July 2022 - Lawn Solutions Australia

Month: July 2022

The Best Grass for the Best Lawn

Posted on by Nathan Edwards

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all when it comes to finding the right grass for your lawn. Some grasses perform best in particular climates or environmental conditions, some have specific traits that enable them to perform in the way that you require. When choosing a turf variety for your front or back lawn (or golf course for that matter), these factors need to be considered so that your grass will thrive once installed.

To help you through this process Lawn Solutions Australia has put together a simple guide for choosing the right grass for your home lawn.

What Traits Does Your Grass Need?

What is the most hard-wearing grass type?

If your lawn will receive a lot of traffic from pets, kids, or backyard games, choose grass with a high wear tolerance. It is not only important to consider how much wear the lawn will receive now but, in the future, as well.

TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda is a great performer in high-wear areas. It has a fast-repairing nature, so when it does get damaged by pets and kids your lawn will be able to repair itself fast. TifTuf is a great hard-wearing option that golf courses can utilise for areas like fairways and tees as well.

Sir Walter DNA Certified buffalo is a great performer for many backyard footy games! It can withstand high wear and will stay soft and lush for you to enjoy.

Another turf variety that has can stand up to high wear conditions is Eureka Kikuyu. Eureka Kikuyu is a vigorous grower and can stand up to a wide range of conditions. It has a fast-repairing nature, so when it does become damaged it is able to bounce back quickly.

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What is the most drought tolerant grass type?

TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda is the only grass in Australia to be formally recognised with the Smart Approved WaterMark due to its drought-tolerant qualities. TifTuf needs a fraction of the water other varieties require for establishment. It can maintain a green colour under drought conditions where other common couch grasses will fail. Golf courses such as West Wyalong that are in drought-prone areas have seen TifTuf provide superior quality under these conditions.

Sir Walter DNA Certified buffalo too has a high drought tolerance and can stand up to the hot Australian climate. On hotter days, its broadleaf will curl up to help retain moisture. When the lawn does receive its next good water, the leaf will roll out again.

What is the most shade-tolerant grass type?

Soft Leaf Buffalo grasses like Sir Walter DNA Certified in Australia tend to do the best in the shade with most tolerating 50 to 70 per cent shade. This is about three to four hours of direct sun each day, or speckled sunlight from trees for the majority of the day.

Sir Grange Zoysia has a very high tolerance of shady situations also once it is fully established. Shade performance is maximised when wear in the shaded areas is minimal. Many golf courses have utilised Sir Grange on shade-affected holes with pleasing results.

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How Does the Grass Perform in Your Climate? 

What is the best grass for southern states?

In the Southern States of Australia, including Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Hobart both warm and cool-season turf varieties are ideal.

For climates that do reach higher temperatures over summer but cooler temperatures in winter, have a look at TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. TifTuf has a high drought tolerance that can survive with little water during summer. TifTuf will also be able to recover quicker than other warm-season varieties coming out of winter.

Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo is another great option for the southern states. Sir Walter loves both shade areas and full sun. In the cooler months when there is less sun it can still thrive in areas where other turf varieties will struggle to grow.

In climates that often deal with cooler temperatures throughout the year, a cool-season variety like RTF Fescue is an option to look into also.

What is the best grass for more northern states?

For the sun-loving states, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Cairns and Darwin there is a wide variety of options when it comes to choosing turf.

Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo while shade-tolerant does love full sun. This turf variety does have a high drought tolerance and has stood the test of time in extreme heat and drought.

TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda is another great option for the northern states. TifTuf loves full sunlight and can stand up to hot and dry conditions. It is the only turf variety in Australia to receive the smart approved watermark for its superior drought tolerance.

Sir Grange Zoysia is another great grass that can handle full sun and has a high drought tolerance once established.

Eureka Kikuyu is a sun loving turf variety that is best suited to areas where it will receive full sunlight. It is a hardy, fast repairing variety that is friendly on your wallet. Beware however, it can be extremely invasive and does not perform well in shade.

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What Goals Do You Have for Your Lawn?

What grass should I choose for a high-end manicured lawn?

Sir Grange Zoysia is a fine-bladed premium turf variety with a beautiful dark green leaf. This grass can either be mown short for a more manicured look, but also can be left unmown for a more textured look. This makes it a great option for sporting surfaces, with it originally being bred for the golf industry where it is used for its versatility and superior ball lie. Sir Grange’s qualities make it an ideal choice for any show garden or high-end lawn.

What is the best grass type to mow low for a bowling green look?

TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda is another fine leaf turf variety that looks great when mown low. TifTuf has a dense growth habit and fine leaf. This makes it ideal for regular low mows that are needed to maintain a bowling green look.

Sir Grange Zoysia can also be mown down to 6mm and has a densely matted leaf, great for the bowling or putting green look which has led to it becoming known as a ‘golfer’s grass’. It’s fine leaf and beautiful dark green colour can look like a lush green carpet when maintained. It has a strong, upright leaf structure where a golf ball tends to sit up on top of the leaf rather than sinking into the profile.

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Find Your Local Turf Supplier

Lawn Solutions Australia (LSA) are proud turf suppliers of Sir Walter DNA Certified Soft Leaf Buffalo, Sir Grange Zoysia and TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. We’re a national group of certified growers dedicated to providing high-quality turf supplies Australia-wide.

All of our LSA Members are passionate lawn experts, ready to help you select a grass variety that will help you to achieve your lawn goals.

Outdoor Heating Solutions for Winter

Posted on by Sarah

When it comes to outdoor heating, you probably think of a trusty fire pit or an old patio heater. However, with new outdoor heating options, there is now a great range of options to help you keep you warm when enjoying the outdoors. This blog will share some of our new favourite outdoor heating options.

We will be focusing on three main types of outdoor heating options. These are gas heaters, electric heaters, and firepits.

Outdoor Gas Heaters

A wide range of gas heating options are available to suit all budgets. Prices generally start from $179 and can go up to $800 (or higher). When looking at gas heaters for your area, you will need to consider the size and space you want to heat, the assemble required and the design.

Mimosa Black Panoramic Powder Coated Short Area Heater

 outdoor heater

The Mimosa Black Panoramic Coated Short Area Heater is a portable, stylish, and functional outdoor heater. However, this heater does require some assembly.

  • Affordable price point $199
  • Body level heating coverage
  • Adjustable heat settings
  • Easy to assemble
  • Flame failure & tip over safety features

This heater has received positive reviews, with customers liking that it was easy to assemble and provided significant warmth.

Jumbuck Charcoal Gas Patio Outdoor Heater

outdoor heater

The Jumbuck Charcoal Gas Patio Outdoor Heater is a portable and functional outdoor heater.

  • Classic design
  • Heats up to 17 m2
  • Push button ignition system
  • Temperature settings knob
  • Safety tip over switch
  • Wheels for easy mobility
  • Affordable price point $179

This product received primarily 5-star reviews. Users noted that assembly was time-consuming and additional sand was required to stable the base. But it produced a great amount of heat and made spending time outdoors more enjoyable.

Heatstrip Portable LPG Outdoor Heater

outdoor heater

The Heatstrip Portable LPG Outdoor Heater is a modern, stylish, and elegant outdoor gas heater.

  • Electronic finger pull ignition
  • World class wind protection rating at 16km an hour
  • Heater head made from high quality stainless steel with high temperature paint coating
  • Ideal for outdoor alfresco, balcony and patio areas
  • Parts are sub-assembled for easy instillation
  • Premium price point of $839

This heater has seen many good reviews. Its wheels make it easy to move, and it produces a lot of heat while being stylish. However, one review noted that there were no temperature control options.

Outdoor Electric Heaters

Outdoor heaters are another great option to look into. These heaters can be mounted onto a wall and do not need gas bottles to be replaced.

Jumbuck 2000W Radiant Patio Heater

outdoor heater

The Jumbuck 2000W Radiant Patio Heater is a great outdoor heater to help keep you warm during cool winter nights.

  • Free standing and wall mount option both included
  • 3 power settings
  • Easy to use, plug in and switch on for instant heat
  • Adjustable height
  • Affordable price point $89

This heater has mostly good reviews. Consumers liked that it was easy to set up, included both the stand and wall mount, and worked well heating smaller areas. However, if you have a larger area, it was recommended to look at using multiple heaters across the space. A few reviews mentioned that this heater is better suited for sheltered areas away from the wind.

Heatstrip Intense Black Infrared Electric Outdoor Heater

outdoor heater

The Heatstrip Intense Black Infrared Electric Outdoor Heater is a stylish indoor and outdoor heater that can instantly provide a heating solution.

  • Easy DIY installation with included brackets
  • Ideal for protected and semi exposed areas
  • High quality construction with hexagonal grille
  • Priced at $499

Consumers were happy with the quality and durability of the product. They liked the strong heat it could reach and maintain on cold winter nights. Customers were also pleased with the stylish black design against the orange light.

