Anthony, Author at Lawn Solutions Australia

Can You Install a New Lawn in Winter?

Posted on August 8, 2017June 26, 2024 by Anthony

Whilst the warmer months in spring, summer and early autumn are the ideal time of year to lay a new lawn, winter is still a good time in most situations. There are even a few benefits of laying a new lawn in winter. There is a common misconception that installing a new warm season turf like Sir Walter DNA Certified cannot be done in cool conditions. This isn’t the truth, as turf is installed successfully all year round anywhere in Australia. In the warmer states, like Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern WA this isn’t really an issue as the temperature stays warm. But in NSW, Victoria, SA and southern WA cold winters can put a doubt in our mind.

Why lay a new lawn in winter?

Less irrigating is required in winter for new turf.
By installing turf now you can have a fully established lawn in time for summer. Why wait until spring where you can’t use your lawn until it’s established? Get a head start now!
Lawn Solutions Australia turf farms undertake a number of measures to ensure the turf they supply during winter is top quality. This includes the use of frost blankets and ColourGuard applications.

A benefit in laying a new lawn in winter is lower water usage. In winter, you will not have to irrigate your new lawn anywhere near as much compared with the warmer months. Whilst it still needs some water, you can virtually halve your water usage by laying turf in winter and still maintain a healthy lawn come spring.

Another benefit is you won’t have to mow your lawn until the weather warms up. Just keep in mind, when laying a new lawn in winter the lawn will not root down properly until the weather warms up and it starts growing again. This doesn’t mean anything is wrong, and your lawn isn’t dying. It is simply sitting idle until it gets some warmer temperatures so it can fully establish.

Choosing the right turf variety

When looking to install turf in your garden and lifestyle there are a few factors to consider. Garden position and size, budget, amount of traffic on the lawn are just a few.

If your garden is drenched in all day sunlight, your options are pretty much wide open. From the sun loving couch grasses to budget busting kikuyu’s, most grasses will survive and thrive in these conditions. If you do have issues with shade, this does not discount having a healthy lawn though. Take a look at Sir Walter DNA Certified, well known for setting the benchmark in shade tolerance. In fact, Sir Walter is so popular over 100 million metres of it have been laid since it was discovered. Sir Walter DNA Certified remains Australia’s favourite buffalo lawn. The same can be said for lawns that are given a good workout by kids and pets – take a look at hardy, quick repairing lawns or even discuss with your local turf supplier varieties such as TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda.

Turf Selector

Lawn Solution Turf Suppliers

When buying turf from a Lawn Solutions Australia turf supplier, you can be guaranteed that the turf you receive will be of the highest quality year-round. All our turf suppliers are AusGAP certified. This ensuring you that the turf you have bought will be true to type and has been monitored for quality, to be free of weeds, pests, and diseases.

So why wait? Beat the rush in spring and install your lawn now so it’s ready to use all summer.

To find contact details for your local accredited turf supplier visit here.

Buy Turf Online Now

Top Tips from a Turf Farmer

Posted on August 1, 2017June 8, 2021 by Anthony

You don’t get many chances to ‘start over’ with a lawn so it’s a great opportunity to get it right
Think about how you want your new lawn to perform and its main use – variety choice is important
Consider long-term factors like drainage, shading over time, ongoing maintenance before you start

When it comes to growing turf, it’s just like growing any plant really; a good soil-bed, water, light, nutrients and a bit of maintenance are all required to keep it in good condition. And just like preparing a garden bed, if you can apply similar attention to the quality and depth of your soil then you’ll be way ahead in the long-run. When Turfgrowers are preparing new paddocks for planting of a new turf type, they will go to great lengths to get the soil prepared so it is easier to keep the crop weed-free and productive for a number of years. In most cases it will involve some weed spraying, deep ripping, some cultivation, maybe some levelling and drainage work, soil testing, amelioration with additives (gypsum, lime etc.) and fertilisers and trace elements depending on soil test results. More often-than-not the paddock may be left fallow (not planted) for a number of months to allow any further weed-seeds to germinate and then further weed-spraying, cultivation, possible rolling and even fumigation may take place prior to finally planting the new turf crop.

