In recent months conditions have been a bit all over the place in many areas. This has led to some unusual reoccurences of seed heads, so let’s take a look at why this might be happening on your lawn and what you can do about it…
What are seed heads?
Most common lawn types in Australia produce a sterile seed head, meaning they can’t be spread by seed, only through sprigs or runners. Although going to seed in most cases isn’t a bad thing for your lawn, it doesn’t look great or feel soft underfoot.
The seed head cycle can vary greatly due to climate and stage of growthbut are a natural part of the seasonal cycle. As a rule of thumb, the cycle will last for between 4 and 6 weeks.
Why has my lawn gone to seed?
Normally when a turf variety goes to seed, it’s due to one of the following two main reasons:
It’s under stress from something, usually a lack of water, nutrient, or a change in weather. If you have seed head, aerate, fertilise and water the lawn deeply if you haven’t done so in the past 6-8 weeks.
It’s occurring naturally, coinciding with seasonal change – in most varieties occurring just once or twice a year at a specific time of year.
In these situations, if your lawn has been fertilised recently and has sufficient moisture in the soil, the seed heads should stop appearing on their own within 4-6 weeks.
If there has been a dramatic weather change, it will stop seeding once conditions have gone back to normal or once the plant has adjusted.
But some of you may have found that this hasn’t been the case recently. This is likely because of the inconsistent temperatures and weather conditions. You have probably found recently one day you are wearing shorts, the next jeans, the next its raining all day – or all of these in the same day!
Your grass finds this inconsistent weather very stressful and it can’t quite relax and settle into normal growth. This presents itself in seedhead production, a sign of this stress.
So what can you do about it?
Regular Mowing – Continuing to mow the seed heads away will ensure that less energy is given by the plant to seed head production and more is given to healthy leaf growth.
Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) Application – Plant Growth Regulators like Primo Maxx limit vertical growth and they can also help to reduce the amount of seedhead that your grass produces. Regular mowing, twice weekly, and the use of PGR at full rates will minimise the seed head from flowering.
Check Soil Salinity -High salinity can put grass under stress and seedhead can appear. An application of gypsum or calcium may be required to reduce turf stress helping to stop seed head production.
Stop stressing! – If you have tried everything recommended so far, but these pesky seed heads are still appearing, stop stressing, you have done everything you can to ensure your grass is healthy – it will be just fine.
Sometimes the environment cannot be wrangled and you simply have to ride it out and let it do it’s own thing. These strange seasonal conditions will settle in due course and the seed heads will cease as well.
Since 2013 Lawn Solutions Australia (LSA) has operated the largest turfgrass Research and Development facility in Australia. This facility, located in Berry NSW, is in place to ensure Lawn Solutions Australia remains as the benchmark for new and improved turfgrass varieties. It is often unknown what a facility like this looks like, and what it actually does to better the turf industry. I will take you through what is involved and what it has taken to develop this facility that has housed hundreds of different turf varieties.
LSA’s part in turfgrass research and development
Developing or breeding new turfgrass types is a very extensive and expensive process. There was no turfgrass breeding institution in Australia of any magnitude, so LSA took it upon itself to form relationships with leading institutions in other parts of the world. Over the past decade, LSA has formed strong relationships with the University of Georgia who have bred world-renowned couch grasses like TifTuf, TifSport, TifEagle, Tifway 419, and TifGrand. LSA has also formed a relationship with the largest private turf grass breeder in the world ‘Blade Runner Farms,’ who’s focus is predominantly on Zoysia Grass.
By forming these relationships, LSA has direct access to the leading new and improved turf cultivars as they become available. These relationships are of critical importance and are the backbone behind our R&D program here. To begin the evaluation of turfgrasses, the LSA research team head over to visit these institutions to observe their programs and material. From there a brief will be formed to let them know what type of turf grasses we are looking for and the traits they must have. This will generally include the texture, colour, desirable traits including shade, drought and wear tolerance and also the speed of growth. This brief will then give these institutions an accurate idea of what species from the program we are looking to import into Australia. Once a selection of cultivars has been picked by the breeders, the importation and quarantine process begins.