Heatstrip 2400W Classic With Remote

outdoor heater

The Heatstrip 2400W Classic With Remote is a sleek and attractive outdoor and indoor heater, great for alfresco areas, verandas and pergolas.

  • 3 temperature settings
  • Slim and compact design
  • Convenient DIY instillation
  • 24-hour timer
  • Premium price of $598

This heater has received mostly 4–5-star reviews. Customers liked the stylish design that blended in well to the ceiling. It was noted that the area needed to be sheltered away from wind to provide effective heat.

Fire pits

An effective way of heating is to use a fire pit for open outdoor spaces. When using fire pits out on the lawn, there are a few extra steps to take to ensure you are protecting your lawn from the heat. Check out our blog here for more information here.

Mimosa 52cm Small Euro Fire Pit

fire pit

The Mimosa 52cm Small Euro Fire Pit has a stylish modern design that will help bring some warmth into your outdoor area.

  • Made from heavy duty cast iron
  • Grey finish
  • Easy to assemble
  • Affordable price $55

This product has seen great reviews from customers. They have liked that it was easy to assemble and is heavy enough to be stable.

Jumbuck Fuoco Standing Grill and Fire Pit

fire pit and grill

The Jumbuck Fuoco Standing Grill And Fire Pit doubles as a fire pit and grill, perfect for keeping warm and cooking outside.

  • Bottom wood storage area
  • Removable cooking grill
  • Powder coated steel construction
  • Priced at $199

Customers have loved the combination of the grill and fire pit, but they would have liked to have had a cover created for it.

Fire Globes Australia

fire globes australia

FireGlobes Australia specialises in hand-drawn and hand-cut bespoke fire pits. These fire pits are custom-made and are totally unique.

  • Full and half size pits available
  • Come with a stand and fire grate
  • Available in 7 different sizes
  • Custom designs
  • Premium price point

Fireglobes have great reviews. Customers have loved the ability to have their own creative input and love how it looks both during the day and when lit at night.

If you need to get your lawn looking great quickly for when entertaining outdoors, why not try a lawn pigment product like ColourGuard Plus!

colourguard plus

For more outdoor inspiration for your backyard and garden, check out our other lawn care blogs here.

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Guide to the Best Outdoor Winter Party | Winter Warmer Recipes

Posted on by Sarah

Are you looking to take your backyard party to the next level? We share some of our favourite winter warmer recipes to help you get the party going in winter when enjoying the backyard and lawn.

Hot Chocolates for the kids and parents

Hot chocolates are the ultimate crowd favourite across all ages! One of our favourite hot chocolate choices here at Lawn Solutions Australia is the Cadbury Drinking Chocolate! Simply whisk milk and your favourite hot chocolate mix over a stove top until warm, then serve.

For the parents, you can add some of your favourite spiced rum, Kahlua, Baileys, or chocolate liqueur for an extra twist!

If you have some free time when preparing for your guests, why not give making hot chocolates from scratch a try!

hot chocolate recipe

What you will need:

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup baking cocoa
  • Dash of salt
  • 1/3 cup hot water
  • 4 cups milk
  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional – miniature marshmallows, sweetened whipped cream or cinnamon sticks

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa, and salt. Add water; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in milk; heat to serving temperature (do not boil). Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Whisk until frothy. If desired, garnish with marshmallows, cream, or cinnamon sticks.

Recipe by Taste of home

Mulled Wine (adults only)

Mulled wine is another easy to make drink that is great when entertaining outdoors. This is traditionally seen at Christmas markets across Europe, but is more commonly consumed here in Australia throughout winter. It is easy to make recipe and is best shared with a group of family and friends, especially on a cool winter night.

mulled wine recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 oranges
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 lime
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 fresh bay leaves
  • 1 whole nutmeg, for grating
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 2 bottles Chianti or other Italian red wine
  • 2 star anise

Method:

  • Peel large sections of peel from the oranges, lemon and lime using a speed-peeler.
  • Put the sugar in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the pieces of peel and squeeze in the orange juice.
  • Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and about 10 to 12 gratings of nutmeg. Halve the vanilla pod lengthways and add to the pan, then stir in just enough red wine to cover the sugar.
  • Let this simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved into the red wine, then bring to the boil. Keep on a rolling boil for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until you’ve got a beautiful thick syrup. The reason I’m doing this first is to create a wonderful flavour base by really getting the sugar and spices to infuse and blend well with the wine. It’s important to make a syrup base first because it needs to be quite hot, and if you do this with both bottles of wine in there you’ll burn off the alcohol.
  • When your syrup is ready, turn the heat down to low and add your star anise and the rest of the wine. Gently heat the wine and after around 5 minutes, when it’s warm and delicious, ladle it into heatproof glasses and serve.

