April 2021

How smart is your lawn?

Posted on April 30, 2021April 30, 2021 by Sarah

Everything is getting a ‘smart’ upgrade these days. From smart phones, smart cars, smart tv’s, to smart homes… you name it the list goes on. But what about a smart lawn? Smart technologies are impacting every facet of our daily lives and the way we look after grass is no exception.

There are many new gadgets designed to take the guess work out of your lawn care and turf maintenance programs and they are now commonly integrated with smart phone applications.

Here’s some smart lawn gadget ideas to help you get a smarter lawn…

Smart Turf Irrigation Systems

There are Wi-Fi irrigation control systems that integrate with smart home products for your home. These systems adjust watering based on internet sourced weather data. This helps to ensure your lawn receives the right amount of water, providing significant water savings as you are not over-watering. Many of these systems also allow remote access via an app. This allows you to monitor and manage your system from your phone, tablet or laptop while you are away from home.

Orbit B-Hyve Tap Timer with Wi-Fi Hub

Smart Soil Moisture Sensors

Another thing you can now track via an app is the moisture level of your soil. By installing a soil sensor, you can transmit information to an application where you can monitor moisture levels and temperature data. This will help you to know when your grass needs additional watering or help you reduce your water usage.

Holman Smart Moisture Sensor

Smart Pest Control Sensors

Whether it be kangaroos, rabbits or some other pest wreaking havoc on your lawn, there are new smart ways to fight back. There are security cameras now available as part of your home’s security system with motion sensors and night vision. These cameras can be set up to communicate with your smart irrigation system to turn on at night whenever they detect movement. Remember though, these sensors won’t know the difference between you and a pest. So make sure it is disabled if you plan on staying dry while using your lawn!

Motion Activated Sprinkler – Garden Sentinel

Robot Lawn Mowers

These have been around a little while now, but there are always new and improved versions hitting the market. They work much the same way the robot vacuums work, by mapping an area either with sensors, GPS or an electronic boundary. Rather than vacuuming though, as an autonomous robot for mowing, these machines have the ability to cut grass instead. Husqvarna’s latest model works within an electronic fence created by a boundary wire and has specialised sensors to allow it to move around obstacles. When the battery starts to run low, it will return to a charging station. There are even Husqvarna models that give you the ability, via an app, to control its operational hours so you can have your lawn available whenever you need it.

Husqvarna Automower

Smart Weather Stations

Devices like the Holman Aspect Wifi Analyst Weather Station can connect to the web and deliver weather information for your backyard to anywhere in the globe. How smart is that?

Holman Aspect Wifi Analyst Weather Station

The Smart Grass

What would a list of different smart lawn gadgets be without the ultimate smart grass variety – TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda (Couch Grass). This grass in itself is a smart gadget. TifTuf is the only grass in Australia to be awarded the Smart Approved WaterMark.

TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda is the product of almost 25 years of research and development from one of the world’s leading turf grass breeders, the University of Georgia. This grass has been hand selected out of almost 30,000 different Bermuda varieties. TifTuf shows superior qualities in drought tolerance, shade tolerance, wear tolerance and winter colour whilst at the same time maintaining excellent turf quality. Find out more here.

Nature’s number two’s can be your lawns number one’s

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Sarah

Lawns and Manure

Lawns and manure, be it poo, dung, cowpat, whatever you want to call it, manure can be a great source of nutrients to give your lawn a natural boost. There are a few golden rules to follow when using nature’s number 2’s on your lawn to avoid offensive odours and harm to your lawn.

Can I use fresh manure?

Fresh manure that is straight from animals is not suitable to use on lawns and gardens as manure holds a high level of nutrients that can burn your plants. It can contain many pathogens that may harm your lawn as well as a more potent odour. If you happen to be able to find fresh manure, best to wait at least 6 months before spreading it.

Watering manure in

After you have applied manure or a pellet manure product, give the lawn a good watering. This will help the manure get into the soil profile where it can be used by your lawn.