Getting new turf grasses into Australia
The importation process for turf grasses is long, complex, and quite expensive. To get a turf grass into Australia all the importation paperwork must be lodged with the Department of Agriculture. Once approved, a small sample of each cultivar is shipped over and placed in a Government run quarantine facility. It is here that these grasses are potted and go through the rigours of quarantine testing. These tests ensure no foreign pests or diseases are present on the plant material. Once complete, they are placed in a propagation facility. This is to ensure they grow to a suitable size where they can be nurtured back to health. This process takes between 6 and 12 months generally, and at the end of the process, LSA can collect the 8-inch pots of the new varieties.
Propagation
At this stage of the R&D cycle, the process gets even trickier. From the 8-inch pots received out of quarantine, you then have to ensure its survival (sometimes there can be 60 of them!). Then the team can begin to propagate them so there is enough stock to plant an area out and analyse its performance. Once planted out, they can then be monitored and scored for its grow-in speed, turf colour, turf quality, and seed head production for example.
There is US data on these traits, but since our climate differs so greatly, it’s important that local reporting and data is collected across multiple testing locations across Australia. Once grown, these different varieties can be analysed even further and begin to conduct herbicide tolerance trials and harvesting trials. The tricky thing about this process if you can have a grass that looks and grows great, but if it doesn’t tolerate herbicides or doesn’t harvest well, then it is back to square one.
This process helps us to reduce our selection number down to just a handful of the best grasses from each import. This entire process takes many years and leads us to fantastic new turf grass varieties like TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda and Sir Grange Zoysia.
Turfgrass research and development facilities
Further to the above, the day to day happenings at the Lawn Solutions Australia R&D facility is varied. There are a number of dedicated staff maintaining this facility and conducting research on various grasses. This facility is also replicated in other areas of Australia including the Hunter Valley, Victoria, Brisbane, and Cairns to ensure turfgrasses that are released work in all climates.
Turf grasses within the facility are maintained differently as per their requirements. Zoysia’s for example are fertilised less and mown less to couches and buffalos. Some zoysia grasses, due to their slow growth nature are left unmown. Other zoysias that are bred for golf greens are maintained at heights of 4mm and have much higher maintenance requirements. There are also hot houses dedicated to the advanced propagation of material when required. These hot houses contain originals of every cultivar we have had under trial, so there is always plant material to refer back to if and when issues arise with purity.
The R&D Facility is also used to conduct fertiliser trials on different varieties of turf. This is to see what product at what rate will provide the best results to that particular cultivar, so the nutrient requirements for the particular variety of grass can be understood.
LSA and the Sports Turf Research Institute
LSA also work closely with the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) who are a world-leading turfgrass research company whose Australian HQ is located in South East Queensland. STRI enter into extensive trial work on LSA products, often taking 2-3 years to complete. For example, they are currently working on a TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda vs Kikuyu trial to see how they each compare to each other under drought, shade and wear stress. They have previously completed a 2-year trial on all available couch grasses, measuring shade and drought tolerance and recovery from wear and tear.
The data that can be extracted from these trials ensure Lawn Solutions Australia members are on the cutting edge when it comes to turfgrass technologies. The relationships LSA has with world class turf breeders provides first access to the latest and greatest turfgrass varieties on the market. The work conducted with facilities such as STRI ensure the varieties selected will excel in all Australian environments.
Many homeowners ask the question, “What’s wrong with my grass?” 9 times out of 10 the people you ask for help, whether it be your friend, your local nursery, the guy mowing the house next door, or the hardware store, they will ask you, “how much water do you give your grass” or “do you fertilise enough?”
Even though these are good questions to ask, my question to you is, “What is your soil type and how was it prepared?” Your soil type and preparation will determine if you’re watering too much or not enough. Just as the foundation of a house is important to make sure it won’t fall down, a healthy soil foundation of your lawn and gardens is important to ensure it can flourish. The poorer the foundation, the poorer the performance of your lawns and gardens will be.
Too much water can harm your grass, as will providing not enough water. So, knowing your soil is imperative in ensuring you are able to provide the right amount.
