Month: September 2023

Zoysia turf varieties are a favourite when it comes to many Aussie homes for their fantastic colour and versatility across many areas, but what is the best variety? Zoysia Australis is the best option for families who use their area frequently. Sir Grange Zoysia is a premium low-maintenance option for a more sophisticated show garden or display area.

What are the best zoysia grasses for Australian conditions?

Best Zoysia for Families

Zoysia Australis is the best zoysia grass for families. It can stand up to the daily stresses that you and your family will throw at it, while still performing beautifully while still showcasing beautiful zoysia traits. Here are some of the main reasons why Zoysia Australis is considered the best zoysia for families:

• Has a good shade tolerance. Zoysia Australis needs a minimum of 4 hours of direct light and is well suited in full sun areas.
• Has a good wear tolerance and recovery for a zoysia. It can stand up to regular foot traffic from pets and kids and if it does become damaged, it will be able to repair itself quickly.
• Has a fast establishment. This means you can get out and use your lawn faster.
• Soft, medium leaf that feels great underfoot and great to play on.
• Has a beautiful blue/green colour.

Zoysia Australis is part of the Zoysia japonica family. It can stand up to the stresses of a family and pets and has shade tolerance to thrive where other grasses falter.

Zoysia Australis is one of the latest turfgrasses to hit the Australian market. It was bred by Dr. Brian Schwartz at the world-famous University of Georgia, Tifton campus. This grass has been undergoing trial work here in Australia since 2018 with a range of elite zoysia grasses, with Zoysia Australis coming up on top.

Zoysia Australis is exclusively available from the Lawn Solutions Australia national network of Turf Suppliers.

Best Zoysia for Show Gardens and Manicured Lawns

Sir Grange Zoysia is the best zoysia if you are after a high-end show garden! It has a stunning fine blade with a beautiful dark green colour. Sir Grange is a slow-growing grass, meaning it has lower mowing requirements compared to other faster-growing grasses. Sir Grange also can look great when mown as low as 5mm, maintained at any height and can even be left unmown for a more textured and landscaped look. This ability to be left unmown makes it ideal for areas that are difficult to mow.

Here are some of the main reasons why Sir Grange Zoysia is considered the best zoysia grass for show gardens and manicured lawns:

• Soft, fine, dark green leaf.
• Slow growing requires up to 50% less mowing than other common turf varieties.
• Can be mowed at a variety of heights – can even be left unmown for a more textured look.
• Is a low-input grass, requiring 75% less than other common turf varieties.

Sir Grange Zoysia also known as Zeon Zoysia is a fine-bladed Zoysia matrella. It was hand-selected from over 10,000 different turf cultivar varieties. Sir Grange was developed by one of the largest turf grass breeders, Blade Runner Farms in Texas, by Mr David Douget. Bladerunner Farms has the largest privately owned zoysia grass research facility in the world.

This grass has been used on many world-famous projects such as the Rio Olympics Golf Course. It can be seen on several courses designed by Greg Norman and Tiger Woods. This turf type was originally developed for the golf industry, but it was soon discovered that due to its characteristics, it would make a fantastic home lawn!

Sir Grange Zoysia is exclusively available in Australia by Lawn Solutions Australia’s national network of turf suppliers.

I started in the horticulture industry when I was 18 years old, 24 years later I’ve picked up a few tricks of the trade. Things have gone right, things have gone wrong, I’ve killed plenty of plants, but I have always tried to learn along the way and luckily for me, dead plants make the best compost! Here are my top ten tips for creating and maintaining your dream garden.

1. Be in the space before designing it

One of the hardest things to do as a landscape designer is to spend time in somebody else’s space before you start designing it. This time will really allow you to get to know the ins and outs of the garden, the light, the soil, and the environmental factors that influence it. Of course, you can spend some time there during consultations and site meetings but the owners are normally present too, so your focus is on them, not the actual space. Being able to sit and relax and really take in all the pros and cons of a site is vital for a successful garden design. Luckily, as a designer you become attuned to what will and won’t work in a space quickly. But as a homeowner, it’s important to invest time in doing nothing and taking in the space before rushing into a new project or addition.

2. Listen to your client

When I designed my first garden at The Royal Horticulture’s Chelsea Flower Show I was marked down from a gold medal to a silver gilt as my design brief stated the garden will be enclosed with a hedge. My hedge didn’t have enough leaves to enclose the space. I was fuming at the time thinking ‘how petty” however if a client had requested a private enclosed garden and I gave them a deciduous hedge for the boundary, they wouldn’t be happy. As such its vital to understand exactly what you want to get out of a space before embarking on any installation and really focus on what you are trying to achieve throughout the whole process.

3. Less is often more

Getting the scale and proportion of your garden elements right is key to a successful design. It’s much better to have a few elements at the right scale than too much. Too small as it will come across as tokenistic and cluttered. Having space to move around a garden comfortably between elements such as entertaining spaces, lawns, and swimming pools is as much joy as the spaces themselves.