Recipe by Jamie Oliver

Roasted Leg of Lamb

When entertaining you can’t go wrong with a roasted leg of lamb and veggies. If it’s your first time cooking a leg of lamb, don’t be intimidated, it is a simple and easy dish to cook up especially when preparing for a crowd on a cold winter night.

This recipe uses the Weber barbecue. You can use this recipe for a normal oven, but you may need to adjust your cooking times.

lamb roast recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 x 2 to 2.5 kg leg of lamb
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • Fresh rosemary sprigs
  • ½ lemon
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the barbecue for indirect cooking over medium heat (190°C to 230°C). If you are using a Weber Q barbecue, set up your barbecue with a convection tray and trivet.
  2. Using a sharp knife, cut 10 to 12 small slits into the flesh of the lamb. Push a piece of garlic and a small sprig of rosemary into each slit.
  3. Squeeze the lemon juice all over the lamb. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. To estimate the cooking time, measure the meat through its thickest part and cook for 1 minute per millimetre for medium. For example if the roast is 90mm thick, cook for 90 minutes.
  5. Roast the lamb over indirect medium heat for 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours, with the lid closed, or until cooked to your liking.
  6. Once the lamb has cooked, remove from the barbecue and leave to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Recipe by Weber

Dessert

Now time for everyone’s favourite, dessert! This caramel pear self-saucing pudding recipe is just the right mix of warm and sweet for a cool winter night. Here’s what you will need…

caramel self saucing recipe

Ingredients:

Caramel sauce:

  • 1/2 cup (110g) firmly packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) boiling water
  • 50 gram butter, chopped

Caramel pear self-saucing puddings:

  • 425 gram can pear slices in natural juice, drained
  • 3/4 cup (110g) self-raising flour
  • 1/3 cup (75g) firmly packed brown sugar
  • 20 gram butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) milk
  • 1/3 cup (40g) pecans, chopped coarsely icing sugar, for decorating

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to moderate (180°C / 160°C fan-forced). Grease four shallow ovenproof dishes (1 1/4cup / 300ml capacity). Place dishes on an oven tray.
  2. Divide pear slices among dishes.
  3. Combine flour, sugar, butter, and milk in a small bowl; mix well. Spread the mixture evenly over pear slices in dishes. Sprinkle batter with pecans.
  4. To make caramel sauce, combine all the ingredients in a medium heatproof jug; stir until sugar is dissolved and butter melted.
  5. Pour caramel sauce slowly over the back of a spoon over mixture in dishes. Bake in a moderate oven for about 25 minutes or until firm.
  6. Dust lightly with sifted icing sugar, serve immediately with cream or ice-cream, if desired.

Recipe from Womens Weekly

If you need to get your lawn looking great quickly for when entertaining outdoors, why not try a lawn pigment product like ColourGuard Plus!

colourguard plus

We hope these winter warmer recipes give you some inspiration for when you are hosting your party or gathering this winter. Make sure you check out our other blogs for more yard inspiration here.

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Grasses in Winter | A Geographical Guide

Posted on by Sarah

As we are in the cooler months, most lawns across Australia will be slow in growth and can lose some colour. This is mainly due to the drop in soil temperatures and the reduced amount of direct sunlight. However, as Australia is such a large continent, different areas will face different conditions at each time of year. This article looks at what is expected to happen with your lawn type in your area during winter.

For this article, we will be separating Australia into three regions. The first Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, and the Southern regions of Australia. The second Sydney, Newcastle, Gold Coast, and areas north of Canberra. The third Darwin, Perth, Cairns, and areas north of Brisbane.

Canberra, Melbourne, and Adelaide

These regions are generally the hardest hit by cooler temperatures. These regions will usually experience multiple frosts per year and have bigger temperature variations. The hot summers and cold winters can make it challenging to find a turf variety that suits these conditions year-round.

Most of the common grasses here in Australia are warm-season grasses. This includes Buffalo, Couch, and Kikuyu. In winter, they can slow in growth, and some colour loss is expected. Whilst they do lose colour, they will always naturally bounce back in colour and health once the weather warms up.

Frosts cause damage to turf when the moisture inside the leaf blade freezes and expands. This causes the cell wall of the grass to rupture, damaging the turf. Frost can also cause significant discolouration to the leaf as the damaged cell walls slows down photosynthesis.

Couch and Kikuyu grasses like Eureka Kikuyu and TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda have a fast-growing nature, making them able to bounce back quickly once the warmer temperatures start in spring.