Soil Type
If you live in a coastal area, there is a high chance you will have a sandy soil profile and the water will flow through the sandy profile easily, leading it to dry out quickly. Which means you will have to water your lawn more often. There is a lot of space and air between sand particles, so the soil won’t hold a lot of water and will move quickly through your profile. This soil type has a ‘low water holding capacity.’
If you live out in the suburbs away from the coast, the majority of soil types are what we call a heavier soil (loam, clay loam or clay) which has less space and air between the soil particles. The higher the clay content, the smaller space and air between the soil particles become. This means that more water will stay within the soil, reducing the downward movement of water. These soil types have a ‘high water holding capacity’ which can lead to them being easily overwatered.
Heavier clay soils are very tight, sticky, and bind together making compaction a common problem. Compaction can result from high foot traffic from kids running around kicking a ball, dogs using the same spots to run on turf areas, for example. This compaction reduces water’s ability to move deeper into the soil profile.
Healthy Soil Foundation is key.
Why? Because this is where the roots of your grass grow. The amount of water the roots can access from the soil, will ultimately determine how strong the roots can become. When you have healthy soil, your grass has a higher chance of being healthier too. If your soil dries out too quickly your roots can suffer and die, if you over water, your roots can be drowned. If you can’t get water into the soil due to compaction, your roots will starve of hydration. These issues below ground are what causes an unhealthy and weak lawn aboveground. Just as what happens below your house can be seen above ground, in things like cracking and moving walls.
So, what is your soil type? How was your soil prepared? Was new soil added and blended with existing soil and how much depth of new soil do you have? Does your grass need better drainage? The answers to these questions will determine root health and the long-term health of your grass.
Check out our blog here for some more tips on the right soil foundation or for top dressing your lawn.
Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo lawns have played an important role in over 750,000 Aussie backyards. The household name has stood the test of time, continuing to be one of the best choices for Australian homes. Sir Walter has thrived in the Australian climate with its drought tolerance, low maintenance, soft touch, and high wear.
But where did Sir Walter come from?
Brent Redman is a second-generation turf farmer from the Hunter Valley, NSW, and is the owner of Buchanan Turf Supplies. Mr Redman began turf cutting in the late 70’s. By the mid-80’s he had purchased 20 acres in the rich river flats of Maitland.
Mr Redman mainly grew kikuyu and couch, with only a small portion of the farm dedicated to growing buffalo varieties. At the time buffalo was just buffalo and Mr Redman ended up growing 5 different varieties within a 2-acre plot.
Although most of these buffalo grasses struggled with limited knowledge on how to care for them, some survived.
Trialing of the new turf variety
Mr Redman was often in contact with other turf suppliers and had heard some of their struggles with their buffalo varieties. Mr Redman realised he was not facing these troubles with one of the buffalo varieties he had growing on his farm and offered some samples to trial for their farms.
Upon these samples growing, one of Mr Redman’s contacts Charlie Courtney coined the phrase ‘soft leaf buffalo’. Other buffalo grasses were found to be coarse, scratchy, and crunchy, a soft leaf blade was a welcomed discovery.
This new variety of grass started to gain popularity with its soft texture leading to more trials on more farms. On one of these farms, John Tebitt’s Peninsular Turf, they planted a trial underneath a Morton Bay Fig. During this time a TV crew was filming on the farm. Mr Tebbit showed the presenter and crew Mr Redman’s turf sample for them to look at. They suggested the name ‘Shademaster’ as the grass grew extremely well in the shade of the fig tree.
As Shademaster continued to grow on Mr Redman’s farm, a small area was found to be growing which had maintained a greener winter colour, a healthier root system and it was taking over the existing Shademaster.
Mr Redman noticed the potential of this new variety and began propagating the grass to protect the purity and integrity of the variety. After the propagated grass matured, the grass was shown to some of Mr Redman’s turf associates who saw a big potential in the new grass which would soon become known as Sir Walter.
Where did the Sir Walter name come from?
