Seaweed is probably the most popular form of organic fertiliser type and usually comes in a blend with additional nutrients like Iron and wetting agents included as well for use on lawns. A common product you might recognise is Seasol.
There is a lot of recorded data from over the years that has documented the effect seaweed has on plant growth. The key component that aids in the development of healthy plant roots is phosphorus.
Seaweed concentrates contain plant nutrients, carbohydrates, trace elements, alginic acid and other bioactive compounds. Alginic acid is a soil conditioner, the other components are considered plant conditioners. Alginic acid combines within the soil to form a polymer which swells when wet, which helps with water retention.
These components make Seaweed ideal for promoting healthy roots and encouraging beneficial micro-organisms within the soil. As a result of this, organic matter will be broken down more efficiently, helping to prevent thatch build up. By promoting healthy roots, you are also helping your lawn to become more drought, frost and heat tolerant.
Another important mineral found in seaweed is Iodine, which aids in the defence against turf disease.
What is Seasol?
Seasol is made from liquid seaweed extract from a specific blend of kelp species including King Island Bull Kelp. The kelp is sustainably sourced from the shores of Tasmania and King Island. The seaweed solution is then extracted and is sold as 100% pure Seasol liquid concentrate.
For lawns it is recommended you apply 100ml per 9 litres of water, every 2-4 weeks for best results.
Seasol have also developed a product specifically for lawns that contain a liquid fertiliser component. Seasol for Lush Green Lawns is a superior health treatment and liquid fertiliser that combines the benefits of Seasol seaweed solution, a specially formulated nutrient mix, trace elements, concentrated liquid composts and a wetting agent.
Seasol for Lush Green Lawns and Seasol for Buffalo Lawns are all liquids, which are readily absorbed into the lawn and the soil. Therefore, you do not need to water them in.
While liquid seaweed products can be beneficial for your lawn’s health, they should not replace fertiliser in your normal lawn care routine.
Slow release granular fertilisers like Lawn Solutions Fertiliser are specifically formulated with the amounts of nutrient recommended for turf grasses. Additional micronutrients and trace elements are also added to the composition which ensure a consistent slow release of nutrient over a long period.
If you would prefer an organic fertiliser for your lawn and garden or are looking for a way to improve the organic structure of your soil, then Seaweed solutions like Seasol are certainly a good option as part of a broader treatment program.
You’ve got a new whiz-bang coffee machine at home and you want to put all the coffee grounds to good use rather than just chucking them in the garbage. Can you use them in the garden? Or even on the lawn?
The main reason people suggest adding coffee grinds to your lawn or garden is because they provide organic material. This includes nitrogen and phosphorous which are good for nutrient poor lawns and lawns on clay or sandy soil.
It’s also claimed coffee grounds contribute to better aeration and drainage, which leads to a healthier lawn – which is true.
The most important thing to consider is the residual caffeine that may be still present. You can cause harm to the micro fauna in the soil if this is too high. This is why applying coffee grinds directly onto your lawn is not a good idea.
Like any plant waste that is turned into compost, coffee grinds will have qualities making it beneficial to your soil. The best way to utilise them is to spread thin layers of your used coffee grinds amongst your compost.
A good aged compost material for top dressing your lawn will provide organic nutrients and moisture to your lawn. It will provide your lawn some of the key ingredients it needs to stay healthy and create a beneficial soil environment for microbial activity.
Compost for top dressing will also improve the ability for your soil to hold moisture, which is really important for drought proofing your lawn. By composting your coffee grounds at home, you can keep them out of landfill and do good for the environment.
Will used coffee grounds affect my soils pH?
Provided used coffee grinds are composted and make up less than 20% of total compost volume, they will not lower the pH of your soil making it acidic. The pH of the compost may show varying results and not be stable initially, in some cases even becoming alkaline.
But once the compost material is added to the garden soil any acidity that was initially measured decreases shortly after leaving a pH around 6.5, which is the perfect pH for growing grass.
If you would like to read about other organic materials you can add to your compost, click here.
There are many turf varieties available on the market, and even more that have come and gone over the years. Many people ask the question, “how are new turf varieties selected?” There are several different ways in which new strains of turf grass are ‘found,’ ‘bred’ or ‘created,’ with the aim to find a new strain of turf which offers benefits over what is currently available.
The process of bringing a new turf variety to market can take many years, up to a decade or more.
Most new turf varieties in this day and age are bred by Universities or by private turf grass breeders as opposed to years ago when turf grasses were found growing naturally in the environment. Most institutions that breed turf grasses now, invest hundreds of thousands of dollars annually into their programs. These programs can often take several years to develop grasses worthy of taking to the next stage of testing. The breeding process itself involves many different pollination methods depending on the breeder and also the variety of grass.
New Grass Testing Phase
Once varieties are selected, they undergo the main phase of testing to see how they perform in real world scenarios. Depending on the program, this process can be a comparison between 5 different varieties or 50,000 different varieties.
