November 2017 - Lawn Solutions Australia

Month: November 2017

How do you get stripes in your lawn?

Posted on by Anthony

It is the dream of many Aussie-lawn-owners to have their grass looking like the ‘MCG’. The stripes and variation in colour really do stand out and look great; something many lawn-lovers aspire to achieve in their own yard.

Luckily for you, it’s not just the curators of our biggest sporting oval who can create the beautiful striped-look on a lawn; you can give it a go too. Although it looks like there’s a lot of work involved, creating that striped-appearance is relatively easy to achieve. The number-one thing you must have before you start, is a healthy, thick lawn as the stripes won’t look anywhere near as good on a patchy or discoloured lawn. Please check out our other posts on how to improve the overall health and look of your lawn if it’s struggling with its condition before looking to get those stripes appearing.

Why do stripes appear?

The reason stripes appear as they do, is as simple as the way the light reflects off the grass-blade. Blades bent towards you look dark, and blades bent the opposite way from you will appear lighter. All this means is you have to bend the grass blades opposing ways to create the stripe effect. The way to do this, is to mow your lawn in the direction you would like the stripes to face. For instance, if you want them running parallel to the curb, mow your lawn in this same pattern. Doing your first pass parallel with the curb and then turning around and mowing in the opposite direction for the next strip and visa versa.

The professional jobs you see on the likes of the MCG, Golf Courses and many other sporting grounds are done so with highly-specialised mowing equipment with inbuilt rollers that bend the grass blades when mowing.

Cylinder Mower

A cylinder mower will usually have an in-built roller and tend to be heavier machines than rotary mowers. This allows them to create stripes a lot easier than a standard rotary mower. More often than not when you see a lawn with stripes, a cylinder mower will have been used. Cylinder mowers cut the lawn very cleanly and will provide a neater finish to the grass blade. This, along with regular mowing in similar patterns will help the roller to develop more distinction to the stripes that are left behind.

The best looking grass stripes are ones that are really straight. To make your stripes stand out even more, do a few passes over the lawn (known as double cutting or triple cutting) to push the grass right down and give it a really high quality cut. Keep in mind the stripes will disappear as the grass grows, so they will only last a couple of days during the growing season.

For more information on cylinder mowers click here.

Rotary Mower

Whilst you may not get the look completely like they do with your rotary mower, you can still get a similar effect that will still look great through regular mowing in the same patterns. To really get the grass blades to bend and stay though you will need to look at using a roller to push the blades down for more definition. Rollers can be purchased or rented from your local hardware store and water-filled ones are the best as they are easy to move around when empty. Better yet, you might want to take a look at getting a striping kit for your mower like this one…

lawn striping

Lawn maintenance over summer can be simple with the right gear and grass types, so check out the Lawn Solutions Australia network of member growers and resellers and contact your local site for the best information for your location.

Should I be fertilising my lawn now?

Posted on by Anthony
  • Fertiliser balance is crucial; too little and it can starve, too much and you won’t see it at its peak either
  • If you’re keen on looking after your lawn then getting a handle on fertilising is important
  • There are a few tell-tale signs with your lawn to let you know if it needs fertilising
  • Autumn fertilising is ideal to send your lawn into winter as healthy as possible

Autumn Fertilising

Autumn is a great time to fertilise your lawn. In fact, it’s probably the most important fertiliser application for the year.

If you have a warm season turf variety like buffalo, kikuyu, zoysia or couch, as temperatures decrease over the coming months, so too will the speed at which your grass will grow. This means that if your lawn is a little unhealthy and nutrient poor, it will likely go into winter unprepared for the colder conditions. This will leave it very susceptible to winter weeds, compaction, shade related issues and frost.

When your lawn is looking a little worse for wear, is lacking in colour and looks as though it could do with a feed, Lawn fertiliser will provide your lawn with the nutrients it is lacking, helping to feed the grass roots and promote growth.

Fertiliser is not lawn food

There is a common misconception that the fertiliser itself is the food for your plant. We in the industry also commonly refer to feeding the grass or to fertiliser as lawn food. But in actual fact, grasses make their own food through the process of photosynthesis.