Sir Walter was named to reflect the qualities that the grass possesses. Initially the acronym ‘WALT’ was created, standing for ‘Winter Active, Low Thatch’. It was also decided to add a reference to the significant environmental benefits of the grass, with the addition of the ER for ‘Environmentally Responsible’.
A grass this good needed to be anointed, with a symbolic ‘knighting’ and the Sir prefix added to honour the exceptional qualities of the grass.
S I R
W inter
A ctive
L ow
T hatch
E nvironmentally
R esponsible
The rest is history as they say, with Sir Walter being expanded and produced right across Australia. Sir Walter today is an ‘Iconically Aussie’ brand and is undoubtedly the most successful commercial turf variety in Australian history. As a result of this success deception and substitution by competitors has occurred. Many varieties over the years have claimed to be ‘just like’, ‘same as’ or ‘bred from’.
How do I know the Sir Walter I am buying is genuine?
With the need to protect the Sir Walter brand and to provide an assurance to consumers that the Sir Walter they were purchasing was genuine, Lawn Solutions Australia (LSA) was formed. LSA is a national group of Australia’s best turf producers, who are the only producers of what is now known as Sir Walter DNA Certified. This extension of the Sir Walter name was developed to provide the assurance to consumers that the Sir Walter they are buying is DNA tested. This turf matches the original breeder Sir Walter plant material bred at Mr Redman’s farm developed over 20 years ago. Only LSA turf producers can provide this ‘Original Breeder’ guarantee.
If you want genuine Sir Walter, validated by DNA testing, look for Sir Walter DNA Certified from accredited suppliers with the Original Breeder Guarantee from Mr Redman.
To find contact details for your local Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo grass supplier, click here.
Australia builds more domestic swimming pools (per capita) than any other country in the world! In early 2019 research revealed 2.7 Million Australians owned a swimming pool – that’s over 10% of the population and the trend of installing a pool has only been on the increase since then.
I’ll admit I’m one of those people and I don’t think I could have survived the Covid lockdown and summer holidays without it, with it being great fun for the kids and a place to cool down and relax too. Swimming pools can be a very expensive exercise to install so you want to make sure you have covered all options and are comfortable before the digging begins.
Where should I install my pool?
Selecting the right spot is imperative and there is no one answer that fits all as every block is individual, it’s a good idea to speak to a landscape designer and a pool installer to work out the best spot for the pool. Obviously, you don’t want a pool directly under a tree that will drop lots of debris into the pool. You should also consider the amount of sun it gets, where the plumbing has to be located, how the pool fence will impact the design, does the proposed area integrates the pool nicely with the existing landscape or will that be an additional item that also needs to be budgeted for.
The style of the pool needs to fit into the style of the garden or house too, so it doesn’t stand out and look like an afterthought. You should also consider the scale and proportion of the pool in the garden and the available lawn area. Too small and it will look out of place and too big and the rest of the garden becomes useless.
Cost of installing a pool
The cost of installing a pool is another massive consideration and the unknown cost of excavation and what is beneath the ground is something that can be scary for a lot of people as it can be a guess until you start digging. Using a local pool builder who has dug pools in the area should be able to guide you on a reasonable estimation.
If you are looking to lower the cost when installing a pool, fiberglass shells over poured concrete ones are a way to lessen the outlay however they can be restrictive in their size and shapes which can have an impact on the overall design of a space. Personally, for me, I prefer the look and feel underfoot of a tiled or rendered finished pool but saying that in the middle of summer both feel great to be in.
Choosing the finish colour inside the pool
The colour of the finish inside the pool, irrelevant of what it’s made from will transform the colour of the water in the pool. Black tiles will give a reflective quality to the water whereas white will give that pure aqua colour, like you’re on holiday in Fiji. The lagoon feel can be achieved by a beige coloured finish that surprisingly can be very inviting!
The colour of the water has an impact on the design of the whole space and the surrounding hardstand including the coping (the tile that surrounds a pool) should tie in effortlessly. The most modern and trendsetting pools are using the same tile that surrounds the pool in the swimming pool – this gives the appearance that the pool is scooped out of the earth as the format is so large. If this is something you would like to try, I suggest a hardwearing ceramic tile as natural stones can have a bad effect on the filters and pumps.