What generally happens is sample plots of each variety are grown out and then analysed. This can occur over a long period of time, generally 3-5 years. These plots are starved of fertilisation and irrigation to see how each different strain survives and performs in adverse conditions. The initial trials that the breeders partake in depend on the end goal of the trial. For example, during the breeding of TifTuf, the University of Georgia’s goal was to find an exceptionally drought tolerant grass. So the initial phase of that trial was to see how the tested cultivars performed in periods of prolonged drought.
Drought testing trials are usually studied over multiple seasons, lasting on average 2-3 years.
Secondary Testing Phases
Once this trial is completed, over a varying period of time the selection process narrows down the testing numbers. A sample of the best performing grasses are then taken to the next stage.
The next stage of testing drills down beyond what the initial round of testing does, by analysing growth habits, rhizome and stolon production, shade tolerance, wear tolerance and aesthetics. This is completed on larger plots than the original trial with less varieties involved. It also involves comparing with varieties that are already available on the market. Similar to the previous testing phase, this can take years to complete and find a few clear standout varieties.
Can it be produced efficiently?
Once this process is narrowed down to the best performing turf varieties, before they are provided to consumers, they undertake further vigorous testing to truly find the best of the best. Not only does this last round of testing aim to mimic real world scenarios, the varieties are also put through production and maintenance trials including harvesting trials, chemical tolerance trials and fertiliser response trials. This is a crucial phase, as the best performing turf grass in the early stage of the trial may not harvest well or have a good tolerance to chemicals which makes it impossible for producers to grow and harvest efficiently. This final testing phase is often conducted by the Universities or other external turf evaluation companies such as the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI).
The Result
After all of this testing you may be left with 1 or 2 stand out performers (sometimes none) that have qualities superior to anything else available on the market – grasses like TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda and Sir Grange Zoysia. These grasses after years of testing in the US, were selected for further trials in Australian conditions. The quarantine process for the initial batch of these varieties to start testing in Australia was up to 16 months alone.
Lawn Solutions Australia is strongly committed to the development of superior varieties of turf for the Australian landscape. Our Research and Development program now includes over 30,000 different cultivars of turf that we are constantly evaluating in the hope of finding a new variety that has a list of benefits for the consumer. This makes us the largest turf grass breeder in the Southern Hemisphere.
Lawn Solutions Australia is dedicated to providing the best grasses for today and we’re working on the best grasses for the future.
With the COVID-19 virus having a massive effect on businesses all over Australia, we just wanted to touch base with our valued Lawn Solutions Australia customer base about our turf manufacturing and harvesting processes and also the delivery of our lawn care products.
All turf produced by Lawn Solutions Australia Members is produced under the strict AusGAP certification process. Our harvesting and delivery methods already minimise human contact with turf through the entire harvesting and paperless turf delivery process. This also applies to the production and delivery of all our lawn care products, which are left with an authority to leave. When delivering our products the courier is directed to leave in a safe and secure place at your home.
We are happy to provide a no contact delivery, just let us know when you place your order.
Lawn Solutions Australia is a group of 100% Australian owned family farms producing all of our turf products here in Australia using Australian suppliers where possible for all our inputs. There has been no effect to our ability to produce and deliver high quality turf products to our customers at this stage. We have been assured by our members across Australia that stocks are being managed without issue and it’s business as usual. This is just one of the benefits of buying from local Aussie Farmers.
All our Lawn Solutions Australia turf farms are taking every precaution to make sure our workplace’s remain a safe and healthy place for our team members and our customers.
We thank you for your support through these difficult times.
Here’s some things you can do at home that aren’t boring!
COVID-19, 2020, you have outdone yourself.
Lawn Solutions Australia is committed to the health and wellbeing of our communities, our staff and network of turf growers. We are here with all of you during this difficult time.
Lawn Solutions Australia is dedicated to helping you grow and maintain a sustainable lawn. Your lawn is a safe space, where you can focus on health and wellbeing. Take this time to utilise your lawn for exercise, gardening, a place to meditate or even just to get some fresh air.
Is your lawn looking a little lack lustre? Too busy to get it looking like the lawns you see on Facebook? No more excuses! There is now plenty of time to rip into some lawn maintenance, mow the lawn a bit more often and get it prepared for the cooler months ahead. Trim the trees to reduce shade, rake the leaves, cut the grass with scissors if you need to… YOU HAVE TIME.
There’s heaps of things I’m sure you have been putting on your to do list that just keeps getting longer and longer. Don’t hide in the shed avoiding the list of jobs your partner has for you to do, get stuck in!
If the jobs are all done, then here’s 5 other things you can do…
You know those 100 films to watch bucket lists? Now is the time to tick some of these off the list. Better yet, watch some movies you know you can watch over and over again… Notebook anyone? Just me? Never mind.
Do a jigsaw. Get the ultimate jigsaw, I mean 10,000 pieces big, go big or go home or just yeah… stay home.
Read a book… an audio book? Maybe a podcast. Books might sound like a boring idea, but reading can provide an escape, it can provide knowledge. You might find this to be exactly what you need right now, and a book and some fresh air can certainly lift your spirits.