The work doesn’t stop there of course with pre-emergent herbicide applications, fertilising, irrigation, regular mowing, hand-spot-weeding and other foliar applications taking place before the turf is ready for harvest. Depending on the location and turf-type that could take anywhere between six and eighteen months or thereabouts before the turf is healthy and strong enough to be cut and rolled-up ready for delivery. So with this in mind, consider a similar approach to your new lawn for best long-term results:

Successful establishment of all lawn types relies on proper soil preparation. Without preparing your soil properly, your lawn can suffer from poor soil drainage, compaction, pH or fertility problems that could have otherwise been simply prevented.
Removing weeds and debris is important when preparing your soil. One of the best methods for eliminating weeds is using an environmentally-friendly herbicide, such as a non-residual glyphosate herbicide like Roundup.
Keep drainage and the grade of your lawn area in mind as it should slope enough to allow surface water to drain away from your house yet be gradual enough to allow for easy maintenance and outdoor activities.
Where steep slopes exist (over 40%) or grades change drastically, consider installing retaining walls or other surface plantings in these areas as mowing and other maintenance may become difficult after you’ve finished.
It is recommended to strip the top layer of your soil by around 150mm (six inches) and this will ensure the removal of any debris, clay or poor growing medium.
Beware of areas where mortar or ‘brickies sand’ were stored as they can cause high pH issues in your soil, it’s the last thing you want to happen after getting your turf established.
When setting up levels, establish and stake or mark out subgrade and topsoil levels, keeping to requirements for any drainage, irrigation and shaping work.

Lawn Solutions Australia has an extensive selection of specifications for lawn establishment and to see further details on preparing your soil, click here

Video – Winter Weeds

Posted on July 25, 2017January 30, 2018 by Anthony

In the winter, the growth habit of your lawn will not be as lush and thick as it is during the other seasons, therefore the weeds will find it easier to penetrate. Prevention is always better than cure so do try to keep a bit of extra length on your lawn and ensure the ground doesn’t become compacted, particularly during and after periods of heavy rain. But if a few pesky weeds still manage to creep in, fear not, we have plenty of helpful tips and there are products available to help you clean up your lawn. The best time to treat your winter weeds is of course during winter! By treating them now, you have more chance of getting rid of them before they germinate and drop their seeds back into your soil ready to attack bigger & better next time. So just how do you treat them? Well that depends on what it is you’re trying to get rid of!

Here is a rundown of the most common culprits and the tips and products we’d recommend. BROAD LEAF WEEDS, CLOVER & BINDI A selective herbicide such as Lawn Solutions Australia All Purpose Weed Control will help to eradicate these weeds in all lawn types including kikuyu & couch, and are safe to use on most varieties of buffalo except the ST varieties. A repeat application may be required for particularly stubborn weeds like clover. If the clover still refuses to budge, try some Kamba-M, that should finish it off. WINTER GRASS If you have an invasion of Winter Grass, you’ll definitely want to treat it before it germinates. If you allow Winter Grass to drop its seeds, next winter it will be back, twice as badly as it was the previous year. Best plan of attack is to treat it as soon as it appears. It can be removed very easily by hand as it doesn’t have particularly deep roots and it doesn’t have any runners, growing in simple clumps. But if you’d prefer to spray, you’ll need to use Winter Grass Killer as a general purpose herbicide wont be effective. Amgrow Winter Grass Killer is safe to use on buffalo lawns (including Sir Walter DNA Certified), blue & common couches, but should be avoided on Kikuyu Lawns

SEDGE WEEDS INCLUDING NUTGRASS The Sedge weed family includes pesky invasive grasses such at Nutgrass & Mulliubimby Couch. To kill off these grasses, you need a selective herbicide such as Amgrow Sedgehammer or Sempra. These chemicals are generally on the expensive side, however you need only a very small quantity to treat the affected area. At the end of the day though, if you don’t treat these weeds they will continue to multiply and infest your whole lawn, so its definitely worth saving your lawn investment in the long run.