The best time to apply manure

The best time to apply this is just after you have given the lawn a mow, giving the pellets more time to break down over a longer time period before the next mow. However, if the lawn is due for its next mow but the pellets are still visible, leave the catcher off the mower.

Chicken and poultry manure

Chicken manure contains a high amount of nitrogen and phosphorus that is great for supporting root development and new green leaf growth in lawns.

If you happen to have a few chickens at home and are wanting to spread their manure out onto the lawn and garden, it is best to compost it first for at least 6 months.

Dynamic Lifter

If you don’t have any chickens, Dynamic Lifter is a chicken manure product that can be picked up at your local garden centre that has already been aged and is in a pellet form.

Goat and sheep manure

Goat and sheep manure are both becoming popular options to use.

Similar to chickens they contain a good amount of nitrogen to help support new green leaf growth but have less of an odour than cow and horse manure.

They both excrete dry pellets that are easy to collect and usually don’t attract bugs and insects like other manure.

Some local farmers may let you use and collect this manure from their farm. It is best to either give them a call beforehand or have a chat with them in person to see if they are happy for you to use it. Make sure you have a bucket and spade handy!

However, if you aren’t lucky enough to have a farm nearby, both goat and sheep manure can be bought at your local garden centre or hardware shop.

Horse manure

Although horse manure is one of the smellier manure options, it is readily available from farmers and horse stables.

It doesn’t contain as many nutrients as sheep and poultry, however it is still a good option if available.

With horse manure, it is even more important to make sure it has aged as it can carry seeds that are still able to grow when put on a lawn or garden bed. This is because a horse only has one stomach chamber to process its food.

Other animals like cows and sheep have multiple stomach chambers allowing them to process food better.

So, to help stop the spread of weeds from horse manure, make sure it has aged in a hot compost before applying it to the lawn.

Cow manure

Cow manure does have a lower nutrient level compared to other manures and can be a more odorous option.

Although it doesn’t contain as many nutrients, it is a good all-round soil conditioner.

Dynamic Lifter ready-to-use pellets contain a good amount of phosphorous which is great for further root establishment and development in lawns.

When using Dynamic Lifter, it is best to use it when the lawn does not need to be mown as frequently, so the cooler months are best.

You can find more information on fertilising options to use on your lawn here.

Mow or edge your lawn first?

Posted on April 28, 2021April 28, 2021 by Sarah

Mow or edge your lawn first? Where do I start? Do I mow first, then whipper snip the edges? Or do I edges first and then mow? Does it even matter?

Ask this question on any social media lawn group or Google and you will likely get a variety of answers. There is, however, usually some consensus that one particular order is better than the other. But some believe that doing it the wrong way is the equivalent of hanging your toilet paper the wrong way! (There is a right way if you are wondering. The 124-year-old patent clearly shows the paper going up and over the roll rather than under!)

So, in this blog we dive into the why’s and why nots for whether to mow or edge your lawn first.

Why’s and why nots for mowing or edging first

Let us state straight off the bat that the answer to this question is part preference and part logic (Although one man’s logic is another man’s crazy as they say). You can do whatever you would prefer to do with your lawn. It’s not really going to make a difference to plant health. What it will do, potentially, is affect the appearance of your lawn.

If you maintain a beautifully manicured lawn at a low height, mowing frequently sometimes more than once a week, then you are likely to mow first. You give the lawn a haircut and then you give it that crisp edge to finish it off.

If you are like most homeowners, although still taking pride in your patch, you are likely to mow weekly but only during the height of the growing season – then you will likely want to get the edges trimmed back with the whipper snipper first and then tidy it all up with the mower. Some then also finish it off with an edger.

So, if you are to ask us what should come first, we would say whipper snip. Then mow the lawn and if you have an edger then do the edge. Trim, mow, edge and blow.

What better way to clean things up than to blow away messy bits of clip that have found their way onto driveways and footpaths. Some even trim the edges and give it a blow before they mow as well – whatever makes you happy and provides the best result.

Here’s just some of the variations we have seen recommended:

I’m exhausted just reading that last one. One for the triple cut enthusiasts, I guess.