Buffalo grasses usually need a few weeks of warmer temperatures to return to their former colour.

Zoysia grasses are generally slower growing grasses, so they will take the longest to bounce back from frost damage once the warmer temperatures come.

Fescue, Rye Grass, and cool-season blends are common around this region. These grasses will hold better colour during cooler conditions as they contain proteins that prevent them from freezing. However, during the warmer months, these grasses will require significantly more water than warm-season grasses to stay green and healthy. Cool season grasses also have poor weather tolerance and are susceptible to grub damage.

winter lawn

Sydney, Newcastle, and Gold Coast

Sydney, Newcastle, and Gold Coast areas will notice a drop in temperatures over winter. Over winter these areas will encounter very few frosts. Lawns will mostly lose colour and will be impacted by shorter hours of sunlight.

Like in Canberra, Melbourne, and Adelaide, you will mostly find warm season grasses like Buffalo, Couch, Kikuyu, and Zoysia. As these grasses are warm-season varieties, they will slowdown in growth and can lose some colouring.

Cool-season grasses are not as common in this region. This is due to the warmer winters and warmer summers compared to southern regions. As a result, cool-season grasses will struggle and require more water to survive and thrive than warm-season varieties.

Sun loving turf varieties like couch and kikuyu will primarily be impacted by the shorter hours of sun during the day. These varieties need around 6 hours of direct light per day. When this is reduced and shade levels are increased, this can interrupt the turf. If your lawn lacks sunlight throughout winter, prune back any surrounding trees and shrubs to allow more sunlight to reach your lawn.

Buffalo like Sir Walter DNA Certified and Zoysia grasses like Sir Grange Zoysia are generally more shade-tolerant turf varieties, needing around 4 + hours of direct light.

winter lawn care

Darwin, Perth, and Cairns

These regions usually have warm temperatures throughout winter with the occasional cool day. Therefore, in these areas warm-season grasses like couch, zoysia, buffalo and other broadleaf grasses like carpet grass are primarily grown.

These regions will still experience warmer temperatures and are often unaffected in winter.

If you want to up your lawn game and keep it green over winter, we recommend applying a lawn pigment product like ColourGuard Plus. ColourGuard Plus is a 100% natural grass colourant. It is safe to use on all lawn types, year-round and safe to use around pets and children.

Colourguard plus

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

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How do they make new ‘hybrid’ grasses? | TifTuf ‘Hybrid’ Bermuda

Posted on by Sarah

Some of you may be familiar with new superior grass varieties like TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. But what does the hybrid mean, and how are grasses like this created? In this blog, we’ll explain how…

Hybrid Turf Varieties

Technically all turfgrass varieties are hybrid varieties, in that they are seedlings that are the result of cross-pollination of plants with different DNA.

Interspecific hybrids are seedlings from cross-pollination of plants of different species.

F1 hybrids are the first seed from a selective cross-pollination of the same or different species. They may or may not be capable of producing seed. F2 is the second generation of these fertile F1 seedlings.

Seeded Hybrids

Seeded hybrid varieties are developed by natural cross-pollination of two or more parental lines.

Turfgrass Hybrids

Turfgrass hybrid varieties do not breed true, meaning that the seedlings they produce are different and not physiologically the same. With every seed being genetically different, over time you will see segregated patches which gradually become visible, especially during the cooler months.

This means that hybrid varieties require vegetative propagation to maintain the original plant’s phenotype or DNA. These are known as clonal varieties. Those that are hybrid varieties vegetatively propagated from clonal plants or an individual seedling selection.

Vegetatively propagated couch hybrid varieties are developed by a selection of superior plants from established seeded or vegetatively propagated plantings.The History of ‘Tif’ton Turf

Triploids

This is where things get a little bit more scientific, but we’ll try to keep it simple…

The branded varieties are primarily known as triploids, which have 3 sets of chromosomes. This includes hybrid couch or bermuda grasses, like TifTuf.

TifTuf has proven itself to be the very best couch grass available through extensive trials and testing throughout Australia and the US where it was bred.

The name “triploid hybrid” comes from its two sets of C. dactylon (N=36) and one set of C. transvaalensis (N=18) chromosomes.

The couch triploid hybrids are Interspecific hybrids developed by cross-pollinating plants of Cynodon dactylon known as Bermuda grass and Cynodon transvaalensis, known as African Dogtooth grass.

Propagation

These hybrid plants are sterile and incapable of producing seed.

This means the commercial production of these triploid couch hybrids needs to be entirely vegetative as instant turf, sprigs, or plugs.