The issue for our lawns is there is usually a lack of the required nutrients it needs in the soil. This is due to the fact that our grasses are not originally from the exact same soil conditions we experience in our yards. As a result, we need to supplement the existing nutrient levels, so we can achieve a balance of all the nutrients your lawn needs to stay in top shape.

Lawn Fertilisers come in many varying types and blends. Just take a look down one of the aisles in some of the bigger nurseries and you can get confused as to what may be best for your lawn. Going back to basics, let’s look at your lawn being like any ordinary plant. It takes in nutrients and air through the soil and sunlight through the leaves for photosynthesis where the conversions to sugars and energy takes place. With everything in balance this happens well and the plant will thrive and what we want to do is help keep this process at its optimum. So in keeping that optimum level of nutrient input for your lawn you can look out for a few tell-tale signs when it’s lacking:

  • If you’ve got pets the green patch left from urine is an obvious giveaway. Urine containing urea is highly Nitrogen-charged and sometimes you’re left with a burnt patch and afterwards a more lush-green area appears.
  • This can also be noticeable next to pathways where nutrients – from blown in dust and particles – will wash off the path and be more concentrated next to the edges.
  • Seed-heads on the grass when it starts to go into stress, and a yellowing, thinned-out appearance, not related to the seasons is also a giveaway that your lawn needs a feed. Clover invading parts of your lawn is also a good sign that your lawn needs fertilising as it struggles to grow when nitrogen levels are at a level where your lawn is doing well.

What fertiliser should I use?

Slow release fertilisers are almost always better value for money, so if you are looking for a slow release feed for your lawn for the entire season, then granular fertilisers are the way to go.

Lawn Solutions Fertiliser is a slow release granular fertiliser which was developed for use on Sir Walter DNA Certified Soft Leaf Buffalo lawns, but it will work equally well on other lawn varieties, such as Couch, Buffalo, Kikuyu, Zoysia, Tall Fescue, Bluegrass and Ryegrass, delivering all the nutrients your grass needs to recover and grow.

All you need to do is use the right amount for the size of the lawn, spreading it out evenly and water it in really well. If you do not water it in enough, the granules can burn the leaf of your lawn, so make sure you apply enough water.

Fertilising or more so, the lack of it is one of the biggest factors behind poor-performing lawns and can be readily rectified with inexpensive, all-round fertilisers like Lawn Solutions Fertiliser available from the Lawn Store. Order a bucket and try it out to give your lawn a head start into winter and if you’re still unsure why not contact one of the Lawn Solutions Australia Turfgrowers or Lawn Solutions Centres around the country and they can help with any specific fertiliser questions about your lawn that you may have.

Lawncare doesn’t need to be difficult and simple hints from Lawn Solutions Australia and their network of member turf growers and Lawn Solutions Centres Australia-wide can help with products to keep your lawn in top condition this autumn.

How to Conquer Clover

Posted on by Anthony

Clover (Trifolium)

  • Clover is not that much of an undesirable weed and can be easily managed in most cases.
  • In some parts of the country clover is intentionally added to lawns to assist with drought.
  • Keeping your lawn’s nutrient and nitrogen levels at the right rate will reduce clover infiltration.

Clover may be a lucky charm, but you may not be so lucky to have it infest your lawn. It is a common lawn-weed and as far as weeds go on the ease-of-eradication-scale; clover is simple to control in most cases.

How to identify clover

Clover can be easily identified in your lawn by its oval shaped leaves. It will commonly grow in 3 leaflets (four if you’re lucky!) with a white circular marking across all of the leaves. Clover will have a creeping stem that touches the ground and will produce either a white or pink flower depending on the species.

Clover

Treatment

There are a number of broadleaf weed and clover specific selective weed sprays like Amgrow Bin Die and All Purpose Weed Control that will do the job relatively quickly. Amgrow Bin Die comes in a concentrate form and will need to be mixed up with water in a knapsack or pressure sprayer. All Purpose Weed Control has an easy-to-use clip-on hose attachment.

weed control

Nitrogen 

In some cases a higher nitrogen fertiliser program will more than likely prove just as effective.