For some of the purists out there asking, ‘but isn’t whipper snipping doing the edges?’ Well, you can edge with a whipper snipper but in most situations, you would be just using to trim the hard-to-reach corners and up against the fence and other surfaces where the mower can’t reach. What an edger can do is give that crisp line of separation by partially digging into the soil completely cutting a crisp edge to the grass. You can do this with a whipper snipper by turning the head vertically, but it is difficult to do this neatly. This is where a dedicated edger comes in handy.

Some people find that by trimming the edges first you are able to mow over the cut grass from the edges, which will leave the lawn clean of debris when finished. But if you don’t mind blowing these trimmings away afterwards, then it doesn’t really matter.

In some cases, we have seen people edge first. If you have a manicured lawn that is mown regularly and low, then there can be some benefit in doing this. The edge created will make a nice line for the mower to finish along ensuring that the grass cut height is kept nice and even right to the very edge. By doing the edges after mowing, sometimes you can find that the trimmed edges are not as uniform to the rest of the lawn.

Whatever gives you the result you are after, go with that.

Don’t forget to enjoy a beer when you are finished while you admire the results of your hard work.

For more information, you can check out our other mowing blogs here.

Here’s some food for fall…

Posted on April 28, 2021May 20, 2021 by Sarah

(Sorry for going a little state side for the pun!)

Essential Lawn Nutrients for Autumn

In this article we take a closer look at lawn nutrient requirements during the autumn period and how to address these needs before the cold sets in.

A lawn needs oxygen, nutrient and water, along with sunlight in order to photosynthesise. With all of these elements considered and readily available to your grass you should have a healthy thriving lawn.

If you have a warm season turf variety like buffalo, kikuyu, zoysia or couch, as soil temperatures drop below 14 degrees over the coming months, so too will the speed at which your grass will grow as it slows in cellular activity.

This means that if your lawn is unhealthy and nutrient poor, it will go into winter unprepared for the colder conditions. This will leave it susceptible to winter weeds, compaction, shade related issues and frost.

Now is an important time to address these deficiencies and prepare your lawn with the nutrients it needs during the cooler months.

One nutrient in particular is especially important and should be available for your grass to help prepare it for winter.

Potassium for Plant Health

This nutrient is potassium. Most people know about nitrogen and its ability to provide quick green up and leaf growth. But now is the time to boost the health of the entire plant. This is where potassium comes in.

Potassium functions within the cell of the grass and provides strength to the entire plant. It helps the internal processes including photosynthesis, respiration and protein production. This creates thicker cell walls to help it withstand drought and disease.

Without potassium your lawn would struggle to grow, be lacking in strength and suffer yellowing of the leaf. Potassium comes in the form of sulphate as soluble potash and is a common ingredient in all lawn fertilisers, but can also be applied on its own.

Iron for Strength

Another key ingredient you will find in increased amounts in most winter fertilisers is Iron. Iron helps to strengthen your grass and improve leaf colour. Provided you have fertilised in autumn and have your lawn prepared for winter, an additional treatment around July is ideal.

You can apply Iron Chelate which will help to get better iron uptake for better results without the Nitrogen promoting unnecessary growth. Just make sure you don’t get it on any hard surfaces as it can stain very easily.

We recommend applying a balanced fertiliser with micro-nutrients and trace elements. These will replace some of the important elements that may have been lost over summer. Along with the potassium and iron that your lawn needs for the coming cooler months.

Exceed Liquid Fertiliser is a great professional-grade foliar fertiliser with a carefully balanced NPK ratio including potassium and added iron. Exceed will provide health and colour to your lawn and can be used year-round.

Another option is a slow-release granular fertiliser like Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser which will provide your lawn nutrients for autumn for up to 12 weeks as it gradually breaks down.

Just remember, a lawn in dormancy can lose some colour as it is conserving energy. This is not anything to worry about and is a completely normal part of the cycle for warm season grasses.