Choosing a filter type
The system of filters and pumps you use depends on what you want from your water. Saltwater chlorinators are most common however I am seeing a real push towards Magnesium filtration for the added health benefits including relieving aches and pains and less of the kids complaining about sore red eyes. Natural filtration is also becoming more common, you need a bit of space to do this and it works by pumping the water through biofilters and reed beds to give you spring-like clear water – perfect for those with any skin allergies or sensitive plants surrounding the pool.
What should I plant around my pool?
Plants obviously work perfectly with swimming pools as they help them to nestle into the landscape but selecting the right plant for the right spot has a few more limitations around the pool. These plants need to be able to take the water being splashed on them and around their roots, including any chemicals in the water. You want to use hardy plants like Indian Hawthorn, Looking glass plant, Pride of Madeira, and other plants you might see growing close to the coastline as they are used to harsh conditions like salt.
My absolute favourite look for a pool is the European style of the lawn right up to the edge of the water with just the coping stone between lush green grass and the cooling water. To me it just says summertime and takes me back to laying in the sun, playing on the grass and being able to jump straight in the water. Of course, this was at a friend’s house in the UK, so the water was near freezing – but I do like the look!
Maintaining grass around a pool
Keeping a lawn healthy around a pool is about selecting the right lawn variety for the application – it’s like picking the right plant for the right spot. If you want something hardy that can tolerate the water type, and sun as well as being hardy to foot traffic – I highly suggest TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda for this. If you are looking for something that can tolerate high levels of salt and also shade, requires less mowing and will beautifully compliment the landscape and pool, Sir Grange Zoysia is another terrific option.
The maintenance of grass around a pool can be tricky – if you don’t have a full-time gardener who can crawl around the edges cutting them with nail scissors to prevent the debris from flying in the pool (if you do please let me know how you made that happen) I suggest a grassed area off to the side of the pool with enough room of paving or decking in between to minimise loose clipping entering the pool. It’s also a good idea to water your grass well if you have lots of splashing to dilute any chemicals or salts in the water and fertilise regularly to create strong hardy turfgrass.
There are a few simple steps that you can follow to make sure that the area is prepared well and to ensure you are choosing the right grass variety for your home when you install a new lawn.
Check your turf underlay
Conducting a soil pH test will help you determine if your soil is either acidic, alkaline or neutral. An ideal pH is between 5.5 and 7. If your soil is not within this range it can be easily adjusted with some treatment. For more information about conducting a soil pH test, click here.
A turf underlay consisting of a sandy loam is preferred for most turf varieties. If your underlay is a clay base or heavy soils, you may want to look into applying gypsum. This will help break up the clay base, improving the soil structure by better allowing for water and root penetration. For more information on using gypsum, click here.
Measuring how much turf you need
Measuring out how much turf you need is not as difficult as it seems. Simply sketch the area on a piece of paper, break up the area into basic shapes and then measure and write down your measurements. To calculate the amount of turf you need, use our online calculator here.
After you have found out how much turf you need, add an extra 5% to factor in for cutting around odd shapes and objects in your garden such as trees and garden features – There’s nothing worse than being just a couple of rolls short!
Preparing an underlay
When preparing underlay there are a few steps to follow to help your new lawn perform the best it can.
Firstly, kill off any existing vegetation using a non-selective herbicide containing glyphosate such as Round Up or Zero. This will not only get rid of any existing grass but will also kill any present weeds. After the first application you can mow low over the dead grass to remove the plant material, then follow with a second treatment. If you have a particularly invasive grass such as kikuyu or couch, we recommend that you repeat the above step 3-4 times over a month to ensure that all of the plant material is killed off. After the final application, use a hoe and turn over the existing base to de-compact the existing soil profile.
Depending on your existing base, you may need to add in a soil underlay. When adding a turf underlay, a sandy loam is best. For a Sir Grange Zoysia lawn, an underlay of 100 – 200 mm of washed river sand is recommended. For more information on turf underlays, check out our blog here.