4. Don’t forget practicality

Gardens are a visual feast, and the joy of looking at something beautiful is wonderful, but remember to allocate space for all the items that go along with supporting that beauty – things like lawnmowers, washing lines and kids’ play equipment all need to be thought of where they can go, where they can be accessed with ease and how can they be made to look nice too.

5. Right plant for the right spot

When it comes to planting a new garden or even adding a few plants to an existing bed, do some research on what you are planting. Our lovely green friends have evolved to like a certain set of environmental circumstances. If you can give them what they want, they will thrive. The key elements to look for are aspect – sun or shade, tolerance to wind, type of soil they like, the drainage they require, the amount of water they require and the level of fertilisation they need. This counts for your lawns as well as other plants. If you start to see problems with a plant use this as an opportunity to learn about what is going wrong, I’ve learnt more from diseased plants than I have from the easy-care ones.

6. Soil prep is king

Soil is everything when it comes to successfully growing lawns and ornamental plants. If you get the soil right for the plants you want to grow then you have won the battle to a healthy garden. Compost is king when it comes to improving your soil, and no matter what you have, compost will help it. It helps to bind sandy soils to hold onto nutrients and water but also breaks up clay-based soils by bringing in wildlife like worms and other soil insects. For unstable clays, the addition of gypsum will be paramount to the success of the soil before the introduction of compost. Whenever you get the chance to improve your soil, it’s a well worthy task to complete.

7. Water

Plants love water, even the drought-tolerant ones, The more you water your plants, the better they will grow and the healthier they will be…… as long as they have the right drainage for the plant you are growing. It’s a simple one but one that makes the world of difference to your garden.

8. Mulch

Mulch is a wonderful thing for your garden as it breaks down to improve your soil, slows water into the soil making watering more effective and slows water runoff too which prevents excess erosion. It will suppress weeds and help to lock moisture into the soil not to mention it makes the garden look finished and well cared for. It may seem crazy but try to get a mulch that fits with the style of your garden, a native garden suits leaf litter whilst a rustic garden will sing with a straw style mulch, contemporary spaces can be elevated with a pebble mulch. Remember it’s the small details that make a big difference in a gardens overall visual impact.

9. Less work more often

When it comes to maintaining anything in the garden be it a garden bed, a veggie patch or a lawn doing less more often is better than saving all that time up and trying to get it all done at once. Your plants will be healthier as you will get to know them better and be able to get on top of any issues quicker and your body will enjoy it too which will keep you doing it for longer. I also always like to remember the weeding is never done, no matter how much you do there will always be more and as soon as you come to terms with that the easier it is to do a little bit here and there and not get disheartened if you don’t get it all done.

10. Take time to enjoy the garden

We all enjoy our gardens for different reasons, for some it is watching the kids play on the lawn, for others its harvesting from the vegetable patch or deadheading your annuals. For me there is nothing better than taking a moment to sit and relax out on the lawn being surrounded by my favourite plants and soaking it all in. I truly cherish these brief moments.

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

Spring is now here, and it is a great time to look at installing your new lawn! Temperatures are starting to warm back up but without the hot temperatures from summer. In this blog, we are going to look at our top tips for installing your new lawn to help make the process as seamless as possible.

How Do I Prepare the Ground For My New Lawn?

When installing new turf, it is important to ensure you have removed all the current lawn and weeds. If this is done correctly, it will help prevent them from growing back through your new lawn. After your old turf has been treated and removed, bringing in a quality soil base will help ensure your lawn will be able to grow and establish its roots down into the profile well.

Our top tips for ground preparation:

• Remove all existing grass and weeds with a non-selective herbicide like RoundUp or Zero. You may need 2-3 applications around 7-10 days apart to ensure all plant material is removed. More invasive varieties like Kikuyu or Couch may require more repeated applications for removal.
• Use a good quality soil base (an 80% and 20% loam or a turf underlay mixture is preferred) of at least 80-100mm.

How Do I Install My New Lawn?

When installing your new lawn, it is best to ensure you don’t leave the turf sitting on the pallet for too long, especially if it is a hot day. When laying out your turf, work from the furthest part of your yard and work your way back, laying in a brickwork pattern. Once installed, ensure you give your lawn a good water to stop the roots from drying out.

Our top tips for installing your new lawn:

• Install your lawn the same day you receive it.
• Do not water your lawn when it is on the pallet, as it can cause it to burn.
• Start laying your turf in the furthest away point from your exit and work your way back.
• Lay your new lawn in a brickwork pattern and butt up the edges together.
• Install your new lawn across slopes rather than down.
• If you need to cut the turf to fit around any trees or corners, use either a sharp knife, spade, or garden shears.
• It is best to use large pieces of turf to fill in gaps rather than several smaller pieces where possible. Smaller pieces will be more susceptible to drying out.
• After your lawn is installed, give it a good water. If installing your lawn over a large area, water the finished sections while you work to prevent turf from drying out.
• You can give your new lawn a light roll once installed; however this is not necessary.

How Do I Care For My New Lawn?