If you prefer using a liquid fertiliser during the cooler months or want to see a significant improvement in colour straight away, we recommend taking a look at ColourGuard Plus, an organic pigment with added fertiliser that can provide an instant boost of colour.

For more information regarding Autumn Lawn Care, check out our Autumn Lawn Care video series here.

How to Help Herbicides Adhere | Surfactants

Posted on April 28, 2021September 27, 2024 by Sarah

Surfactants (Adjuvants)

An adjuvant is a substance used to modify chemical or physical properties. There are two main categories of adjuvants, but in this article, we are referring to the type known as activator and spray modifiers, specifically the product group known as surfactants.

Why are surfactants sometimes required when applying herbicides or pesticides?

Surfactants are used with herbicide or pesticide solutions in order to reduce the surface tension of the water it is applied with. There is an increase in the ‘spreadability’ of the water, with an increase in the surface area that the solution can cover. In contrast, if you were to apply just water when applied to a waxy surface like that of a weed, it will bead instead of spreading outwards. By adding a surfactant to the water, the molecules are spread outwards as the surfactant molecule is attracted in opposite directions. Rather than being inwardly attracted cohesively it becomes outwards attracted. The surfactant is now the link between what would normally be considered non-compatible materials.

Essentially you end up with a substance that has made water wetter!

Instead of the solution simply beading up and dispersing away, it spreads across the surface of the target material. This will improve the efficacy of the product being applied, ensuring it contacts and adheres to a greater surface area for penetration and improved efficacy.

What is a surfactant?

You can get a better idea of what a surfactant does by breaking down the origins of the word itself. Surfactant is a shortened form of the phrase ‘surface active agent’. They are soluble in water and are able to reduce water tension. Without going too deep into the science of why this is, the molecules within the surfactant are known as long molecules and have a head and a tail. The head is attracted to water (water-loving or hydrophilic). The tail is attracted to oil, grease and dirt (oil-loving or hydrophobic). So, one end is water-soluble while the other is oil soluble.

The most common types of surfactants are called Carboxylates. These comprise carboxylate salts, like Sodium stearate. Sodium stearate can be found in the most commonly available household ‘surfactant’ item, soap.

What weeds are best to target with the addition of a surfactant?

Target weeds that have a waxy coating or surface that is likely to bead easily upon application are the ideal weed types to look at targeting with a surfactant. Weeds like paspalum, nutgrass or broadleaf weeds like cudweed are ideal candidates for the addition of a surfactant when treating.

What surfactant do I use and how?

In most domestic homeowner situations, the easiest and most accessible surfactant to use is dishwashing liquid. As mentioned earlier, soap contains the surfactant Sodium stearate. Liquid dishwashing liquid can be added to a tank mix of the herbicide or pesticide being applied and mixed with water. A few drops in a 5L pressure sprayer or knapsack should be enough to help ensure that an efficient application is achieved. Many products will advise to use specific surfactants or products designed to achieve the best results with their products. Results after application cannot be guaranteed if using a dishwashing liquid or alternative option with your tank mix that goes against the label instructions.

When determining what surfactant to use it is also important to consider the product that you are tank mixing it with. There are many herbicides that have specific requirements and labels recommend that they be applied with a specifically formulated surfactant or adjuvant to best ensure the success rate of the application. Be sure to read the label thoroughly before applying in case a specific surfactant is required. It is important to consider the effect that any addition to a tank mix will make to the ability for a product to perform as it says it will. If you are unsure, contact the product manufacturer directly for advice.

Some examples of turf surfactant products:

Manta Ray Surfactant

ProForce Manta Ray Surfactant is a multi-purpose aquatic friendly adjuvant which is composed of natural surfactants and penetrants derived from soybean oils. These are combined with propionic acid to produce a penetrant, surfactant, acidifier for use with herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, foliar fertilizers and plant growth regulators.

Agral Spray Adjuvant

Agral is a versatile non-ionic organic surfactant. It is the recommended surfactant to use with the range of products produced by Syngenta.