The final step in preparing your underlay is to get the correct levels in order to have your turf laying flush against existing surfaces. We recommend leaving about 30-40mm below the height you are wanting, to allow for the thickness of the turf. Refer to your turf supplier for the specific thickness of the turf being provided. In this step ensure the whole area is smoothed out to avoid dips in your lawn.
Drainage
Another factor to consider is drainage. Where will water flow towards when it rains? Try to ensure that no water will sit on the lawn or go towards buildings in heavy rain events. If it’s likely, then now is the time to look at having drainage installed.
Choosing a turf type that is right for you
When choosing the type of lawn that will suit your garden and lifestyle, there are a few factors to consider. Garden position and size, budget and the amount of traffic on the lawn are just a few of the things that it is important to consider before you make your final choice.
If your garden is drenched in all day sunlight, your options are pretty much wide open. From the sun loving couch grasses to budget busting kikuyu’s, most grasses will survive and thrive in these conditions. If you do have issues with shade, this does not discount having a healthy lawn though. Take a look at Sir Walter DNA Certified, well known for setting the benchmark in shade tolerance. In fact, Sir Walter is so popular over 100 million metres of it have been laid in Australia since it was discovered, and it still remains Australia’s favourite buffalo lawn. The same can be said for lawns that are given a good workout by kids and pets – take a look at hardy, quick repairing lawns or even discuss with your local turf supplier varieties such as TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda.
Some gardens are created as a thing of beauty. For a real showstopper of a lawn, have a look at Sir Grange Zoysia. A Zoysia grass that was previously used on golf courses overseas, Sir Grange is a stunning lawn that once established, requires very little maintenance to look great.
Once you have decided which lawn works best for you, make sure you do the research on your turf supplier and always insist on a breeder guarantee. With so many different types of lawn now available it is important that you know you’re getting what you paid for.
Sir Walter DNA Certified Soft Leaf BuffaloTifTuf Hybrid BermudaSir Grange Zoysia
Laying turf
Now we are up to the most exciting step, laying your lawn!
The first step in this process is to spread a starter fertiliser such as Lawn Launcher. Starter fertilisers will provide your lawn with the essential nutrients your new lawn will need for root establishment and strong plant growth. Some starter fertilisers will also include moisture magnets, these will reduce the risk of your new lawn drying out in the heat.
When your turf delivery arrives, it is important to start laying the turf as soon as possible to avoid the turf drying out. If it is a particularly hot day, we recommend that you water each section of the turf as you lay it out to avoid it drying out.
Now the time has come to start laying turf. Start laying the turf furthest away from your exit to avoid walking and working over the freshly laid turf. Lay the turf in a brickwork pattern with the edges laying together. When working on a slope, it is recommended that you lay the turf across the slope. When laying the turf down, ensure that the roll of turf has good contact with the soil beneath.
If you need to cut turf to fit around trees and corners, use either a spade or shears. With the excess pieces, do not throw them away until the whole area has been covered.
Once completing the whole area, give the new turf a deep water immediately to avoid the turf drying out.
Turf aftercare for the first 6 weeks
Now that your lawn has been laid, it is time to care for it! With a freshly laid lawn it is crucial to keep the water up to it for the first month after instalment to keep the lawn healthy and encourage root establishment. Although watering requirements will change with the time of year and weather, you should be deeply watering your lawn every day for the first 3 weeks or until you give the lawn its first mow. Freshly laid lawns may require more watering’s to avoid the roots of the grass drying up.
Keep traffic off your lawn for the first month so that your lawn can root down properly.
To see if your lawn is ready for its first mow, see if you can lift a corner of the turf roll. If the roll lifts, the lawn is not ready to be mown. If the roll does not move and is rooted down into the soil you are ready to mow. When mowing for the first time, raise your mower height on a slightly higher setting than normal, then over the next few mows slowly bring down the mower height to your preferred height.
After 6 weeks your lawn will be ready for its first fertilise. When choosing a fertiliser, we recommend an NPK fertiliser such as Lawn Solutions Premium Lawn Fertiliser. After application, give the lawn a good water to help avoid leaf burn.
Fertilising can be repeated every 8-10 weeks and continue to water your lawn when required.
