June 2023 - Lawn Solutions Australia

Benefits of Lawn Care Professionals

For most Australians, lawn care can easily be looked after by themselves, but sometimes you might need an extra hand to help. We look at some of the common reasons why you may need to get in a lawn care professional to help in your garden.

Are you time-poor?

For the most part, your lawn maintenance won’t take up a large chunk of your time, depending on the size of your lawn. However, if you are time-poor or unable to keep up with your lawns mowing requirements, you may want to consider hiring a lawn contractor who can do this for you. There are plenty of local lawncare businesses that operate across Australia that can help with your lawn maintenance needs, whether it be mowing to weeding.

Access to commercial-grade products

If you are tackling a particularly nasty weed invasion, lawn disease or pest, a commercial-grade chemical may be required for treatment. These can be expensive, and application can be more hands-on than domestic-style lawn care products.

This is where a lawn contractor can come in handy. Using a contractor who specialises in spraying commercial chemicals will ensure you can get on top of the issue present without needing to purchase or use commercial products.

Spring lawn renovations

Throughout the warmer months, you may want to renovate your lawn. A lawn renovation can help reset your lawn or address soil composition, thatch, or soil compaction issues. A lawn renovation usually consists of weed removal, dethatching, aerating, fertilising, preventative insecticides, pre-emergent herbicides, top dressing, and watering for recovery. Doing a renovation can be a time-consuming and laborious task. So bringing in a lawn care professional to do this can be an ideal option.

lawn renovation

Struggling with a particular weed or disease?

Pesky weeds including onion weed, ryegrass, nutgrass and other invading grass types, and diseases like dollar spot, brown patch, and winter fusarium, can be more challenging to remove. A lawn contractor can come out to your property and identify what weed/disease your lawn has. The contractor will then be able to treat the issue appropriately.

If you are struggling with a particular lawn issue and want to treat it yourself, our team of lawn experts here at Lawn Solutions Australia can assist. You can reach out to us on our social media accounts and send us some photos of the issues you are facing. We can then recommend the best treatments to get the area back on track.

weed removal

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

Essential Lawn Care Equipment

Welcome to our guide on essential lawn care equipment! Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb or a beginner ready to delve into the world of lawn maintenance, having the right tools will help you achieve a healthy and picturesque lawn. In this blog, we will explore a variety of must-have lawn care equipment.

Skip to: sprayers and knapsacks, fertiliser spreaders.

What Lawn Mower is Best for Me?

Lawn mowers are the first piece of lawn care equipment you should have in your garage. Mowing your lawn regularly will not only help ensure your yard is kept tidy but will help keep your lawn healthy. Purchasing your own mower is worth the investment. Regular mowing is important whether you want to do minimal work with your lawn or take it to the next level.

mowing lawn

We recommend mowing your lawn frequently enough so that only one-third of the leaf is removed with each pass. This is known as the one-third rule. During the warmer months, while your lawn is actively growing, you will need to mow more frequently compared to the cooler months when grass slows in growth. Mowing your lawn using the one-third rule will help limit the amount of stress caused to the plant and help avoid scalping.

The type of mower you decide to go with will depend on a few factors, including lawn size, budget, and personal preference. The popular go-to choice for most home owners is the rotary mower. Rotary mowers are especially popular for buffalo lawns, including Sir Walter DNA Certified, Zoysia Australis and Kikuyu lawns as they prefer a higher cut. Rotary mowers have spinning blades rotating on a vertical axis under a cutting deck. They work best on a medium to high cut and are now available as both petrol and battery powered. Some trusty rotary mower brands to look out for include Honda, Victa, Toro, Bosh, Ryobi, Masport, Ozito, Makita and Husqvarna.

different mower types

If you have a couch lawn, like TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda, or a Zoysia lawn like Sir Grange Zoysia, or are after a lower cut, you may want to consider using a cylinder mower. Cylinder mowers will also produce a cleaner cut compared to a rotary mower as it will cut the grass and not tear it.

For more information on choosing a mower for your lawn, check out our blog on Guide to Buying a Mower.

Why Should I Use a Knapsack or Pressure Sprayer?

Now that we have mowing your lawn under control let’s look at how you can apply other lawn care products to get the most out of your turf. Most lawn care products will come in a concentrate that need to be dissolved in water. This mix can then be applied to the lawn with a knapsack or pressure sprayer, allowing the product to be evenly applied.

