Your grass needs space below ground to take in air, nutrients, and water. Your lawns’ roots need to ‘breathe’.
Ultimately, aerating your lawn and allowing it to breathe benefits you. A healthy lawn can drop the temperature of your home’s surroundings, saving energy costs. But, aerating also helps to protect your lawn against a lot of common problems due to compaction: drainage issues, bare patches, weeds, dryness, fungal disease, fairy ring …
What is aeration?
Perforation of the soil to allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate the grass roots.
Watering your lawn is one of the most important parts of caring for your lawn. Not watering enough leads to a range of different lawn problems and can ultimately lead to your lawn’s demise. On the other hand, watering too much can have adverse effects on your lawn as well.
So here are the top 6 tips we recommend in keeping your lawn well hydrated and drought tolerant, so it performs at its best.
Tip 1
Use sprinklers and soaker hoses for a more consistent spread of water to your area. Try not to hand water with a hose as this will only lead to inconsistencies in your watering. Please check out our blog for more information on different sprinkler solutions for your area here.
Tip 2
Water your lawn in the morning before the heat of the day. This will allow for the water to soak down into the soil profile so that it is available for the roots of your lawn to use, while minimising heat-related evaporation. It is best to avoid afternoon and night watering as it can become susceptible to fungal diseases.
Tip 3
Water for longer time periods, less frequently. Watering your lawn 1-2 times a week for half an hour each time is much better than watering your lawn 6 times a week for only 15 minutes. You want to train your lawn to be more drought-tolerant. Frequent short watering will only cause your lawn to become thirstier and less drought-tolerant.
Tip 4
Different lawn types require different amounts of water, so if you are looking to install a new lawn, look at each varieties drought tolerance. If you are after a drought tolerant turf type, TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda is one of the most water efficient grasses available. It is the only turfgrass in Australia to be Smart Dop Certified for its superior drought tolerance, needing upto 38% less water than other turf types.
Tip 5
Varying weather conditions will require you to change up your normal watering routine. If there are a few days in a row of substantially hot weather, you may need to add some extra watering’s into your routine. Likewise, if you have a few days of wet weather, you don’t need to water your lawn during that time.
It is also important to abide by any water restrictions in your area. By ensuring you select a drought tolerant lawn and follow these simple steps it will be a lot more manageable for your lawn to cope during these restrictions.
Tip 6
Using ColourGuard Plus on your lawn can help act as a sunscreen on your lawn! It screens out the harmful UV rays, but still allows filtered light to hit the leaf blade. ColourGuard Plus protects your lawn during even the hottest summer months.
ColourGuard Plus
Bonus Tips!
Use tank water
Capture water from the shower
Use a soil wetter like Lawn Soaker to help your soil better absorb water into the profile.
Lawn Soaker
For more lawn care tips and advice, make sure you check out our other lawn care blogs here.
Excellent late season colour retention & early spring green-up
Lawn Solutions Australia (LSA) have an extensive R&D program that includes partnerships with some of the world’s leading turf grass research facilities. Sir Grange (Zeon Zoysia) is a successful product of these turf grass breeders and has caught the worlds turf market by storm. Through this partnership, Lawn Solutions Australia has introduced Sir Grange (Zeon Zoysia) to Australia and it has instantly become a star player in the Australian turf industry.
Sir Grange (Zeon Zoysia) is a fine bladed premium turf variety, which has high shade tolerance and very low nutrient and water requirements. With a range of temperature and geographical adaptability, tolerance to varying pH levels and soil types, and a built-in mechanism to extract salts from the soil, Sir Grange (Zeon Zoysia) offers the greatest versatility and utility of any warm-season grasses available today. These characteristics, combined with it’s beautiful dark green colour, make it perfect for Australia.
Sir Grange (Zeon Zoysia) can also be mown short or kept longer making it a great option for sporting surfaces, golf courses in particular. Sir Grange (Zeon Zoysia) has been laid on renewed golf courses such as Killara Golf Club, Indooroopilly Golf Club and the newly constructed Teven Valley golf club, designed by Australian pro golfer Craig Parry.