For more information on laying turf, please contact your local turf supplier here.
The first truly Australian lawn guide designed specifically for our unique conditions. Presented by Lawn Solutions Australia, this practical, comprehensive guide to installing, maintaining and getting the most out of your outdoor room is set with stunning photography.
This guide is a must for everyone who treasures the humble Aussie backyard.
Featuring:
Handy Information for planning your new garden
Top tips for choosing and installing a new lawn to ensure its success
Armyworm have assembled and are on the march! Armyworm can scalp an entire lawn in just a few days. Make sure you take action urgently if you see these pests in large numbers ‘marching’ their way across your lawn.
What are Armyworm?
Armyworm are a caterpillar pest that can devastate a lawn within a matter of days. As their name suggests, during the larval stages they move together in large numbers ‘marching’ their way across foliage exhausting plant material as they go. During the day they can be found grouped together hiding near the stem of the grass near the soil. You may notice your lawn appears completely scalped of green leaf growth with an almost uniform line of damage that is continuing to spread rapidly. Once the lawn is stripped bare the Armyworms then move on to find another source of food. Armyworm unfortunately will have a preference for healthy lawns, these will be the most appealing to them in the street, so stay alert if that lawn is yours!
The Armyworm evolves through 6 to 9 stages, continuing to increase in size before being fully developed at around 40mm in length. The lifecycle is about 30 to 40 days, which means they can occur several times over summer and autumn.
At maturity, the caterpillar works its way into the soil and pupates before emerging as a moth after approximately 10 to 14 days. These moths are pale brown and identifiable by a distinct white spot in the middle of their wing. The moths then lay eggs that are sometimes visible on house eaves or similar areas around the home.
Identification
2mm to 40mm in length (mature caterpillars are 30mm to 40mm long)
3 prominent white or cream stripes running down the back and sides of their bodies — these are most obvious where they start on the thoracic segment (‘collar’) immediately behind the head and are particularly apparent in larvae that are longer than 10mm
No obvious hairs and are smooth to touch
Curl-up when disturbed
4 abdominal prolegs
How to detect Armyworm
A good way to start with for detecting Armyworm is by doing some exploring during the evening. Kneel down onto your lawn at the edge of where damage has occurred. Spread the grass profile open with your hand and slowly run a torch across looking for caterpillars feeding or moving with the profile of the lawn.
Another option is to pour a bucket of soapy water (mix a small amount of dishwashing detergent with water), over the lawn in a small area towards the edge of a struggling or scalped lawn area. Then observe the area over the next 10 minutes or so to check for the Armyworm caterpillars which should rise to the surface to breathe if present. This is best undertaken at dusk when the Armyworm are likely to be most active.
The presence of the moth itself is also an indicator that Armyworm may be active in your area. If you notice moth activity around your home, congregating near lights like the one in the image below, this is a sign that they may be emerging from your lawn. You can then undertake the detection methods above to confirm.
How to Treat Armyworm
Treating Armyworm is quite simple, with the right products. It’s important you act as quickly as possible to ensure the damage they cause is limited.
Insecticide Application
Apply a fast knock down liquid insecticide to the leaf of a recently mown lawn during the afternoon. Repeat applications may be necessary over the coming weeks to ensure the Armyworm is completely eradicated. When the Armyworm become active again in the evening they will eat at the recently treated leaf. Granular grub treatment products can also be used, but for faster efficient treatment a liquid option will provide the best results.
An even better way to protect your lawns from an Armyworm attack, is to use a product preventative product like Grub Guard Ultimate and Acelepryn GR.
They are ideal for long-term pest control, providing both a curative treatment and protection to your lawn for up to six months.
These products can also eradicate Cutworms and Sod Webworms, providing safe and effective control of these bugs, while minimising the impact on the environment and non-target organisms, such as bees and earthworms.
Grub Treat and Protect Bundle
Protect your lawn from lawn pests with this one-two punch to treat an existing infestation and to protect your lawn for up to 6 months. If you have noticed damage to your lawn caused by black beetle larvae or Army worm, this bundle provides Battle Insecticide for a fast knock-down treatment, along with Grub Guard Ultimate – the best product on the market for lawn pest prevention in lawns.
