Well the best part of being a part of a family business is being able to bring your kids to work when you need to. I think from the kids point of view they may not agree. Today I have 2 sick boys with me; the eldest lying on the lounge watching TV; and the youngest on my lap as i type. They are sick of the office and sick of being sick. And the dark clouds and windy weather aren’t helping either. Usually when they are vomitty (don’t know if its a real word but we use it all the time at our house) they go and sit on the lawn outside the grass in the sun and they start to perk up.  I don’t know what happens at your house but my kids only get sick and start vomiting from 1am. So by 11am they are either really sick or much better, and I am exhausted by 1pm.

Hopefully it all goes soon and we can all sleep

Thanks

Sare

Is Grass just Grass? Well not really. I guess it like saying that all cheeses are the same. There are many different varieties that can be used for many different occasions.
The best grass for your home is not necessarily the best grass at other peoples homes. Nor what is being advertised on TV. Realistically its what you can afford to. Its all good to want Sir Walter because you see it on TV, but will it grow at your home?  And because it is a NAMED grass it will cost more. And its an investment in your home, you don’t want to spend lots of money on your lawn for it to die.

That’s why its best to talk to a Turf Farmer about what they think is the best grass for your home and budget. Shady areas need big leafed grass, high traffic areas need tough grass, sunny areas need thin leafed grasses. Its all about the best grass for the best place. And Coastal Turf can make your decision about the grass for you easier and informed.

Hope to chat soon

Sare

Had a conversation with my lovely 5 year old daughter the other day, who has started to be able to read everything, including the sides of our trucks, as to why we call the nice grass Queensland Blue Couch. I said it was because of the deep green of the grass made made it almost look blue in the sun. She then tilted her head to the side and said that was strange. I asked why and she said that all the Queensland things she saw were Red or Purple ( I think she meant maroon).

This is when I finally clicked onto what she was saying. Each year I buy the kids state of origin shirts, and when we were shopping the other day there where cheap jerseys so I bought 2 Queensland ones for our Boys and a Blue one for Holl cause she was born in NSW. So I said that I think it was “discovered” in Queensland, and it grows really well in Queensland because it doesn’t really frost there.

“Well, they should change it and make the purple grass the Queensland one and the Blue grass should be NSW…” was her indignant reply. The “Purple “grass is Soft Leaf Buffalo because after this really cold winter it has gone purple in some leaves and deep green in others. Great for winter in the shade because the red colour holds and attracts more light so it grows healthy and strong in winter. But the Blue Couch is her favorite. I think because she doesn’t get itchy from it and she knows it safe to wear no shoes on it. Also she is probably just NSW through and through.

So she drew this beautiful picture of her and her best friend on the Blue Grass…

Gotta love Kids

Chat Soon

Sare

Yep it is already happening this year. The lawn grubs have their little cocoons everywhere and they are due to hatch soon. Nasty little buggers.

Now again at my Mum’s house I found millions of the little cocoons on the eaves on Mum’s house. I was really worried about my Palmetto and Zoysia trial but then decided that these are the type of woes that everyday people who aren’t turf farmers face, so it will be a good part of the trail.

Anyway, what we did was wash the eaves down with some dish washing liquid and warm water. I don’t know what it is but it kills the sacks (probably because we squished them hehehehe) and takes away the residue that they leave behind. They don’t tend to return to that spot either. Maybe my environmentally safe dish washing liquid is really unappealing to grubs. Oh well that’s fine.

But my husband and I did notice that several little “strings” had already escaped down form the cocoons. Not good, because that means that the bugs are now in her lawn! So over the next couple of weeks watch out for stories on how we defeated the Lawn grubs in the Mum’s lawn! Haha!

Anyway here are some pictures of what they look like as cocoons so you can run around and do a quick check of your own eaves. And remember that the better the lawn, the healthier the lawn the more likely the Lawn grubs will come and eat it. its kinda like would you rather have a gorgeous brilliant 5 star meal cooked and served to you or a yucky highly un-nutritious meal? I personally am with the lawn grubs on this one, I would eat 5 star any day…

Thanks
Sare

Notice that the cocoons are concentrated to the outer eaves

the cocoons are about the size of a thumb nail

The web like string that is hanging down allows the grubs to slide down to earth and then crawl into the lawn

With all the hard economic times ahead of us and all of us feeling the pinch at the moment, Coastal Turf is going to try to help with your lawn budget. We have 9 different varieties of turf that fit your lifestyle and budget, and the team to help you match it. We have the big named grasses and we also have the unsung heroes of the turf world like the couches and carpet grasses. That means no matter what the budget we can help you get grass down.