So, if we specifically look at TifTuf for example. TifTuf has uneven sets of chromosomes being a Triploid, does not produce pollen and is considered sterile. If by chance TifTuf produced a seed, it would not replicate TifTuf’s phenotype.

Turf quality of vegetatively propagated couch triploid hybrids is consistently higher than the quality of seeded common couch hybrids.

Therefore, commercial hybrid turfgrass varieties, that are kept physiologically the same in replicated tests, are consistently superior to seeded varieties.

sprig planting

TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda

All accredited TifTuf turf suppliers in Australia grow all their material from foundation plant material that is then sprig planted and established.

This ensures TifTuf’s trueness to type. It is an incredible grass with a specific set of traits that make it stand above all others, so it’s important that it’s kept genetically the same.

Certified TifTuf turf fields are then audited and assessed for genetic purity to ensure that the grass harvested is 100% pure TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. This is conducted through AusGAP, Australia’s Genetic Assurance Program for turfgrass.

To make sure you are getting the real deal when it comes to the turf variety you buy, make sure you buy it from an accredited turf supplier who can supply the AusGAP Certification certificate for proof of authenticity.

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

Ausgap inspection

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How to Back Lap a Cylinder Mower

Posted on by Sarah

If you have a cylinder mower, a sharp reel is important to ensure a nice clean cut to your grass. But, do you know how to Back Lap a Cylinder mower? This blog looks at how to sharpen the blades on a cylinder mower.

What is back lapping?

If your reel and bedknife are not working as they should, your grass blades will be torn rather than cut. This isn’t great for the appearance of your lawn and is also not ideal for plant health.

Back lapping is the process of maintaining the sharpness of your cutting cylinder blades. This helps to ensure your reel and bedknife are bedded together and cut evenly, providing a sharp and even cut. Once the cylinder edge has been lost, you will need to have the cylinder re-ground.

Before you undertake the following back lapping process, it’s extremely important that you handle the machine safely and wear suitable protective equipment. Make sure you are wearing gloves, you are not wearing any bagging clothing, particularly long sleeves, and have a safe working area clear of clutter and away from others.

cylinder mowers

Step 1 –

The first thing you want to do is make sure that the machine won’t function. Turn the on/off switch to off and for extra safety remove the spark plug.

Step 2 –

Tip the cylinder mower backwards so that the reel and bedknife are easily accessible.

Step 3 –

Use a Mill Bastard file to take the round edge off the bed knife. As you do so, move the cylinder reel away from the pinch point. Using the file to put a sharp cutting edge on the leading edge of the bedknife.

backlap cylinder mower

Step 4 –

Use a cordless drill or back lapping machine and socket to turn the cylinder reel backwards.

While it is spinning, wet down the reel and bedknife lightly with water. A spray bottle will make this easier to get a nice even coverage of water across all elements.

Step 5 –

Next, apply back lapping compound or paste. This paste is a water-soluble grinding paste designed specifically for sharpening blades.

Apply back lapping compound evenly using a small to medium-sized paintbrush with a long handle while the reel is spinning. Using a piece of PVC pipe over the handle can help extend the length of the handle so your hands are kept at a distance from the blades.

The brushes only need to flick the reel blades as they spin lightly brushing as it goes around. Do not allow the brush to enter too far into the cylinder.

Important note: It is extremely important you are paying full attention while doing this and keep your hand as far away from the spinning reel as possible.

It is suggested to allow the cylinder to spin backwards after applying the grind paste for 5 minutes.

backlap cylinder mower

Step 6 –

Once the blades have been coated, wash off the paste using a hose.

Step 7 –

Adjust the cylinder position evenly to the bedknife, ensuring both sides and just touching the bedknife and the cylinder is spinning smoothly and not too tight.

Make sure the cylinder adjustment lock nuts and loosen prior to adjusting.

Step 8 –

Check with paper for sharpness. Checking cutting cleanly right across all the reel blades. The paper should cut easily like it would when using sharp scissors.

Once you have completed this process spray your cylinder, bedknife and other moving parts with WD40 or a lanolin spray like Inox to stop corrosion and rust. 

Now you know how to Back Lap your Cylinder Mower. You should now have your cylinder perfectly balanced, sharp, and ready perfectly cut your lawn.

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

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Lawn Care Product Bundles

Posted on by Sarah

Great value lawn care product bundles to help you get a better lawn now available!