ONION WEED This one is a nightmare! Word of advice… never, ever attempt to remove Onion Grass by hand! When you pull on the top of the weed, the tiny bulbs in the soil detach & release resulting in the onion weed multiplying. Since you cannot spray Onion Weed with a selective herbicide, it is much more time consuming to eradicate as this will need to be done by spot weeding. So encouraging it to multiply is the last thing you want to do! To spot weed, mix a solution of Glyphosate & water in a small cup or weed wand. Add a dash of dishwashing liquid which will help break down the waxy coating on the leaf of the plant & allow the poison to penetrate. Paint this solution carefully onto the weed using the weed wand or a small brush, being careful not to get the solution on the surrounding lawn where at all possible, as this is an non-selective herbicide & will kill everything!

Don’t forget, its often the tools of the trade which tend to make a job such as spraying or spot weeding easier. By purchasing a pressure sprayer or spot weeding wand, you immediately take out a lot of the frustration of treating the weeds as they’re simple to use, and designed for bigger areas so you’re not spending your time down on your hands & knees or running back & forth to the tap for a refill. And finally, the most important tip yet. Each product comes with a dilution rate… use it!. ‘double-dosing’ or adding a few extra mls more for good luck can sometimes have the reverse effect and render the product ineffective. So make sure you stick to the correct rates and you should be successful.

Video – Take a tour of a turf farm

Posted on July 12, 2017December 11, 2017 by Anthony

Choosing the right turf variety is an important part of getting the best-looking and performing lawn you can. Making the right decision means you’ll have a beautiful and functional lawn for years to come. The wrong choice, however, can add unnecessary additional work for you and ultimately affect the look and appeal of your yard. Before purchasing your turf be sure to do some research to find the most suitable variety and also the supplier that can give you some surety that what you are buying is the genuine thing. Shade, temperature, usage and access to water are just a few variables that can greatly influence the type of turf that would be best suited to your location.

One of the best ways to find out what works in your area, apart from driving around and checking-out your neighbouring lawns, is to call to your local Lawn Solutions Australia turfgrower or reseller as a good way to help confirm your choice. You want to be sure the turf you are purchasing is of the highest quality, and is produced, sold and delivered to the highest industry standards. By purchasing your turf from an AusGAP certified producer you can be sure of this as they have passed strict compliance measures to ensure this is the case. AusGAP – The Australian Turf Accreditation Program – has been created for the country’s leading turfgrass producers to provide you with the assurance that their turf adheres to a stringent set of quality standards. The AusGAP accreditation system provides assurance that the entire production, delivery and installation of your turf is undertaken to the highest industry standards. Purchasing your turf from an AusGAP certified producer gives you the peace of mind that your lawn adheres to a strict set of quality standards, ensuring your money is being spent on the best quality turf available. You can be sure when buying turf from an AusGAP certified producer, you are getting the best turf available on the market.

All turf supplied by AusGAP producers is accompanied by a 10-year product warranty, the only such quality guarantee in the Australian turf industry. Certified turf grasses have been produced under industry best practice from start to finish, ensuring that all steps along the chain are carried out in accordance with AusGAP protocols and standards along with state and federal requirements. Each certified product has its own certificate so you can be sure you will never receive a substitute or inferior product. AusGAP certified turf producers work closely with leading industry bodies including Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA), Housing Industry Association (HIA) and the Australian institute of Landscape Architects (AILA). The AusGAP program is also supported and endorsed by Turf Australia and ITGAP, the International Turfgrass Genetic Assurance Program, the leading International turfgrass standards body. All AusGAP certified growers and their staff have extensive knowledge of their products and offer assistance and advise to all clients, be they commercial or domestic. So, to ensure your new turf is the genuine thing; always insist on AusGAP certified turf . . . and ask for the certificate!

Best Winter Lawn Care Cheat

Posted on June 27, 2017January 24, 2018 by Anthony

Lawn paints can instantly improve the colour of a lawn with amazing natural-looking results
Lawn paints come in different types and plant-based pigment types are said to be the safest
Lawn paints can add quick colour to a lawn – ideal for a function or ‘for sale’ photos.