Clover is one of those legume plants, like beans and lucerne or alfalfa. It will draw nitrogen from the air and stores it in its roots. As the roots die back, the nitrogen is replenished into the soil but where there is sufficient nitrogen in your soil to keep your lawn healthy, the clover struggles to survive. In most cases when you see clover growing in your lawn it means that there isn’t enough nitrogen. Lawns love nitrogen, while clover hates it, so increasing the fertiliser on your lawn is a must if you want to send a clear message of clearing your lawn. Use what they call a high NPK fertiliser, one that has high levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium – something like Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser.

lawn fertiliser

Read the label for the best advice for the rate you should apply and be sure to water-in well. Following one or more applications your lawn should look in great condition with less clover content. Keeping your lawn’s nitrogen levels in check by fertilising it will prevent clover from coming back. Some people chose to live with a smattering of clover in their lawn. Depending on your grass type, the two may co-exist without being too much of an eyesore. Mowing the clover back will help keep it under control to some degree but won’t prevent it from coming back. Clover has no issues with being mowed nice and short, but your grass doesn’t love it. Cutting your lawn short will be appreciated by the clover but will stress out your grass.

So, mowing high will give your lawn a leg-up on the clover. ‘Good luck’ with these tips on getting rid of your clover, if that’s what you choose to do! Lawn care doesn’t need to be difficult and simple hints from Lawn Solutions Australia and their network of member turf growers and Lawn Solutions Centres Australia-wide can help with products to keep your lawn in top condition this summer.

For more helpful tips and advice, check out our other lawn care blogs here.

lawn solutions newsletter

What grass types are used on golf courses?

Posted on by Anthony

Often overlooked by many, the turfgrass used by Golf Courses is so important for a number of reasons.

The condition and quality of the playing surface can be the difference between the round of your life, and a round to forget. For the player, you are looking for a good ball lie and good ball speed, so you can get the extra few metres out of your drive. For the green keeper, however, it can be a juggling-act trying to combine a top-quality playing surface with tightening budgets and lower inputs – fertiliser, pesticides and irrigation. For years now, the majority of Golf Course turf cover in Australia (Fairways, Tees and Surrounds), have been traditionally either a Couch or Kikuyu turf depending on location.

This is much the same in the US and other parts of the world, where the varieties used were generally a couch-grass or bentgrass, due to their ability to be cut short and take lots of wear and tear. Until recently, these were generally the only suitable grassing options for golf – but the game has changed! Lawn Solutions Australia is proud to announce the arrival of their new variety, Sir Grange.

sir grange

Sir Grange is a fine-leaf Zoysia Matrella that has some unique qualities that makes it a stand-out against its competitors. Fantastic drought-tolerance, high shade and wear-tolerance, combined with a very fine, deep green leaf, make it the perfect short-mown surface. Sir Grange is perfect for Golf Courses through to premium commercial applications and high-end home lawns. Sir Grange requires significantly less fertiliser to maintain quality and colour when compared with other varieties and handles shade levels unmatched by most other grass types.

Sir Grange has been laid on renewed golf courses such as Killara Golf Club and Indooroopilly Golf Club.

What separates Sir Grange from the others in the golf world is its density and leaf structure. Sir Grange is approximately twice as dense as couch and Kikuyu, meaning it has roughly twice as many plants in any given area. Further to this, Sir Grange leaf blades grow directly upwards from the surface again unlike couch grass, which grows outwards from a root or runner. These traits ensure you are getting a better ball lie on Sir Grange and better ball speed in play. A superior ball lie also means less divots as you will not be having to dig your club in to get under the ball. This leads on to a lot easier club-contact and a lot less work for the course in divot-maintenance. Sir Grange’s superior density also makes it much more difficult for weeds to invade which is perfect both for the homeowner and in the golfing world. It also looks fantastic at a variety of mowing heights. Mown short to around 15mm or half inch when we’re talking fairway and green-surrounds-height, through to the preferred height of your front lawn, or even unmown in rough situations – Sir Grange can handle mowing-maintenance at these varying levels without much in the way of scalping or bruising that can occur on other grass-types.