Pro-Film 904

Pro-Film 904 is a unique, high quality multipurpose surfactant designed to enhance performance of plant protection products. Provides unsurpassed sticking, improves penetration of systemic products. Is soft on turf and forms a film around the plant limiting water loss and helps reduce odour.

Driftex

Premium surfactant for addition to pesticides to reduce spray drift and to increase rain fastness period.

Activator

Activator Surfactant is a premium non-ionic rainfast wetting agent with low foaming qualities.

LI700

LI700 Surfactant can be used as an acidifying and penetrating mix, reducing alkaline hydrolysis. It will assist with the uptake of systemic herbicides and assists in management of spray droplet size.

Pulse

Pulse is a non-ionic organo silicone super wetter that improves the spread of spray droplets on leaves by up to 13 times more than standard surfactants. This superior coverage allows thorough penetration and translocation of certain herbicides used for hard-to-control brush and woody weeds.

If you are looking to get the best and most effective use of the products you are using, make sure you read the label thoroughly and add a surfactant if recommended to do so. If you are unsure of best practice, check with the product manufacturer directly for advice specific to their product.

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

Old Wives’ Tales… True or False

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Sarah

There are many old wives’ tales when it comes to lawn care. While some of them do hold some logic, it can be difficult to know what to do to keep your lawn at its best. We’ve searched the internet to tell you which of these tales are true and what is just a silly old myth.

Night watering’s are best

You may have heard that the best time to water your lawn is at night. While this may seem reasonable as it can help prevent your lawn from losing water to evaporation, over time frequent night watering can create damp conditions perfect for diseases and funguses to grow.

So, when should you water? Watering in early mornings is best when there is less wind and less chance of water loss from heat-related evaporation. By watering in the morning, the lawn will have enough time to absorb water before the heat of the day. This will also allow the lawn to dry to help avoid fungal diseases.

Mowing a lawn short means you don’t have to mow as often

Many of you may dread the thought of having to give your lawn another mow, mowing your lawn short and leaving it for a few weeks sounds like the perfect solution. However, mowing irregularly and short can cause extra stress and damage.

When mowing the golden rule is to only remove one-third of the leaf blade with each mow.

By only removing one-third your lawn will be able to stay in its peak condition. Although this does require you to mow regularly, your lawn will be able to have a steady nutrient uptake and will look more consistent throughout.

A brown lawn is a dead lawn

In the cooler months, lawns can tend to lose their colouring. This is because there is less sunlight to produce chlorophyll resulting in less photosynthesis and a loss of colour. However, there is no need to panic when this happens as the grass will return to its previous green state when temperatures begin to warm up again.

To help your lawn retain its colour better in winter, increase your mowing height. This will help create a thicker canopy that is better able to retain colour as more sunlight can be absorbed.

So, although your winter lawn will lose a bit of colour, the grass is really greener on the summer side.

If you are wanting to keep your lawn looking great with a lush green colour in winter have a look at ColourGuard Plus. ColourGuard is a spray-on green pigment that is absorbed into the leaf instantly improving the colour of your lawn. It can be used year-round, works on all lawns and in all climates.

Grass with a high drought tolerance doesn’t need to be watered

Many turf varieties on the market with high drought-tolerances, like TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda, are able to survive long hot periods without water. Although these turf varieties can last longer periods without water than most, they can’t survive with none.

However, once established drought tolerant turf varieties can survive and thrive for longer time periods with far less water.

You can only lay turf in spring and summer

There is a common misconception that warm-season turf varieties cannot be laid when the temperatures have dropped. While spring and summer are the ideal times to lay turf, your new lawn can be installed at any time year-round. In fact, a benefit of installing in winter is lower water usage.

When laying turf in winter it is important to keep in mind that the lawn will not root down properly until the weather begins to warm up again. This doesn’t mean that the lawn will die off, it will simply be sitting idle until it gets some warmer temperatures.

Vinegar can kill weeds

In short, yes vinegar can kill weeds, however when applied to your lawn it can harm it too. Vinegar will only treat above-ground vegetation, leaving the underground root systems unharmed, letting most weeds grow back.

