
Lawn mower repair shops often have used, reconditioned mowers for sale at prices competitive with discount store chains. The shops stand behind what they sell should anything go wrong. Don t think a reconditioned mower won t last ours has been going for over 12 years and it only cost us $30! This is much less than a new one from a chain store (over $400 now). A bonus is that the mower man will service and repair your mower if it needs them. Try getting a store to do that.
Mow too Low?
Grass mown to 5cm depth in the summer takes less maintenance than grass mown shorter. You won't need to water as often, it can handle heavy traffic, such as kids playing on it, better and looks lush.