The superior shade tolerance of Sir Grange makes it ideal for home lawns and those shaded greens and fairways that exist on most Golf Courses; where Couch and Kikuyu tend to struggle, especially during the winter months. Low water and fertiliser requirements also result in lower inputs for the golf course and the homeowner, saving valuable time, money and environmental pressures.

The Australian home and golf market are deserving of a new turfgrass variety that is suitable for a variety of applications. A turf-type that has real economic and environmental benefits, coupled with fantastic appearance and performance, is long-overdue. Enquire today about Sir Grange at your local  Lawn Solutions Australia Member Turfgrower, and how it can improve the lawns at your location; from your front lawn, to an outstanding commercial site, right through to your Golf Course. Sir Grange – A finer choice.

Simple tips to get a great looking summer lawn

Posted on by Anthony
  • Choose the right lawn type
  • Regular deep-watering is better for your lawn than frequent shallow-watering
  • Don’t mow your lawn too low
  • Provide your lawn with the nutrients it needs
  • ColourGuard Plus

Summer is upon us and things are starting to well-and-truly heat up in some areas around the country, so it’s a great time to get your lawn areas into shape while your grass is in its peak growing period. The trouble with some parts of the country during summer are extended dry periods – whilst other more tropical areas typically experience their wet season, so any advice needs to take into account your current weather-pattern circumstances.

The key to keeping your lawn in top condition right through summer is a combination of the right lawn-type coupled with the appropriate amount of irrigation and care. Regular deep-watering to encourage a stronger and deeper root-system and an occasional nutrient-boost with a high-quality, lawn-fertiliser application will help to keep your lawn in top-shape for summer. The healthier the lawn, the less susceptible to weeds or disease it becomes and allows it to better withstand the long hot-and-dry-spells that we are currently experiencing.

Never cut more than 1/3 of the leaf blade of your lawn at any one time. If your lawn has become a little out of control and needs a more severe cut, take it down over a number of mows. This will leave plenty of green on the leaf allowing the grass to continue to photosynthesise.

Choosing the right lawn-type is one of the main factors in how it will perform over summer and a drought-tolerant, warm-season turf-type like Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo, is the perfect all-round turf-type that will handle a harsh Aussie Summer. Available from AusGAP certified Lawn Solutions Australia turf producers Australia wide, low-maintenance Sir Walter DNA Certified  Buffalo Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo is the favoured choice of landscapers, builders and home-owners alike. If changing your lawn isn’t an option and you need a quick colour-up then try out Lawn Solutions Australia’s fertiliser range to provide some quick vigour and colour to your lawn.

Lawn Solutions R&D programs have a strong focus on bringing lawn to Australian consumers that not only look great but use much less water than older varieties and once established will need little to no water to stay alive.

New turf varieties such as TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda (couch), have been selected and released to the market because of it’s superior drought tolerance.

tiftuf - Lawn Solutions Australia

ColourGuard Plus

If your lawn has lost some colour and vigour from the heat, a good option is ColourGuard Plus. It’s a natural pigment with a liquid fertiliser and it’s a great solution during drought conditions to keep your grass green and to save water at the same time.

Lawncare doesn’t need to be difficult and simple hints from Lawn Solutions Australia and their network of member turf growers and Lawn Solutions Centres Australia-wide can help with products to keep your lawn in top condition this summer.

Turf argument gets hosed down

Posted on by Anthony

 

Declaring that lawns are water guzzlers and should be ripped out and replaced with alternative surfaces has been howled-down as a ludicrous idea by Turf Producer representative groups across Australia. The argument come in response to comments made by Western Australia’s Water Minister, Dave Kelly when he said last weekend that homeowners “needed to rethink a sprawling grass yard from your back step to your back fence,” and went on to label lawns a “greedy guzzler that has no place in parched WA”. As hot weather arrived in WA last week, alongside warnings to save every drop of water, Mr Kelly told the media that a small section of lawn was OK for suburban homes, but, “anything more was not sensible”.

