Where's your lawn at?

Spray Glyphosate across the whole area, then repeat at least 2 weeks later. Minimum 2 applications, ideally 3. Why: a single spray only kills what's actively growing on the day. Weed seeds in the soil keep germinating for weeks, and runners (couch, kikuyu) often regrow from deep stems. Follow-up sprays catch them. Don't move on until you've had a clean 2-week stretch with no fresh green growth.

Remove debris, rocks and dead matter. Rotary hoe or rake to break up the top 50–75mm. Level the surface with a slight slope away from buildings for drainage. Now is also the time to add soil amendments — work in gypsum to break up clay, sand to improve drainage, or organic matter / compost to lift poor soil. Mix amendments through the top 50–75mm before levelling.

Seed: cheaper, more grass-type options, ~3–6 weeks to establish. Rake lightly into the top 5mm of moist soil. Turf: instant lawn, walkable in 2–3 weeks. Lay onto freshly-watered soil and stagger joints like brickwork. Both work — depends on budget and timeline.

Once turf is down (or seed has germinated), apply a high-phosphorus granular like Proliferate at 2–3kg/100m². Phosphorus drives root development, which is exactly what new turf and seedlings need to anchor in. Apply in 2 directions for even coverage, then water in lightly. Acelepryn (grub prevention) is safe to apply on the same day — available in granular or liquid, whichever suits your setup.

Before applying, check root depth properly: use a knife, trowel or soil corer to pull a small plug from the lawn and measure how far the roots have grown down. Once they're at least 3cm deep, apply Barricade or Spartan as a pre-emergent. This stops weed seeds germinating for ~6 months. Important: never apply Barricade before roots hit 3cm — it inhibits root development and will damage a young lawn. For warm-season turf this is usually 8–12 weeks after laying; cool-season seed can take longer.