Now that the hard work is done, there are a few extra steps you can do to ensure your lawn has the best chance to thrive well into the future. Keep foot traffic off the area and ensure you keep up with regular watering. This will help ensure your lawns roots are able to grow deeply into the profile.

Our top tips for caring for your new lawn:

• Irrigate your lawn regularly enough so that your lawn does not dry out. New lawns must not be allowed to dry out in the first six weeks post-installation. If you are away from home, sprinklers and tap times should be used. Your local turf suppliers should be able to provide you with a guide on how regularly you should be watering. The amount you need to water will also be dependent on the time of year. Please have a look at the below table as a guide on when to water.
• When watering your lawn, apply a minimum of 3mm. Use a rain gauge or catch cups to check how long this will be with your irrigation method.
• Foot traffic (including your pets) should be kept to a minimum until the lawn has fully established and has been mown 3-4 times.
• Depending on the time of year and variety, your lawn will vary in the time it takes to establish. It is best to walk out every 3-4 days post-installation and pull up the corners of the roll/slab gently. If they have established into the soil, it is time to mow. For a fast-growing grass like TifTuf this may occur after 5-6 days.
• When giving you lawn its first mow, mow on a high setting to be sure not to scalp the lawn.
• Fertilise your lawn once it has been down for 5-6 weeks. For fertilising, we recommend using our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser and water it in well after application.

Please note: it is normal for the corners of the turf rolls/slabs to dry out in the first few weeks after installation.

Turf Installation & Initial Care – Best Practice Guidelines

Looking for an easy lawn solution? Introducing the Lawn Solutions hose-on range. Just clip it, and hose it! Our clip-on hose-on attachment will help make lawn care easier than ever. And if you are unsure about measuring and mixing concentrates, these will be a great solution for you.

Applying these new hose-on products couldn’t be easier…

• Shake the bottle well before use and ensure the bottle remains upright during application.
• Attach the hose-on bottle to your hose and remove the plastic plug from the sprayer.
• Turn on your tap and ensure the bottle is pointing towards the intended spray area.
• Most our hose-on products are fitted with additional shut-off valves, so no need to kink the hose to stop the water flow. Gently pull up the black tab and the sprayer will immediately start spraying.
• Apply evenly to your lawn, moving across it smoothly so the lawn is quickly coated.

These products are designed for use on most grass varieties in all climates. They are safe to use in a domestic situation around humans, and around domestic animals. Just be sure to keep them off the lawn during application and while the lawn is drying. One last tip, make sure you avoid applying to footpaths or other hard surfaces. Some of these products contain iron so can stain if not washed off immediately.

Lawn Kelper Liquid Hose-on

Lawn Kelper Liquid Hose-on spray is a balanced formulation with the added additions of Trace Elements, Seaweed Kelp and Fulvic Acid. This formulation is designed specifically for turf/lawns to increase turf vigour and stimulate and strengthen roots and shoots.

The 2L ready-to-use bottle will treat up to 150m².

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Exceed Foliar Fertiliser Hose-On

Exceed Hose-on is a premium, professional-grade foliar fertiliser that we’ve specifically designed to bring out the best in your lawn. This carefully balanced NPK ratio will provide health and colour to your lawn during the growing period and can be used year-round.

This 2L ready-to-use bottle will also treat up to 150m².

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All Purpose Weed Control Hose-on

Knock out common weeds such as Bindii, Creeping Oxalis, Catsear, Clover, Cudweed, Dandelion and Thistles with All Purpose Weed Control. This weed killer is suitable for established couch, bent, kikuyu, paspalum, buffalo, zoysia, fescue and rye lawns and turf.

Easy to use, clip on hose on attachment will make application easier than ever. No need to measure and mix up concentrates.

All Purpose Weed Control 2L ready-to-use bottle treats up to 200m².

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Lawn Rescue Hose-on

Lawn Rescue is a perfect blend of liquid fertilisers, seaweed extracts and wetting agents is ideal for use during establishment, post establishment and for post-winter revival. This product promotes the development of root systems and growth in new lawns, and stimulates, supports and protects root growth in established lawns year-round.

Lawn Solutions Lawn Rescue 2L ready-to-use bottle treats up to 150m².

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ColourGuard Plus Hose-on

ColourGuard Plus is a liquid fertiliser and a natural grass pigment that instantly restores the colour of your lawn. Apply this 100% natural grass colourant to keep your lawn looking green year-round.

ColourGuard 2L ready-to-use bottle covers up to 150m².

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Lawn Soaker Hose-on

Lawn Soaker is a ready to use soil wetting agent specifically developed for use on lawns. It improves the penetration of water so it can reach deep down to the roots. Regular use will ensure the soil re-wets and prevents further dry spots from forming.

Apply as frequently as necessary to treat water repellent soil and improve drought resistance. Lawn Soaker will help break down the wax like substance that is caused by the decomposition of organic matter, allowing water to penetrate.

Lawn Solutions Lawn Soaker 2L ready-to-use bottle treats up to 150m².

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The Lawn Solutions Hose-On Product Range can be purchased on our online Lawn Store or from your local Lawn Solutions Australia Member or Reseller.