Lawn paint, such as Lawn Solutions Australia’s ColourGuard, can be used on drought or frost affected lawns, and instantly restores the natural colour of your grass while reducing watering needs. ColourGuard lawn paint is actually a natural plant-based pigment that allows your lawn to remain green all year round, even during droughts and extreme temperatures. So, what’s the catch? It sounds too good to be true! If you use high quality lawn paint then good news, there is no catch! ColourGuard for example, is 100 percent organic, making it safe for the environment, people and pets. However, using lower quality lawn paint can make your lawn prone to staining feet, clothing, and fixtures. Lower quality lawn paints may also not be natural or biodegradable. ColourGuard lawn paint allows you to boost your kerb appeal, ideal for ensuring your property is sold for the highest price possible.

A glowing, green lawn is also a must for backyard parties and BBQs, or for just showing off your lawn. When using ColourGuard, if you accidentally spray a hard surface, simply wash off the spray into the lawn with hosed water or use the cleaner solution available from the same suppliers. Your lawn will take about two hours to dry in full sunlight, or slightly longer if your lawn isn’t in full sun. ColourGuard is a permanent colourant, it will only disappear as the grass blade grows, it will not be washed off by rain or water, once the spray has dried. Other benefits of ColourGuard for the home lawn: – ColourGuard instantly restores the natural green colour of grass – year round – Substantially reduces watering needs and stays green during droughts and water restrictions – Is UV fade resistant and won’t bleed, run, or stain once absorbed into the grass – Is organic and natural – no harmful chemicals and safe for the environment, pets and people – Works in extreme heat, cold and frost – Reduces the amount of fertiliser and water used on lawns to achieve amazing results – Can be simply applied by the home-owner as easy as applying a spray fertiliser Early winter is a perfect time to apply ColourGuard so look into an easy cheat and get your lawn looking great – even over winter.

For further information on ColourGuard and where you can get it go to Lawn Solutions Australia’s specialty ColourGuard pages here

Pets and your lawn

Posted on June 19, 2017November 6, 2018 by Anthony

There are members of your family who get a big kick out of your lawn. They come in all shapes and sizes and they’re never happier than when they’re outside.

Some lawn varieties might look great but can they handle the action from some family pets? Wear and tear, digging, urine burn and faeces are common problems, and sensitive lawns just can’t handle it, especially with large dogs. So choosing a pet friendly and tolerant variety will make life easy for all concerned. Just like humans, some pets may to be sensitive to allergies so choosing a low-allergenic variety is the go. Dogs can be rough on lawns. They dig holes, cause urine burns, and tear around wildly on the lawn.

Wear and Tear

If your pet continually uses certain tracks causing that area to wear more than others, placing an obstacle like a pot plant on the track will force them to take a different route, giving the lawn a chance to repair itself. This may have to be done more often in winter or shady areas. Extra aeration may be necessary to help rectify and compaction that may have occurred. With excessive activity, a more comprehensive maintenance program may be needed by way of more regular fertilising and aeration. Moist and shaded areas will suffer most so some extra drainage and attention will be required.

Finally, choose a turf that has a high tolerance for heavy traffic. Despite the soft feel of its leaves, this is a tough soft leaf buffalo grass that can deal with heavy traffic, including the family pets.

Compaction

Compaction is a common problem with lawns particularly those with dogs and it is important that you address it regularly. What compaction does is prevent oxygen, nutrient and water from being able to penetrate properly to the roots of your lawn, which in turn leads to poor lawn health. Aerating your lawn will help to alleviate this compaction and allow better penetration of oxygen and nutrient, and will also allow your lawn to root down deeper making it more drought tolerant and resilient.

Digging

If your dog likes digging then a self-repairing lawn with a dense growth habit is best. Newly laid lawns need time to establish and are particularly vulnerable to damage so try to prevent your dog from digging and pulling up sections of the turf.