But be careful! We have had people call and get a quote and say that they can get the same grass cheaper. And if you can match “Apples to Apples” as Barbara says then its all good. But recently we had a lovely lady call us in to help with a patch job at her house. Another turf supplier had sold her what she was assured was Palmetto Buffalo, but when Mick got there he had to break the news to her that she had in fact been sold a couch! She thought she was getting a good deal but got ripped off. So all the sprays she was putting on for Buffalos was killing all her lawn!

Mick did help this lady and now she has a wonderful lawn, But please Buyer beware! Please check our web page for what the grass looks like up close. Make sure you know what a buffalo and Zoysia and Couch leaf look like before you accept your turf order! Make sure you are getting what you pay for! If you are quoted an A grade Price, make sure you are getting an A Grade Product.

At Coastal Turf we will always deliver what you have asked for. We believe in service and quality and the best advertising is always Word Of Mouth.

Well the experiment continues…..

Ohhh are you hanging in your seats….. No not really. Thats ok to. Cause the pictures aren’t that conclusive. This month has been cold and rainy here at Mum’s back yard. So the grasses have got lots of water, but not as much sun as in previous months. And not as much traffic either. So they are pretty much left alone to grow.

The Palmetto is on the back on Empire Zoysia in front

Both are green, and soft. The Palmetto is definitely a slightly darker colour and the zoysia is softer underfoot. So I think it may come down to personal choice. We’ll just watch as the winter unfolds. Half way now…

Chat Soon

Sare

That has been a question that a lot of people have been questioning lately. And it looks a little like this…..

Both these lawns are the product of a very cute but annoying pest when it comes to lawns. And no its not the Lawn Grub but…

This is Bruce. He is lovely, but he and his friends have favorite spots to wee in the garden and it leaves a huge amount of nitrogen in the soil which the plants thrive on in small amounts. In large amounts this weeing will kill the grass. So try to get the little lovelys to wee all over the grass…

Oh and Girl dogs have a higher rate of nitrogen in their wee, so really make girl dogs wee everywhere

But they are cute and loving.

Chat Soon

Sare

Turfgrass is a positive sequester of carbon

Well you are all probably wondering where I have been this last couple of weeks. Well I have been off traveling Queensland with my family. It was lovely. We made a quick trip out to Toowoomba then out to freezing Roma, and then off the Engella National Park(where we saw real live wild Platypus! Yeah even with three loud chatting kids at 5am you can still see them), with a stay over in Mackay and their many fantastic parks. On the way home to the Tweed we stopped at Forest Lakes and really actually relaxed.

I was amazed at how much you Queenslanders love your Carpet Grass. It was everywhere and thriving. I think you all must identify with its rugged good looks, its tough exterior and hopefully not too much with its need not to be groomed very often. All the Queenslanders I meet were very well groomed. But Carpet Grass needs little looking after, doesn’t need a lot of mowing, is so tough it can stand kindergarteners running all day over it and thrive, and is always a beautiful blue green colour!

So everybody, lets get in on this Carpet Grass craze and fit your lawns out with the True Queensland Grass – Carpet Grass. I think that if the Cane Toad can be their NRL icon, then Definitely Carpet Grass should be their grass icon. Because it says it all. It’s just that you should buy it from the NSW farm.

Cheers

Chat soon

And lots cause I am so relaxed and revitalized now

Sare

PS would put some pictures of our holiday up, but its mostly of the back of my kids heads or what like because I would say stay still for a photo and then they would laugh and run away… Wait till they get older and want to know what they looked like at 3 5 or 9, all I will have is their backs.

Well isn’t it amazing how fast the year has gone. I know that I have mentioned it before but I am amazed. The kids are super exhausted and cranky at the moment and I can’t wait for Saturday when I don’t have to make the 2 eldest get out of bed and get dressed for school. Meanwhile the youngest is still up at 4.30am! AM! Who in their right mind wants to do that!

Farmers that’s who. Crazy people like my father out there making sure that the Blue Couch isn’t frosted and that all the grass looks good for when we bring it to you.

But while the kids are home, I say get them to work outside. Now is the best time of year. Not too hot, the sun doesn’t have that bite to it, and they are out doing something interesting for the day. The neighbors kids love when we bring home off cuts and they help put it down. There is lots of mud playing and stamping that they cannot get in trouble for. So why not get your kids out there to help put down some new grass. Get them to make their own football area this holidays. I remember the year Dad told Rob and I we could have a swimming pool if we dug it our selves. Well we dug about half a meter down by a meter across and then gave up and planted a tree instead. So maybe just go for a lawn bowls area. Thats nice and small and we do have the right Green Couch for that…Also for football fields too.

Dad says to say too that we will match prices for locals

Chat Soon

Sare