Agriculture and Nature Conservation Horticulture

Establish An Area Of Turf With Grass Sods Training

SAQA US 119690 | NQF 2 | Credits 6 | Duration 3 Days
From $967 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the practical skills and knowledge to establish a turf area using grass sods, ensuring proper preparation, laying, and aftercare for a healthy, durable lawn. It is designed for individuals working in landscaping, horticulture, or grounds maintenance who need to apply industry best practices in turf establishment.

Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate the ability to prepare the soil and site for turf laying by analyzing soil type, drainage, and grading requirements.
  • Apply correct techniques for laying grass sods, including staggering joints and ensuring firm contact with the soil.
  • Implement appropriate aftercare practices such as watering, rolling, and fertilizing to promote sod rooting and establishment.
  • Evaluate the quality of grass sods and select suitable varieties based on site conditions and intended use.
  • Identify common problems in turf establishment and apply corrective measures to ensure successful sod rooting.
  • Demonstrate safe and efficient use of tools and equipment required for turf laying and maintenance.

Target Audience

This course is intended for groundskeepers, landscapers, garden service workers, and anyone responsible for establishing or maintaining turf areas in residential, commercial, or public spaces.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Turf Establishment and Site Preparation

Objectives:
• Understand the principles of turf establishment using grass sods.
• Identify and assess site conditions for optimal sod laying.
• Prepare the soil and ensure proper drainage and grading.
• Select appropriate grass species for the local climate and use.
• Comply with relevant health, safety, and environmental regulations.

Topics:
• Overview of turf establishment methods and benefits of sods.
• Soil analysis: texture, pH, and nutrient requirements.
• Site preparation: clearing debris, grading, and drainage installation.
• Grass species selection based on climate, soil, and usage.
• Tools and equipment for site preparation.
• Safety procedures and environmental considerations.
• Basic irrigation principles for new turf.

Day 2: Sod Laying Techniques and Quality Assurance

Objectives:
• Demonstrate correct sod laying techniques to ensure root establishment.
• Manage sod handling, transportation, and storage to prevent damage.
• Apply proper installation patterns and joint alignment.
• Implement quality control measures during and after laying.
• Understand initial watering and rolling requirements.

Topics:
• Handling and storage of grass sods.
• Laying patterns: staggered joints and edge alignment.
• Techniques for slopes, curves, and irregular areas.
• Rolling and initial watering for soil contact.
• Quality checks: gaps, overlap, and uniformity.
• Troubleshooting common installation issues.
• Record keeping and documentation.

Day 3: Post-Establishment Care and Maintenance Integration

Objectives:
• Develop a post-establishment irrigation and fertilisation schedule.
• Identify and manage common pests, diseases, and weeds.
• Perform first mowing and ongoing maintenance practices.
• Evaluate turf establishment success and plan remedial actions.
• Integrate all steps into a comprehensive turf management plan.

Topics:
• Irrigation scheduling for root establishment.
• Fertilisation programmes for new turf.
• Pest, disease, and weed identification and control.
• First mowing: height, timing, and technique.
• Monitoring turf health and growth.
• Remedial actions for poor establishment.
• Developing a long-term maintenance plan.
• Final assessment and certification requirements.

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Wed 09 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $967 Register
Wed 30 Sep 2026 Fri 02 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $967 Register
Tue 20 Oct 2026 Thu 22 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $967 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Wed 09 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $967 Register
Wed 13 Jan 2027 Fri 15 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $967 Register
Tue 16 Feb 2027 Thu 18 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $967 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Wed 03 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $967 Register
Wed 10 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $967 Register
Tue 16 Mar 2027 Thu 18 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $967 Register
Mon 07 Jun 2027 Wed 09 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $967 Register
Wed 30 Jun 2027 Fri 02 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $967 Register
Tue 20 Jul 2027 Thu 22 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $967 Register
Mon 06 Sep 2027 Wed 08 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $967 Register
Wed 29 Sep 2027 Fri 01 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $967 Register
Tue 19 Oct 2027 Thu 21 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $967 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Wed 08 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $967 Register
Wed 29 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $967 Register
Tue 18 Jan 2028 Thu 20 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $967 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 531 sessions across 26 venues
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Tue 23 Jun 2026 Thu 25 Jun 2026 Nairobi, Kenya Winter 2026 $3,148 Register
Tue 23 Jun 2026 Thu 25 Jun 2026 Windhoek, Namibia Winter 2026 $2,392 Register
Wed 24 Jun 2026 Fri 26 Jun 2026 Mbabane, Eswatini Winter 2026 $2,230 Register
Mon 29 Jun 2026 Wed 01 Jul 2026 Luanda, Angola Winter 2026 $3,148 Register
Mon 29 Jun 2026 Wed 01 Jul 2026 Nairobi, Kenya Winter 2026 $3,148 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Wed 24 Jun 2026 Fri 26 Jun 2026 Your Premises Winter 2026 $1,258 Register
Tue 15 Sep 2026 Thu 17 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,258 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Wed 07 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,258 Register
Wed 28 Oct 2026 Fri 30 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,258 Register
Tue 15 Dec 2026 Thu 17 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,258 Register
Mon 18 Jan 2027 Wed 20 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,258 Register
Wed 24 Feb 2027 Fri 26 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,258 Register
Tue 09 Mar 2027 Thu 11 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,258 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Wed 17 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,258 Register
Wed 24 Mar 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,258 Register
Tue 15 Jun 2027 Thu 17 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,258 Register
Mon 05 Jul 2027 Wed 07 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,258 Register
Wed 28 Jul 2027 Fri 30 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,258 Register
Tue 14 Sep 2027 Thu 16 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,258 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Wed 06 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,258 Register
Wed 27 Oct 2027 Fri 29 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,258 Register
Tue 14 Dec 2027 Thu 16 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,258 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Wed 05 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,258 Register
Wed 26 Jan 2028 Fri 28 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,258 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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