Sir Grange (Zeon Zoysia) was originally developed for the golf industry, but it was soon discovered that due to its characteristics, it would make a fantastic home lawn. Pam and Mark from Queensland recently purchased Sir Grange from Twin View Turf for their home lawn and are absolutely in love. Check out what they had to say about their new Sir Grange (Zeon Zoysia) lawn here.
Sir Grange (Zeon Zoysia) is available exclusively from Lawn Solutions Australia members. To find your closest Sir Grange (Zeon Zoysia) supplier click here.
Hot and dry weather can really take a toll on even the healthiest lawns and cause them to become thin and patchy. This usually happens over the summer months, as the weather is hot and dry and lawn owners are generally on holidays or too busy to keep up their regular lawn maintenance schedule. It only takes a couple of days of hot, dry weather to affect your lawn.
Usually what you will see is bare patches throughout the lawn or your lawn would’ve started to thin out and change colour. What follows this, is those bare patches bake in the sun and become rock hard making it difficult for water and nutrients to get into the soil. This is commonly known as dry patch and appears regularly in lawns throughout the summer. Thankfully it is treatable and is relatively easy to fix.
First things first, it is always recommended you aerate the affected area of your lawn. Aeration can be done with a garden fork, aerator sandals or a specialised aerator depending on the size of the lawn. This is crucial as it will de-compact your soil and will help nutrients and water penetrate your lawn.
Next, apply a wetting agent to the affected area. Wetting agents come in liquid and granular forms and assist with water absorbing into your soil. This will also allow the soil to hold water in a usable manner for longer. Always remember to irrigate your lawn well after applying the wetting agent.
After this, it is time to stimulate your lawns growth to allow it to self-repair and cover back over. This is best done by applying an NPK fertiliser to the entire lawn and irrigating the lawn well afterwards. Always remember to apply all products at label rates and follow all instructions.
There are steps you can take to reduce the suffering.
Choose a drought tolerant variety.
Carry out good soil improvement practices prior to installing.
Water your lawn correctly, less frequent, deeper soakings to encourage deep roots.
If possible, give your lawn one deep soaking at the first sign of any heat and drought and then leave it until it starts to wilt, repeating the process as necessary. This will be more frequent in sandy soils.
Increase the mowing height – Slightly longer lawns shade the soil, reducing evaporation and stress.
Hot and dry weather can really take a toll on even the healthiest lawns and cause them to become thin and patchy. This usually happens over the summer months, as the weather is hot and dry and lawn owners are generally on holiday or too busy to keep up their regular lawn maintenance schedule. Regardless of the amount of rain received over the past few months, it only takes a couple of days of hot, dry weather to affect your lawn. If you keep your lawn well-manicured and cut short, it will become more susceptible to drying out quickly, so taking steps to minimise this is really important.
Usually what you will see is bare patches throughout the lawn or your lawn would’ve started to thin out and change colour. What follows this, is those bare patches bake in the sun and become rock hard making it difficult for water and nutrients to get into the soil. This is commonly known as dry patch and appears regularly in lawns throughout the summer. Thankfully it is treatable and is relatively easy to fix.
Aeration
First things first, it is always recommended you aerate the affected area of your lawn. Aeration can be done with a garden fork, aerator sandals or a specialised aerator depending on the size of the lawn. This is crucial as it will de-compact your soil and will help nutrients and water penetrate your lawn.
Wetting Agent
Next, apply a wetting agent like Lawn Soaker to the affected area. Wetting agents come in liquid and granular forms and assist with water absorbing into your soil. This will also allow the soil to hold water in a usable manner for longer. Always remember to irrigate your lawn well after applying the wetting agent.
Stimulate Recovery
After this, it is time to stimulate your lawns growth to allow it to self-repair and cover back over. This is best done by applying an NPK fertiliser to the entire lawn and irrigating the lawn well afterwards. Always remember to apply all products at label rates and follow all instructions.
There are steps you can take to reduce the suffering.
Choose a drought tolerant variety.
Carry out good soil improvement practices prior to installing.