“The days of thinking you need a football field-sized green lawn, that’s not appropriate these days. The days of thinking a backyard should just be lawn are over,” he said. But the turf industry has hit back, saying calls to rip up lawns would make Perth brown and ugly. “The Western Australian Government’s advocacy for home owners to pull up natural turf lawns is a bad idea that will have devastating effects on our urban areas,” according to a statement made by peak industry body, Turf Australia. “The huge number and wide-ranging benefits natural turf offers urban areas overwhelmingly-outweighs any removal of lawns from backyards,” they insist. Supporting these claims, others were quick to come to the defence of the humble Aussie backyard, including the Western Australian Turf Growers Association (Turf WA). “Removing lawns is a kneejerk reaction that will not fix this problem – turf has far too many long-term benefits to the entire urban community,” Turf WA’s representative Eva Ricci said in response. “Water Corp has done a wonderful job in killing off pride in gardens. People are so phobic about wasting water. People need to get back outside and start to feel nature again,” she said. “Lawn areas cool everything around it – it is one of the greatest defences in the urban heat island issue cities are faced with … lawns are cooler in the peak of summer by between 10 and 40 degrees compared to other surfaces like concrete and bare ground.

“There are huge benefits to having turf, which is a natural product, in urban areas – it absorbs carbon, absorbs noise, absorbs heat, absorbs dust. It produces oxygen and improves water quality … you are potentially losing all these benefits when removing lawn,” she went on to say. Echoing these sentiments, Technical Manager with Lawn Solutions Australia, the country’s largest group of turf producers, Joe Rogers has also weighed into the fray, describing how advances in turf technologies can offer a better alternative to ripping-out lawns. “We’ve done a tremendous amount of research and development work over recent years into new turf varieties and other turf technologies that offer huge practical advantages when it comes to water-savings,” Rogers explains. “Just with the new varieties alone, we’re looking at a couple of new types Sir Grange Zoysia and TifTuf Bermuda, that we’re currently releasing around the country that offer massive savings; up to 40 percent less water usage compared to other traditional turf-types. “And that’s just a part of the picture when it comes to new efficiencies,” he continues. “On top of the water-saving attributes of these new grasses, our research has shown they also take far less inputs of fertiliser and other maintenance requirements than other turf-types to keep them healthy and perform extremely well in most areas around the country – and in particular dry and demanding areas like Perth. “Sir Grange Zoysia and TifTuf Bermuda are two of our new-release grasses that we stand by with our exclusive ten-year warranty and in the situations described, their use would do far more for our recreational and urban environments than a short-sited view to lessening our green-space-cover.” According to Rogers, other water-saving technologies have been employed in drought-ravaged areas around the world that include greater use of grey-water, storm-water and recycled water for amenity horticulture use, as well as lawn-colourants and soil conditioners that offer significant savings. “Lawn Solutions Australia is working with researchers around the world to come up with the best solutions when it comes to such issues surrounding our modern-day lawns. “Our ColourGuard lawn pigment, and our soil conditioning Lawn Launcher products are just a couple of examples that provide long-term, real-world fixes when it comes to reducing water consumption or living with low-watering conditions, “When it comes to the choice of either ripping out lawns or looking at some of these other newer-tech type solutions, I know which way they should be headed first,” he goes on to say.

A war on our turf

Posted on by Anthony

Lawn Solutions Australia’s (LSA) new turf-type, the Internationally acclaimed Bermuda grass, TifTuf; will be making its debut alongside some other internationally recognisable Aussie names in just over a few weeks’ time. One of the world’s greatest sporting contests returns to Australia for the first time in four years, with The Ashes opener being played at Brisbane’s Gabba in Queensland coming-up in late November.