Often digging is a sign of boredom, so a few toys will help to keep them amused while you work on their training program.

Safe lawn care around pets

When fertilising or using pesticides, keep your pets inside and off the lawn for a while until the danger has passed. Check the product safety recommendations to ensure that no tragic accidents occur. Once fertilisers have been spread, water it in really well and it will disappear into the lawn profile. For herbicide use, wait until it has dried and absorbed before letting your pets back out onto the lawn. If your pet is likely to eat fertiliser granules, make sure you always use an organic or liquid fertiliser instead.

Urine Burns

If you are having problems with urine and burnt patches in the lawn then you might want to try dog rocks. Putting Dog Rocks® into your dog’s water bowl may be the answer for preventing any more urine stains from affecting your lawn. They will stop any new yellow spots from appearing, and are perfectly pet friendly. The burns already existing will come good on their own within about five weeks.

LSA On The Road

Posted on June 5, 2017January 30, 2018 by Anthony

Lawn Solutions Australia (LSA) has become a leading authority on many aspects of the turf industry, with increasing influence both here and abroad. Industry involvement has been steadily increasing by LSA staff and member-growers; being regularly engaged and called upon to share their knowledge and expertise across a broad range of activities and events. Recent involvement has seen speaking and presentation roles by Lawn Solutions Australia staff at key planning events including Living Cities Forums held in a number of Australian states and Australian Institute of Horticulture (AIH) Conferences and Expo’s staged as far afield as Cairns and Singapore.

The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) has recently held a number of events around the country that included LSA staff and growers sharing their experiences at their ‘Celebrity Lawn Series’ events. These events involved LSA growers talking in detail about particular sites where their turf had been installed. The whole raft of benefits of LSA’s products and services, from growing and harvesting, through to installation and maintenance, as well as the AusGAP certification system were all thoroughly explained to the design and maintenance participants in attendance. Similarly, knowledge sharing has been high on the agenda of the Turf Australia’s ‘Nx Gen Forum’ held in Canberra late last month, with LSA staff and growers again featuring heavily in the program. The Parks and Leisure Association of Australia (PLA), Housing Industry Association (HIA), the Australian Golf Course Superintendent’s Association (AGCSA) and Turf Australia, have all got national and regional conferences and events coming up over coming weeks; most having called on LSA staff and member-growers to participate in presentation roles, separate to any sponsorship commitments. “The level of respect now garnered by the Lawn Solutions Group in this type of industry representation is unmatched by any other,” says LSA Director Gavin Rogers when talking on the organisations involvement in forthcoming events. “Lawn Solutions Australia is now rapidly gaining broader-industry-recognition of our combined industry-knowledge and experience . . . testimony to this is the value placed on calling on our expert-knowledge for these events from our staff and extensive network of growers,” Rogers says.

Other sectors of the industry are also reaching out for LSA’s involvement, if recent industry-group announcements are anything to go by. Lawn Solutions Australia’s Simon Adermann has been awarded a seat on the Advisory Group for Horticulture Innovations Australia’s (Hort Innovations) Green Cities ‘Which Plant Where’ Project. This project is a five-year plan that will help facilitate greener cities by unlocking opportunities to develop sustainable and resilient green urban spaces. The project aims to bring together a consortium of researchers and growers to investigate the suitability of various plant species under current and future climate scenarios. “Having Simon on this advisory board will help our cause to better integrate turf to their plans and allow for the most recent and appropriate varieties to be included in this database for when turfgrass is specified,” Rogers explains. This follows on from Adermann’s recent inclusion along with other LSA members on Hort Innovation’s Turf Advisory panel that has a major say on how industry research investment funds are directed for the future benefit of the turf industry. “I can’t overstate how proud I am of all of our member growers and staff and particularly Simon’s work on these panels,” says Rogers. “Such exemplary representation of our group to industry has been paramount in cementing LSA’s credentials so professionally on the world stage.”