Selective herbicides are the best option when removing common weeds from your lawn. Bin Die and All Purpose Weed Control are both great options to use when treating common weeds.

The War on Weeds

Posted on April 27, 2021September 19, 2024 by Sarah

The most noxious lawn weeds (nutgrass + others)

As the name suggests, noxious lawn weeds grow aggressively and can spread rapidly with few control options. These weeds can appear in even the most well-maintained lawns and can take over quickly.

To help you, we have put together a list of the most common noxious weeds and what you can do to remove them.

Nutgrass

Nutgrass belongs to the sedge weed family and can be identified by a lighter green leaf that will grow taller than the rest of your lawn. It has 3 leaf blades that shoot up from a triangular stem.

How does nutgrass spread?

Nutgrass spreads by a series of bulbs on the underground rhizomes which grow to create new plants. One plant can produce multiple of these bulbs at one time. These bulbs can remain inactive for up to 10 years until they become disturbed and can be activated simply by an addition of nutrients or water.

When nutgrass matures, it can produce a series of seeds. Most common weeds will spread by its seeds, however only a very small portion of nutgrass will spread this way.

Treatment

So, how do I get rid of nutgrass?

It is best to act as soon as possible to help stop the spread throughout your lawn. If there is only a small amount present, you can dig the plant out by hand using a small spade. When removing nutgrass this way, be extremely careful to make sure that there are no roots, rhizomes, or bulbs left in the soil.

What do I do if the nutgrass has already spread?

When there is a larger amount of nutgrass in the lawn, a treatment with a selective herbicide such as Sedge Control is the best option. Be aware, when using these products, repeat applications may be needed for a full knockdown. Although these products are on the expensive side, only a small amount is usually needed to treat the affected area. If you decide to not treat these weeds, they will continue to grow and invade your whole lawn. So, purchasing an herbicide is definitely worth the investment.

Onion Weed

Onion weed can be a troublemaker in many lawns and garden beds. It is one of the most difficult to get rid of and can spread throughout your yard quickly. Onion weed gets its name from its bulb as it gives off an onion smell when crushed. It can be identified by its thin green strappy leaves which grow from a white bulb.

Treatment

The best way to remove onion weed is to dig the weed-clump out and throw the entire clump away. When digging these out, best to either use a spade or trowel to remove all the plant and roots. It is best to not pull these weeds out by hand as bulbs can remain in the soil. When these bulbs are left in the soil they can continue to grow into new weeds.

Another method is to use a non-selective herbicide. As onion weed does have a waxy leaf, a surfactant or a slight amount of household detergent will help the herbicide stick. When using a non-selective herbicide, carefully apply using a small paintbrush or weed wand to target the onion weed and avoid your lawn.

Paspalum

Paspalum has a series of broadleaf leaves that stem from a central crown. It spreads from its sticky seeds which are usually transported by birds, shoes, clothing and animals.

Treatment

As paspalum doesn’t contain any underground bulbs, it can be removed by hand. When removing, make sure you dig underneath the crown to remove the entire root of the plant.

If the paspalum has spread throughout the lawn, you may want to look at using a selective herbicide like Paspalum, Nutgrass and Clover Weed Killer. Repeat applications may be needed to fully eradicate paspalum from your lawn.

*For kikuyu and buffalo lawns only spot treat and do not spray the entire lawn as it can harm the grass as well.

Red Caustic Weed

Red Caustic Weed has reddish purple leaves with stems that contain a sappy white milk. These can be found in thin and sparse lawns, garden beds, and cracks between concrete.

Treatment

Red Caustic Weed can be treated with a broadleaf herbicide such as All Purpose Weed Control and Bin Die. Please note, repeat applications may be needed 7-10 days later to ensure the weed is properly treated.

For areas that are not surrounded by other plant material, it is best to use a non-selective herbicide such as roundup. However, you will need to make sure that you don’t apply it to any other plant material which you are wanting to keep.

For more information on other lawn weeds not mentioned in this blog, check out our other blogs on weeds here.