The first Test kicks off at the Gabba from November 23-27 in this highly anticipated series between Australia and England. The second Test runs from December 2-6 at Adelaide Oval and the WACA Ground, for the last time, will host the third Test from December 14-18. The fourth game in the series takes place from Boxing Day, December 26 at the MCG and the final test will be hosted by the SCG from January 4, in the New Year. LSA has been a behind-the-scenes participant in the forthcoming Gabba event, since repairs took place at the hallowed pitch following what was reported as a fair amount of damage to the wicket square during the Adele concert earlier in the year. Trials that have been taking place with a number of grass types at the ground have led to TifTuf being noticed for its stand-out recovery properties. Being a multi-purpose venue with AFL now played regularly at the ground, the need for a vigorous growing and wear-resistant turf-type has quickly seen LSA’s TifTuf Bermuda being favoured by curators.

There has been huge debate over recent months about the state of the pitch and even talk of the need for a drop-in-wicket similar to South Australia, but so far hopes are pinned on the durability and other characteristics of this new turf type to carry it through. Many of Lawn Solutions Australia premium Turfgrowers have developed long-lasting relationships with the sports turf industry and trialling this new turf at venues like this has been taking place around Australia and internationally, to properly ascertain the turf’s ongoing performance. This exciting new TifTuf  is destined not only to grace such hallowed sites like the Gabba, but will soon feature on many other commercial and home lawn fixtures around the country. Lawncare doesn’t need to be difficult and simple hints from Lawn Solutions Australia and their network of member turf growers and Lawn Solutions Centres Australia-wide can help with products to keep your lawn in top condition this summer.

Sharp blades for a finer finish

Posted on by Anthony
  • Dull blades rip at the grass leaf and can leave it bruised and rough-ended taking away from its finish.
  • Sharpening your mower blades can decrease fuel consumption by up to 25 percent.
  • Rule-of-thumb is that mower blades should be sharpened around every 25 hours of use.
sharpen mower blades
Rough and torn grass leaf ends are a sure-sign that there’s more than likely a blunt mower-blade in use.

As the weather warms up and we get more into the growing season for our lawns, the maintenance usually increases as well. This can vary from around one-mow every couple of weeks in cooler times to as much as a couple of mows per week over spring and summer; depending on your lawn type and where you’re located. A good rule of thumb when mowing is the one-third-rule where it’s advised to remove no more than 1/3 of the grass blade height with each cut. Cutting more than 1/3 of the blade off can stress the plant by reducing photosynthesis and subsequent root growth that is essential for usually dry summer months.

The trouble is that with this type of approach it can mean more mowing, but usually kinder on the operator as well as the lawn, by not scalping or cutting into the lawn thatch or matt too aggressively. If you’ve got everything going fairly well with your lawn; water, fertiliser and no underlying soil or compaction issues your lawn should be approaching its peak condition around now, especially before it gets too hot. If you take a closer look at your leaf edges or even your mower blades you may notice that both may be a bit rough as it can be easy to neglect this part of the maintenance schedule. Mower blade sharpening is an important aspect of your lawn maintenance and can be easily attended to by those who are handy with a grinder, or else a quick trip to the mower shop can get it sorted.

Just how often you should sharpen your blades comes down a little bit to personal preference, but for most parts it helps with more than just the leaf-cut and finished appearance of your freshly-mown lawn. Oversees research reports suggest that there are savings to be had with fuel efficiency, in the order of 25 percent with sharp blades; the time spent mowing is also decreased with less resistance and; sharp blades have also been shown to decrease the risk of disease incidence in most circumstances. How often you should sharpen your blade can be an item of contention in the lawn-maintenance sector, however a number of surveys have indicated that the professionals sharpen their blades around once every 25 hours of use. That could easily equate to once-per-week if you’re mowing lawns day-in-day-out, but for the average lawn-mowing-punter, that could mean sharpening your blades just once or maybe twice per year for a larger lawn. So, no matter what type of lawnmower you own, it’s important you keep the blades sharp. Otherwise, you risk tearing or smashing your lawn-leaf instead of slicing it cleanly and healthfully down to size. A sharp blade also keeps your mower running more-smoothly and safely. And keep safety in mind if you’re going to attempt to sharpen your own blades by immobilising the mower and preventing it from starting whist your working on it by loosening a spark-plug cable or similar and taking the appropriate precautions when it comes to taking out the grinder.