Onion Weed (Nothoscordum sp)

Posted on June 5, 2017June 26, 2024 by Anthony

Onion weed is one of the worst type of weeds that can take hold in your lawn or garden
Onion weed can be eradicated with patience and a bit of delicate work
Keeping onion weed under control by preventing flowering is a must to prevent it spreading

Onion weed is a menace in lawns and garden beds right around Australia. It is one of the worst weeds that you can have take-hold in your yard as it is also one of the most difficult to get rid of. Onion weed is a proclaimed noxious weed for most of the country; for most of NSW and WA, and for all of Tas, SA and Vic.

Onion weed is a perennial with thin green strappy leaves. These leaves grow from a mainly white bulb which gives off an onion smell when crushed. Flowers grow at the top of a long stalk and are mainly white. Seeds form in summer and autumn and are spread mostly by wind blowing the seeds into new areas. It has a ‘slow-release’ way of sprouting its bulblets, making it a weed you just have to admire for its adaption and ‘survivor’ skills. Onion weed’s thin, waxy leaves also make it difficult for herbicides to stick to the leaves, and even if it does, the wax makes it difficult for the herbicide to affect the plant.

Removing Onion Weed

Eradicating onion weed starts with removing as many of the plants as possible. Do not try to pull the plant out of the ground, or shake excess dirt back off into the hole or compost. The small bulblets tend to pull away from the mother plant when pulled. This leaves more bulbs in the ground that will rapidly grow. If possible, dig the weed-clump out of the ground with a spade or a trowel, and throw the entire clump away.

The next step to total eradication of onion weed is to treat the area with either a non-selective herbicide (like Roundup / Glyphosate) or even boiling water. Both options will kill any plant it touches, so be wary of surrounding plants. You’ll need to use a paintbrush or a weed-wand to carefully target the onion weed plants and avoid your lawn if possible. It can help to add a surfactant or a slight amount of household detergent. Use about the same rate as the herbicide concentrate amount. When added to the mix helps the herbicide to stick to the waxy leaf and penetrate to do its work. Keep an eye out on your lawn, and repeat the process if any new onion weeds begin to grow. If you’re unable to treat the area, keep the plants trimmed near the ground if possible. This will prevent the onion weed from flowering and spreading to other parts of your lawn or garden through seeds.

Duke Herbicide

If you have an extensive problem, Onion weed and onion grass can be treated with a selective herbicide called ProForce Duke 10WG Herbicide.

Hopefully this process will allow full eradication of onion weeds from your lawn and garden. Be patient, it can be a tedious exercise, but show no mercy, and don’t give up hope. It will be well worth it to be onion-weed-free in the long run.

Lawn care doesn’t need to be difficult and simple hints from Lawn Solutions Australia. We can help with products to keep your lawn in top condition.

Video – Winter Lawn Care

Posted on May 22, 2017January 30, 2018 by Anthony

There are a few hints and tricks to keeping your lawn in good condition over the cooler months. Hopefully you will give your lawn a good fertilising during autumn, to give it a boost prior to the cooler months. If not then it’s probably too late to do too much now unless you’re in the tropics.

Soil reactive fertilisers such as synthetic granular fertilisers like the Lawn Solutions Australia Premium Fertiliser, or organic fertilisers like Dynamic Lifter, require a soil-borne reaction from the bacteria in the soil. The bacteria are needed to convert the nutrients from the fertilisers to a plant-ready form, such as Nitrogen to nitrate. These bacteria however, tend not to like the cold either, so ground temperatures below 14°C will see them sneak off into hibernation. So avoid fertilising during winter, as it will simply be a waste of time and money.

Over winter, you shouldn’t need to water your lawn too much, if at all. So switch off your timers and simply water on an as-needed basis. You will know if your lawn is dry as the leaves will curl, in which case, give it a drink, otherwise it’s best to leave it be. You don’t want to put excess moisture into the soil if you can avoid it, as this will only encourage compaction. If you are super keen to keep as much colour as possible though, you can give your lawn a very light watering just before the sun comes up in the mornings, to remove frost from the leaf. During winter, your mower will get to take a bit of a break, as you’ll be best to leave extra length on the leaf, especially in shaded areas. Leaving your lawn on the long side will mean there is extra leaf area for photosynthesis, which will help to keep your lawn healthier and hold out those pesky winter weeds.