You have eliminated the Armyworm but depending on how quickly you were able to address the issue, there is a certain amount of damage to the lawn that needs to recover.
For information on how to help your lawn recover again as quickly as possible, visit our blog on repairing a thin and patchy lawn here.
Charlie Albone shares his tips for creating a garden that can handle the harsh Australian summer.
Surviving the Australian summer can be difficult with the highest temperatures we experience all year, so how do you keep gardening and what can you do to help your plants through this testing season?
Summer Gardening
You can start by helping your plants out by improving the soil so it can hold onto moisture and nutrients for longer by adding some compost, mushroom compost or cow manure. Dig this through where possible but in established beds you can use it as a mulch and let the worms do the hard work for you whilst protecting the roots of the plant stock.
Adding a granulated soil wetter to the mix and to all garden beds will ensure any rain or irrigation gets into the soil effectively to maximise uptake to the plants. Your soil may not be hydrophobic, but the addition of a soil wetter can prevent build-up of bad bacteria and is a good gardening practice.
Water in your soil wetter wisely, obviously you don’t want to be out in the heat of the day as you’ll lose excess moisture through evaporation, but early morning or evening is best and lock it all into the soil with 75mm of mulch.
Summer Lawns
When it comes to preparing your lawn for the hot summer it’s a good idea to aerate to ensure water gets down to the roots, you can fill the core holes with a washed coarse sand to combat excessive water loss through the holes. Laying out on the lawn is a must do summer activity but try to avoid excessive compaction as this can stress the plants roots out and poor roots turns into poor leaf growth and health. You should also be mowing more often, removing less leaf with each cut means less stress to the plant as a whole and a healthier stronger lawn.
Sun and Shade
For planting, picking the right plant for the right spot is vital at any time of the year but when you put something in the ground in summer you really need to make sure it gets the right amount of sun or shade, protection from wind or salty air, and the right amount of soil moisture. There is little room for error when it comes to getting the right amount of sun so also check your new plant hasn’t been raised in a shade house, as even if it’s a sun hardy variety the sudden shock of being put in direct light might tip it in the wrong direction.
Lawn Selection
The same applies to selecting a lawn species – if you want a drought and heat tolerant species you can’t go past TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. Slow growing varieties such as Sir Grange Zoysia will take longer to establish so installing during the warmer months is ideal, but wait until the weather isn’t scorching hot so you’re not using too much water for establishment.
Creating shade in the garden can lower the temperature drastically, I know it’s considerably cooler under my wisteria covered pergola in the middle of the day! I like deciduous plants to cover structures as they let in the winter light as well as protect through summer. If you are adding a solid roof for all weather protection, it’s a good idea to insulate the roof for maximum effect.
Protecting sensitive plants with shade cloth in February helps them through too, for individual plants you can use stakes or star pickets to create a frame that can be removed once the heat has passed. For your veggies flexible plastic stakes can create a tunnel for plastic in the cooler months for heat or shade cloth for cooling in months like February. If you have a greenhouse it can be transformed into a shade house by removing the roof and replacing it with shade cloth.
Planting Vegetables
You can use this heat to get a jump start on your autumn seedlings for the veggie patch such as Romanesco broccoli and Cauliflowers. Winter vegetables are much slower growing than the veggies you have in at the moment as when the temperature does cool the growth slows right down with it, so why not get a jump start? Using the heat in one of your mini shade tunnels will also help germinate seeds that normally take time to show life such as carrots, leeks and beetroots. I would do this at the end of February and sow them at one-week intervals so when they are ready for harvest, you’ll have a longer cropping period rather than all at once.
We all know the shade of a large tree helps to cool its surroundings but make sure you plan for future growth, you don’t want a tree to get too big and shade out your lawn area in a few years so select wisely – again the right plant for the right spot!
Creating microclimates in your garden is a great way to manage heat as well, by grouping all your pots together in one area and placing them on trays to hold some moisture you’ll create a cooling effect surrounding the plants.
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