Weed and Feed Bundle

weed and feed bundle

The Weed and Feed Bundle includes:

  • Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser 10kg
  • Lawn Solutions Lawn Kelper
  • Lawn Solutions All Purpose Weed Control
  • Year-Round Lawn Care Program Spinner
  • Lawn Solutions Gardening Gloves

This Weed and Feed bundle contains a great combination of products to help get your lawn back on track for spring and summer. Best results for your lawn are achieved by applying dedicated premium herbicides and fertiliser products separately. This is why our Weed and Feed Bundle contains both All Purpose Weed Control herbicide for treating broadleaf weeds and Lawn Solutions Premium Lawn Fertiliser for feeding your lawn.

We also include our brand-new Year-Round Lawn Care Program Spinner to help you know what lawn care activities and products to apply to your lawn throughout the year.

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Grub Treat and Protect Bundle

grub treat and protect bundle

  • Lawn Solutions Grub Guard Ultimate
  • Lawn Solutions Battle Insecticide
  • Lawn Solutions Gardening Gloves
  • Year-Round Lawn Care Program Spinner

Protect your lawn from lawn pests with this one-two punch to treat an existing infestation and 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 powered by Acelepryn – the best product on the market for lawn pest prevention in lawns.

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Weed Prevention and Fertiliser Bundle

 

weed prevention and fertiliser bundle

The Weed Prevention and Fertiliser Bundle includes:

  • Lawn Solutions Oxafert 3kg
  • Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser 10kg
  • Landscaper Pro Hand-Held Spreader
  • Year-Round Lawn Care Program Spinner

This bundle has a great combination of spreadable granular products plus a quality spreader to spread them out evenly across your lawn with.

We also include our brand-new Year-Round Lawn Care Program Spinner to help you know what lawn care activities and products to apply to your lawn throughout the year.

Shop Online Now

Liquid Lawn Lover Bundle

liquid lawn lovers bundle

The Liquid Lawn Lover Bundle includes:

  • Lawn Rescue
  • 2L Lawn Soaker
  • Exceed Liquid Fertiliser 2.5Ltr Concentrate
  • Year-Round Lawn Care Program Spinner

Do you prefer to use liquid lawn care products? Well, this bundle has every liquid you need to help maintain the health of both your lawn and the soil that it relies on. With a combination of products, including soil conditioners with seaweed extracts, wetting agents to assist in water permeability, and liquid nutrient for foliar fed nutrition, you can ensure your lawn has all the liquid treatments it needs.

We also include our brand-new Year-Round Lawn Care Program Spinner to help you know what lawn care activities and products to apply to your lawn throughout the year.

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The Lawn Solutions Australia App

Posted on by Sarah

Are you looking for lawn care advice? We have heaps of info all available on our new app!

 

 

  • Have you got a weed, lawn pest or disease you can’t identify? Our app is full of resources to help, or you can submit an enquiry with one of our experts and we can offer free identification and advice for treatment.

lawn care app    lawn care app    lawn care app

  • Looking to learn more about lawn varieties or find a local accredited supplier? The LSA App has a feature linking to all our turf varieties and accredited Lawn Solutions Australia Members.

lawn care app    lawn care app

  • Plus never miss a Lawn Store Promotion or Giveaway with app notification alerts!

lawn care app

  • We also provide regular seasonal tips through an in-built calendar!

Available to download today on both the Apple Store and Google Play Store.

   

Download the Lawn Solutions Australia App today!

Wonder Grass – Sir Grange Zoysia

Posted on by Nathan Edwards

Sir Grange Zoysia is making its mark on some of the country’s top golf courses. Here’s why it could be here to stay

IN THE hinterland between Ballina and Lismore on the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales lies a renovated nine-holer winning plaudits from locals and interlopers. Teven Valley Golf Club [pictured] is the inspiration of former Westpac banker Curt Zuber who purchased the fledgling course in 2016.

Determined to create something special, Zuber commissioned former tour professional Craig Parry who had previously designed a backyard hole at Zuber’s Sydney residence. To construct the new layout, Zuber approached Paul Gumbleton, superintendent at his home club of Monash Country Club, and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Gumbleton and former Kingston Heath assistant super Bob Simmons spent three years building the new Teven Valley one hole at time.

Such has been the quality of the redesign that it’s created insatiable demand to play a par-31 layout that maxes out at just 1,705 metres. The $60 green fee for nine holes is yet to curb the enthusiasm of visitors, while Teven Valley’s membership is fully capped at 400 with another 50 golfers on a waiting list to join a club with an annual sub of $1,500.

teven golf sir grange

What makes Teven Valley unique is the turf composition. With the exception of its greens, Teven Valley is the only Australian course that features Sir Grange Zoysia on the entire layout. The finely bladed Sir Grange Zoysia is known as a ‘golfer’s grass’. It has a strong, upright leaf structure where a golf ball tends to sit up on top of the leaf rather than sinking into the profile.