Lawncare doesn’t need to be difficult and simple hints from Lawn Solutions Australia and their network of member turf growers and Lawn Solutions Centres Australia-wide can help with products to keep your lawn in top condition this spring and summer.

Is there any truth to the ‘only-one-third’ rule?

Posted on by Anthony

Many lawn maintenance professionals say to only cut one-third of your leaf-height when mowing. Sharp mower blades are important with mowing, but the amount you take off can affect its recovery. That fresh lawn smell – soothing as it may be for us humans – is actually a distress signal for grass as it goes into repair mode.

lawn mowing
Known widely as the One Third Rule, lawn grasses should only be brought down each mowing – as the name suggests – by one third of the leaf height at any one time, in order to maintain peak condition.

The ‘One-Third-Rule’ has been drummed into many turfgrass professionals and the wider lawn-loving public over many years, but is there any substance to this reckoning and where did it originate? It relates to the length of leaf that you should limit yourself to taking off at each mow with the reasoning behind it to lessen the stresses on the grass during the destructive mowing process. By removing only one-third of the leaf during a mowing event, you will limit the amount of photosynthesizing material removed and allow the plant to maintain reasonable growth by minimising this stress among others. It is also based on the correlation between the percentage of top-growth removed and the subsequent effect this removal has on root-growth.

It is little-known that root-growth can be severely impeded, and actually cease for a period of time, depending on the amount of top-growth removed. Research that first introduced this theory was carried out by Franklin Crider in 1955 whilst he was an employee with the US Department of Agriculture that he undertook on pasture and forage-grasses. Three separate studies were conducted within his experiment whereby the amount and frequency of cutting of the grass leaves (forage removal) were compared to root-growth. His first experiment evaluated cutting leaf tissue at different intervals on cool-season turf species and Florida paspalum and bermudagrass among his warm-season grass experiments. The second experiment examined the effects of cutting on root-growth in the field and the last experiment examined different percentages of top-growth removed on different grasses for multiple cuttings.

Crider showed that when more than half of the forage is removed from a plant, root growth stops within the first day or two afterward and stays stopped anywhere for a further six to 18 days, with an average of 11 days, depending on the grass-type. For real-world lawn maintenance, this means that if you were to cut more than half of the top-growth of your lawn grass, at an interval of less than 11 days, the roots would never fully recover leading to greater stresses and eventual decline. Crider also showed in his experiments the effect that a single removal of top growth, in 10-percent increments, has on root growth. When 40-percent or less of the forage is removed, 0-percent of the roots stop growing. However, when 50-percent-or-more of the forage is removed, an increasing percentage of the roots stop growing; and when 90 percent of the forage is removed, 100 percent of the roots stop growing. In other words, leaving more than a third of the leaf at any time the grass is mown during the growing season allows the roots to continue to grow. If the roots keep growing, the plant will remain healthy and perform better than under the stresses placed on it by harder mowing and slower root-growth. Although Crider’s experiments were not examined in turfgrass settings, the results are still referred to by today’s turf managers and cited in textbooks on the subject.

There are many parts of grass-physiology that extend to a majority of species, whether they be forage, pasture, or home and sports-field grasses. His research ultimately proved what was theorised; in that cutting too much leaf tissue off results in the stoppage of root-growth and placing unnecessary burden on the turf. The One-Third Rule has been around for decades and is known to minimise plant stress and should be adhered to wherever practical for your own lawn’s best performance. Consistent mowing height and frequency will always put your lawn in a better position to perform well and overcome the various other stresses that inevitably occur with weather and wear and tear. Lawn care doesn’t need to be difficult and simple hints from Lawn Solutions Australia and their network of member turf growers and Lawn Solutions Centres Australia-wide can help with products to keep your lawn in top condition this summer.