It’s a good time of year to perform a bit of maintenance on your trusty mower, like sharpening the blades ready for spring time dethatching. Compaction can be a bit of a problem over winter, particularly in high wear areas, or if you have a bit of wet weather. Try to avoid traffic on your lawn wherever possible, or regularly aerate any areas which cannot be avoided to help loosen the soil. The same applies after heavy rains, particular if water tends to pool or the soil gets a bit waterlogged. This will help the air get to the root zone, allowing your lawn to breathe and avoid suffocation in heavy compacted soil.Winter is the time when those nasty weeds may appear, as the growth habit of your lawn won’t be as tight as during the warmer months. Make sure you spray them during the winter, particularly bindii, as if they’re allowed to seed, they will return again bigger and better down the track. Broadleaf weeds, bindii and clover can be controlled using Bin-die Selective Weeder or Lawn Solutions Australia All Purpose Weed Control. Invasive grasses on the other hand, such as Winter Grass, will need to be eradicated using a specialised product such as Winter Grass Killer.Finally, just remember, if your lawn is a warm season grass, you should expect some loss of colour. You can combat this by using ColourGuard The degree will vary according to the aspect of the lawn and your climate. Frost will tend to cause the leaves to brown, and areas such as the nature strip which are exposed to the elements will generally lose more colour than a backyard which are protected by fencing and gardens. In any case, just remember, spring is just around the corner!!

LSA Ups Industry Involvement

Posted on May 18, 2017June 7, 2018 by Anthony

Lawn Solutions Australia (LSA) has become a leading authority on many aspects of the turf industry internationally, with increasing influence both here and abroad.

Industry involvement has been steadily increasing by LSA staff and member-growers as they are regularly engaged and called upon to share their knowledge and expertise across a broad range of activities and events. Recent involvement has seen speaking and presentation roles by Lawn Solutions Australia staff at key planning events including Living Cities Forums held in a number of Australian states and Australian Institute of Horticulture (AIH) Conferences and Expo’s staged in in Cairns and Singapore.

The Parks and Leisure Association of Australia (PLA), Housing Industry Association (HIA), the Australian Golf Course Superintendent’s Association (AGCSA) and Turf Australia, have all got national and regional conferences and events coming up over coming weeks; most having called on LSA staff and member-growers to participate in presentation roles, separate to any sponsorship commitments. “The level of respect now garnered by the Lawn Solutions Group in this type of industry representation is unmatched by any other,” says LSA Director Gavin Rogers when talking on the organisations involvement in forthcoming events. “Lawn Solutions Australia is now rapidly gaining broader-industry-recognition of our combined industry-knowledge and experience . . . testimony to this is the value placed on calling on our expert-knowledge for these events from our staff and extensive network of growers,” Rogers says. Other sectors of the industry are also reaching out for LSA’s involvement, if recent industry-group announcements are anything to go by. Lawn Solutions Australia’s Simon Adermann has been awarded a seat on the Advisory Group for the Green Cities ‘Which Plant Where’ Project.

This project is being conducted by Macquarie University – Sydney and has funding from Horticulture Innovation Australia. This project is a five-year plan that will help facilitate greener cities by unlocking opportunities to develop sustainable and resilient green urban spaces. The project aims to bring together a consortium of researchers and growers to investigate the suitability of various plant species under current and future climate scenarios. “Having Simon on this advisory board will help our cause to better integrate turf to their plans and allow for the most recent and appropriate varieties to be included in this database for when turfgrass is specified,” Rogers explains. This follows on from Adermann’s recent inclusion along with other LSA members on Hort Innovation’s Turf Advisory panel that has a major say on how industry research investment funds are directed for the future benefit of the turf industry. “I can’t overstate how proud I am of all of our member growers and staff and particularly Simon’s work on these panels,” says Rogers. “Such exemplary representation of our group to industry has been paramount in cementing LSA’s credentials so professionally on the world stage.”