When looking at landscaping their front or back garden, most people include an area of lawn as part of the landscape design. The feel of natural turf to walk on with bare feet, its realistic look, even the smell of freshly cut lawn are all reasons why many Adelaide residents love having a lawn in their garden. Thanks to horticultural advances, having the perfect lawn that's easy to look after is a reality.
Catering for our hot, dry conditions, the instant lawn Adelaide home owners can have installed these days from Hand Made Gardens is both shade and drought tolerant.
Instant turf is laid as pre-grown rolls rather than sown from seed, which means an established, walkable lawn within days rather than the weeks of bare dirt, uneven germination and weed competition that come with seeding a new lawn from scratch. It costs more upfront than a bag of seed, but for a family garden, a rental property turnaround, or anywhere that needs to look finished straight away, instant lawn is the practical choice.
Requiring far less water during our hot, dry Summer months but staying green during Winter, unlike Santa Anna popular back in the 80's, the new varieties also have fast repairing qualities, but aren't anywhere near as invasive like the Kikuyu's and Buffalo Grass from the same period.
Prior to laying by experienced lawn installers, we recommend you consider installing an automated pop up irrigation system to make sure your natural turf gets the right amount of water to keep it healthy, especially during Adelaide's Summer months.
Male Sterile Kikuyu is extremely pet tolerant and can handle high amounts of traffic, so it's perfect for children and dogs to play on all year round.
For a lower-water option, TifTuf Bermuda Couch is worth considering: it's the variety used on a recent Willunga winery job precisely because it needs around 38% less water than older couch varieties while still handling a hot, dry climate, and on that job gets mowed automatically with a Stihl iMow robotic mower rather than a weekly manual mow.
Instant lawn is only as good as the ground it's laid on. The site gets levelled and the topsoil worked over before a single roll goes down (part of the same site preparation that goes into any garden project), since turf laid straight onto compacted or uneven ground never knits together properly and shows every dip and hump within a season. New turf then needs watering daily for the first one to two weeks while the roots establish, tapering off to a normal watering schedule once it's actually taken.
Mowing height matters more than most people realise once a lawn's established. Cutting Kikuyu or Buffalo too short scalps the crown and invites weeds in, while TifTuf handles a lower cut without the same risk, part of why it suits a robotic mower running more frequently at a shorter height. A sharp mower blade matters too: a blunt blade tears the grass tip rather than cutting it cleanly, leaving a ragged, browned-looking lawn even when it's perfectly healthy underneath.
Lawn & Grass FAQ
How much does instant lawn cost in Adelaide?
As a guide, 70 square metres of instant lawn typically starts from around $5,000 (incl. GST), including preparation and laying. Every job is still quoted individually against site size, access and ground condition, so a free on-site quote gives you a real number.
How do I look after new instant lawn while it establishes?
Water daily for the first one to two weeks so the roots can knit into the soil beneath, then taper off to a normal watering schedule once it's established: usually around two to three weeks after laying, depending on the season.
Which lawn variety suits Adelaide's climate best?
Depends how the lawn's used. Male Sterile Kikuyu handles heavy foot traffic and kids and dogs well; TifTuf Bermuda Couch needs significantly less water once established, which suits drier sites or anyone wanting to cut back on watering; both handle Adelaide's hot, dry summers far better than older varieties like Buffalo or standard Kikuyu.
Can new lawn be laid over an existing lawn?
No: the old lawn and any weeds need to be killed off and removed and the ground properly prepared first. Laying turf straight over an existing lawn traps it underneath, and it grows back through the new turf.
Does instant lawn need special soil preparation?
Yes. The site is levelled and the topsoil worked over before laying, since turf laid on compacted or uneven ground won't knit together properly and shows every dip in the ground within a season.
Would you like instant lawn laid? If you know what your budget is and have an area in mind, ask us to quote on it.
Book a Site Consultation