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What material to backfill the old garden bed and levelling yard for new turf

Hi, I'm doing makeover my backyard, it had some grass area in the yard which is higher than my garden bed. My plan is to get rid of old grass and garden bed, leveling up and put new turf (Buffalo).

Lots of digging are nearly done. My next step is to work out what material should I use to backfill old garden bed areas to level up with old grass area. I've been considering road base to level, then 100mm lawn mix underlay on top, then the turf. I went to nearby nursery and they suggest using soil fill for backfill the old garden bed instead of road base. And if I use Soil fill material, do I need to compact the ground using compactor?

I hope someone can help. Really appreciate it.

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Comments

EricL

Hi @thedoableguy

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about what material to use to backfill an old garden bed for new turf.

I suggest using soil fill and running the compactor over it. The reasoning behind it is if you were to place the soil in as is, it would naturally self compact at a much slower rate. By then, it'll be too late to fix the problem as one side will be lower than the other. By compacting it at the onset, you'll have the correct level of soil even after heavy rains. Please be mindful of the slope of your garden. Your objective is to make sure that the soil is sloped away from the house so that water flows away and does not pool in the middle.

Once the soil is level with the other side I suggest using Saxon Lawn Aerator Spiked Roller. Please make sure to use this on your entire garden and not just the compacted soil. This will allow water and nutrients to be absorbed, encouraging deeper root growth for your turf. If the soil is compacted too much the turf roots will not be able to penetrate the soil and they will die off. It sounds like a fantastic upgrade for your garden. Any updates you can provide while laying your turf would be much appreciated.

My number one tip for your project is to make sure that the area is prepared to receive the new turf as soon as it arrives. In this manner, the turf will encounter minimal stress and you will have faster turf growth.

Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How to lay turf

Here is a link for ideas and inspiration: Top 10 most popular garden makeovers

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

thedoableguy

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/16698#Comment_16698

Hi @EricL thanks so much for your suggestions! Very good point on the slope!

Can I ask another question, it's more for my knowledge. From what I learned from the nursery that soil filll is used for backfill only, and they suggest once levelled, having another at least 100mm of lawn mix on top for new turf, so I wonder what's the difference between soil fill and lawn mix?

Thank you

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/70939#Comment_70939

Hi @thedoableguy

The main difference between the two is that lawn mix has additives in it. Let's take a quick look at the steps you need to take. If you're filling in a gap of 150mm for example, what are some of the things that you need to take into account? First is the thickness of the turf, the average thickness of turf is 40mm. You'll need to take that measurement off the gap. You're now left with 110mm. If you were to fill 100mm of the gap with garden soil that will leave you with a space of 10mm for the lawn mix.

Have a look at the - How to lay turf guide. You'll get a better idea of how much lawn mix you'll need to put in.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your new turf laid out.

Here is a handy link: How to maintain a healthy lawn with Yates

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

KostaT

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/98670#Comment_98670

Sorry to butt into this feed. I'm doing something similar and need to fill in the bottom of a slope at a retaining wall. Where can soil fill be purchased? I couldn't see it on the bunnings site, unless I didn't search the correct key words.

Thanks.

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/117317#Comment_117317

Hello @KostaT

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's fabulous to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about soil for back-filling your garden.

If you are ordering more than 1 cubic meter of soil, I recommend going to your store's special orders desk and speaking to a helpful team member on how to order the soil. The majority of the soil available at the store is generally in 25-litre bags. I suggest having a look at the Mother Earth 1m3 Garden Soil. If you are using it as a filler, it should be sufficient, however, if you are planning on putting in turf or plants, you must take into consideration the type of soil that will need to go on top.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

KostaT

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/126833#Comment_126833

Absolute legend 👍

Thanks for the advice!

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/133175#Comment_133175

Please keep us updated on your project @KostaT and reach out if you need further assistance; we're here to help.

Mitchell

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