Water your lawn correctly, less frequent, deeper soakings to encourage deep roots.
If possible, give your lawn one deep soaking at the first sign of any heat and drought and then leave it until it starts to wilt, repeating the process as necessary. This will be more frequent in sandy soils.
Increase the mowing height – slightly longer lawns shade the soil, reducing evaporation and stress.
Always check and abide by the relevant water restrictions in your area as these vary greatly around the country.
How long can your lawn survive without water? Read more here.
Dry patches in your lawn can sometimes be a sign of something else happening with the lawn or soil. Some of the most common reasons for dry patch (dead spots) to occur are:
1. Heat exposure (varied area sizes and shapes) – normally a combination of foot traffic, incorrect or insufficient watering practices, lack of water absorption (hydrophobic soil), reflective heat sources, direct heat over exposure.
If you are unsure of what the particular cause of your lawn patches are you can contact your local Lawn Solutions Australia member or contact us here at Lawn Solutions Australia.
Wetting agents are like a detergent or surfactant that attract water to the soils surface, helping it to soak in.
Hydrophobic soils repel water which can lead to serious problems in the garden and lawn.
For existing lawns that are hydrophobic, a wetting agent is needed.
What is hydrophobic soil?
Hydrophobic soils repel water and the water runs off the surface or simply pools and doesn’t absorb. It is a common problem, especially in sandy soils. However it can affect many soil types that have not received regular water or are compacted.
If there’s been a dry spell and the lawn has not been watered and you notice it looking a touch lacklustre, check to see if your soil is water repellent. You can do this by pouring some water onto a few areas. If it doesn’t soak in quickly, the soil may have developed hydrophobia.
What causes hydrophobic soil?
Hydrophobic soil is caused by the decomposition of organic matter, which leaves a wax like substance forming a coating on soil particles.
After long periods of dry weather, soils can become dehydrated and this is when the hydrophobic surface is exposed, which stops water from penetrating.
How can I fix a hydrophobic lawn?
Wetting agents are like a detergent or surfactant that reduces the surface tension of the water helping it to soak in. They come in liquid or granular form and are sometimes mixed into lawn foods and top-dressing mixes.
Lawn Soaker is a ready to use soil wetting agent specifically developed for use on lawns. It improves the penetration of water so it can reach deep down to the roots. Regular use will ensure the soil re-wets and prevents further dry spots from forming. Apply as frequently as necessary to treat water repellent soil and improve drought resistance. Lawn Soaker will help break down the wax like substance that is caused by the decomposition of organic matter, allowing water to penetrate. Soaker is also ideal to use when there are high amounts of rainfall, aiding the water to be better absorbed into the profile.
Lawn grubs are leaf eating caterpillars, the larvae of an adult moth. Lawn Grub is a collective term that describe Army Worms, Sod Web-worm and Cutworms. All of these lawn grubs cause similar issues on your otherwise healthy lawn.
The worms themselves can be green, brownish green or black in appearance and sometimes even have a striped appearance. They hatch after 5 to 7 days and that’s when the major damage to your lawn is done.
If you notice brown and straw like patches in your lawn or the leaves on your lawn’s grass runners are disappearing, then you may well have a lawn grub infestation. If the grass is loose and you can easily pull it away from the roots it’s invariably grub damage.
To get rid of lawn grubs and other lawn pests – such as beetles, slaters, mole crickets and earwigs – you need to use a broad spectrum insecticide such as Grub Guard. Grub Guard is the only product currently on the market that can be used as a preventative treatment against lawn grubs. Containing the active ingredient Esfenvelerate (a broad-spectrum insecticide toxic to most insects, but less toxic to birds, and of minimal toxicity to mammals) it’s safer to use than any other pest control product. In addition it also prevents some damage to your foliage as it can be applied when the moths appear, prior to the actual attack.
Do be warned though, eradicating lawn grubs does not mean that they will not return. If you still have healthy lush patches of lawn, you are still at risk from lawn grubs & need to keep your eye out for further attacks. To restore your lawn prior to winter, it is best to fertilise to promote new leaf growth.