There are a few different types of sprayers that you can use, from battery powered, handheld and backpack sprayers, each with different water volume sizes. For a smaller lawn, a smaller handheld sprayer like the Husqvarna 1.5L Manual Sprayer can do the job effectively. For a larger area, you should consider using a backpack sprayer or a battery powered sprayer like the 8L Battery Handheld Sprayer, or the Husqvarna 15L Battery Backpack Sprayer.

colourguard plus

What Are the Advantages of Using a Fertiliser Spreader?

For using granular fertilisers and other granular products, you will get a much more even product application of your product when using a granular spreader compared to spreading the granules out by hand. When the trigger is pulled on a fertiliser spreader the granules are dispersed at an even rate. Fertilising without a spreader can result in an uneven growth throughout your turf.

Like the other products mentioned, a range of options are available for different area sizes. Handheld spreaders are ideal for small to medium lawn sizes. If you have a larger area, a battery-powered handheld spreader or a walk-behind spreader can be an easier option to use.

premium fertiliser

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

What is the Best Buffalo Grass?

Sir Walter DNA Certified and Stampede Hybrid Buffalo are two outstanding choices for Australian lawns.

sir walter dna certifiedstampede logo

Both offer the durability, versatility and low-maintenance benefits that make buffalo grass so popular, but each has its own strengths. Sir Walter DNA Certified has a long history of proven performance across Australian conditions, while Stampede Hybrid Buffalo brings new hybrid genetics designed to deliver strong establishment, wear recovery, drought resilience, disease resistance and improved winter colour.

 best buffalo grass brisbane

Sir Walter DNA Certified:

A proven performer

For decades, Sir Walter DNA Certified has been one of Australia’s most trusted buffalo grasses, combining excellent shade tolerance, drought performance, wear recovery and a soft leaf.

best buffalo grass melbourne

Why choose Sir Walter DNA Certified?

  • Proven across Australian climates
  • Excellent shade tolerance
  • High drought tolerance
  • Soft, family-friendly leaf
  • High wear tolerance
  • Very low maintenance
  • Dense growth habit
  • Good weed suppression
  • Proven ability to recover from wear and stress
  • More than 100 million metres sold
  • DNA Certified / genuine variety assurance
  • LSA’s 10-year product warranty when purchased through the appropriate accredited network

best buffalo grass for sydney

Stampede Hybrid Buffalo:

The next generation

Stampede Hybrid Buffalo brings new hybrid genetics to Australian lawns, with a focus on strong establishment, recovery, drought performance, disease resistance and improved winter colour.

why choose stampede buffalo

Why choose Stampede Hybrid Buffalo?

  • Hybrid buffalo genetics
  • Strong establishment
  • Excellent lateral growth
  • High wear tolerance and recovery
  • Improved winter colour and colour retention
  • Dark natural genetic colour
  • Strong drought performance
  • Improved disease resistance
  • Reduced thatch
  • Extensive Australian field testing before release
  • Broad adaptation across different environments

best buffalo lawn type

What is the best buffalo grass?

The answer depends on your lawn.

Sir Walter DNA Certified is a proven Australian performer with decades of experience behind it, making it a trusted choice for homeowners looking for a soft, hardy and highly versatile buffalo lawn.

Stampede Hybrid Buffalo represents the next generation of buffalo, combining hybrid genetics with strong establishment, wear recovery, drought performance, disease resistance and improved winter colour.

Both are excellent buffalo choices. The right one for you will depend on your location, growing conditions, how you use your lawn and the characteristics that matter most to you.

Not sure which buffalo is right for your lawn? Contact your local Lawn Solutions Australia Member for advice.

lawn solutions turf suppliers

Turf Talk – July 2023

Turf Talk Digital

 

Turf Talk is suitable for all turf professionals, from turf growers to landscapers, golf courses and sports ground curators, to government and related industry organisations.

Turf Talk is here to share with you the latest information on the turf industry, the exciting developments in turf research and to keep you up to date with everything you need to know about turf.

Some topics in this issue include:

  • A New Home For The Brisbane Lions
  • Jimboomba Turf Celebrates 50 Years
  • Introducing Zoysia Australis
  • The Container Garden by Charlie Albone
  • The Lawn Tips Par 3 Project
  • 5 Million Sqm Metres of TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda

Click here to download a pdf copy.

For any enquiries, submissions or to subscribe to either our digital edition or mailing list to receive a hard copy, please contact us at the following:

Phone – 1300 883 711

Email – [email protected]