THE STORY BEHIND SIR GRANGE ZOYSIA

In America, Sir Grange Zoysia is known by the name of Zeon Zoysia. It was developed by turf breeder David Doguet at Bladerunner Farms in Poteet, Texas. The storied Atlanta Athletic Club and the Rio Olympic course are two prominent tournament venues to feature Zeon Zoysia. Lawn Solutions Australia is the licence holder here under the label Sir Grange Zoysia. It produces more than 50 per cent of all turf sold in Australia from 43 turf production farms under the Lawn Solutions banner. One of those farms, Daleys Turf on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, supplied Sir Grange Zoysia to Teven Valley.

While a variety of couch grasses were considered for Teven Valley, the decision came down to three important factors: playability, environmental suitability and cost savings over the long term. As a boutique golf course, Sir Grange Zoysia offered an opportunity to have a point of difference to other clubs. For Teven Valley course designer Parry, the selection of Sir Grange Zoysia was straight-forward once he realised it was readily available here in Australia. Parry appreciated the qualities of zoysia while playing the PGA Tour event at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm near Washington D.C. “They have extreme weather conditions. So they get really hot in summer and it snows in winter. So if a grass can actually get through that, it would be a really good surface to play on. It was a no-brainer as far as it was going to do well in Teven,” Parry says.

“It’s a very hardy grass. The ball really sits up on a tee. [With] some grasses the ball sits down and it’s difficult to get underneath it. Whereas when you’re playing off zoysia, it sits up and it’s just looking at you all the time. It’s a fantastic grass.” From an environmental perspective, Sir Grange Zoysia was a good choice for the humid sub-tropical climate of the Northern Rivers. It needs probably half the amount of fertiliser as other turf grasses.

Sir Grange Golf grass

In fact, some of Teven Valley’s fairways haven’t been fertilised for three years. “They are pure. It’s an incredible surface. The golf course always stays in immaculate condition,” Gumbleton enthuses. So fewer chemicals and less disease. Hence, it’s good for golf clubs from a financial perspective. And as a relatively slow-growing grass, Sir Grange Zoysia also made sense given Teven Valley was initially maintained by just two turf managers.

“For what we were planning to do with a small team,” Gumbleton adds, “[Sir Grange Zoysia] was going to be a better grass, especially for this Northern Rivers area where the grass will grow around your feet if you stand still long enough.”

As to the cost-savings, Gumbleton says: “Expensive grass to put down. We put down 76,000 square metres, all laid by hand. But we could see the benefits. If I was to do a cost-benefit analysis now, we’d be nearly back in front.” Sir Grange Zoysia is also resilient and withstood the epic floods that engulfed the Northern Rivers during the past two years. Teven Valley hadn’t lost any turf, apart from where the force of the water ripped turf out of the ground. Elsewhere at Killara Golf Club on Sydney’s affluent north shore, Lawn Solutions Australia provided 75,000m2 of Sir Grange Zoysia in solid turf from its Jimboomba Turf farm in Queensland. Sir Grange was used on tees and tightly mown surfaces surrounding all 18 greens, offering a neat contrast between the bentgrass putting surfaces and kikuyu fairways.

Apart from being a beautiful surface from which to chip, pitch and putt, Sir Grange Zoysia is not invasive like kikuyu where the runners tend to creep into a green. That was an incentive for Killara, which spent $1 million alone on Sir Grange as part of a $5.6 million renovation. The overall refurbishment has been a resounding success, vindicated by Killara’s re-appearance in Australia’s Top 100 Courses at No.83 after an absence of almost two decades. Zoysia performs particularly well in shade-tolerant areas. On the NSW South Coast, Catalina Country Club at Batemans Bay laid 2,500m2 of Sir Grange on a shade-affected hole with pleasing results. Wollongong, Narooma and Pambula-Merimbula golf clubs have also trialled Sir Grange Zoysia.

Mollymook Golf Club is considering laying Sir Grange at its Hilltop course (currently No.92 in Australian Golf Digest’s Top 100) after a successful trial at its nine-hole Beachside course, which led to maintenance savings.

Sir Grange Logo

When posed a question as to whether Sir Grange Zoysia sounds as though it’s a ‘wonder grass’, superintendent Gumbleton paused for a moment before replying: “That’s a pretty fair statement.”

As seen in…

Golf Digest…