Host a live video party! You and all your friends or family can be together without being together! Schedule a time, get the drinks and nibbles together, deck chairs out on the lawn and pretend you are in the same place while getting the social stimulation that you need.
Get active! You can’t go to the gym, but you do have space out on the lawn and the know-how to do anything! (Thanks Google). There are some great training apps out there that can give you a cracking workout and you don’t even need any equipment.
There are many great things about lawns, they are beneficial for your health and wellbeing, the environment, for the value of your home and their visual appeal. Take the time now to provide your lawn with some lawn care, lay some new turf out if you need to or simply enjoy the lawn that you have either by yourself or with your loved ones. It’s not often you have the opportunity to focus your time like this, so make the most.
The Smart Approved WaterMark is a water conscious certification provided to products so that consumers can identify and access the most water efficient products available on the market.
The Smart Approved Watermark was established by the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA), Irrigation Australia, The Nursery and Garden Industry Association and the Australian Water Association, to provide an identifiable label for consumers so that they can make informed choices when choosing products, services and organisations that use water efficiently, reducing per capita water consumption and helping in the end goal of preserving such a precious resource.
TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda
There is a new benchmark for drought tolerance in turf grass in Australia.
Lawn Solutions Australia is proud to announce that TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda has been formally recognised with the Smart Approved WaterMark.
In order to receive the Smart Approved WaterMark, there is a significant process that is undertaken and a strict set of criteria the product needs to adhere to. A technical expert panel independently assesses the applications of products and services undertaking the accreditation process. The panel of seven members, including an independent chair who represents international expertise in the field, examine all aspects of the product application and the associated evidence of water efficiency.
After many years of extensive independent testing and research, TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda is the first and only turf grass to receive this for drought tolerance in Australia or anywhere in the world.
That the primary purpose of the product or service is directly related to reducing actual water use and/or using water more efficiently, where there is a direct correlation between the use of the product and water savings.
Fit for purpose
That the appropriate use of the product or service is consistent with supplied instructions and other documentation.
Meets regulations and standards
That the product or service is of high quality and meets industry standards, and customer and community expectations, in relation to water use.
Environmentally sustainable
That the product or service, while satisfying the above three criteria, is environmentally sustainable, and despite claimed water savings will not adversely affect the environment in other areas.
Cylinder mowers have become surprisingly popular among homeowners over the past couple of years. Originally these mowers were primarily designed for golf courses and sports fields. Now your average Joe invests their money in a cylinder mower to mow and show off their pride and joy.
What Cylinder Mower Will Work for You?
Choosing a reel mower can be quite daunting when you first think about purchasing one. There are a lot of options to choose from and different mowers will suit different situations. Let’s break down the most important things to look for when choosing your first cylinder mower.
Identify what grass type you have so you know what height to cut it at and what mower will suit this height.
Cylinder mowers generally can cut anywhere from 35mm down to 2mm. It’s important to know what height you want to cut your grass at so you can select a mower that cuts in this range.
• Buffalo and tall fescue like to be a little taller, so you’ll need to find a mower that cuts in the 30 to 50mm bracket. A secondhand Scott Bonnar 45 is a great option for these grass types because you can get custom rollers that allow you to cut up to 50mm. It’s hard to find a reel mower that will cut at this height without modification. You can get these grass types below 30mm, but it just takes a lot of time and commitment.
• Kikuyu and zoysia like to be cut in the middle; about 15 to 30mm is the sweet spot for these lawns with a cylinder mower. This opens a lot of options when it comes to selecting what mower you would like.
Mowers available include:
Scott Bonnar 45 / Rover 45 (secondhand)
Protea
Swardman
Masport Olympic Series
Bushranger cylinder mowers
Supaswift 17inch cylinder mower
Push reel mower, e.g. Victa 16″ Razor Cut
These are the most popular mowers on the market for homeowners.
• Couch grass prefers to be cut a little lower – anywhere from 5 to 20mm. If you have a hybrid couch like TifTuf, it will take the lower cut even better than common couch because of the thinner leaf blade. You can use any of the mowers above, or you can take it to the next level and select something like a greens mower, such as a Toro Greensmaster 1000 (preferably secondhand).
• Perennial ryegrass and Kentucky blue grass like to be cut in the middle as well; 15 to 25mm is the sweet spot with a cylinder mower, but you can take these grasses lower if you desire. All the mowers listed above will suit these grass types.
Why does a cylinder mower cut better than your average mower?
Cylinder mowers are known for giving a cleaner cut and not tearing grass blades.
These mowers have a rotating cylinder equipped with blades and a stationary bedknife. The reel blades guide the blades towards the bedknife, where they are cut by a shearing action.
The lawn needs to be cut at least weekly when using a cylinder mower. Cylinder mowers aren’t designed to mow overgrown grass. If the lawn is too long the mower will get bogged down and won’t cut the lawn properly.
The key is to regularly mow the lawn and change the direction you mow each time you cut. This will stop the lawn laying over from the rear and front rollers and allow it to stand up for a cleaner, more precise cut.
This is especially true if you buy yourself a manual reel mower. If you try to take off any more than 10mm of grass with these mowers, they won’t cut the grass.
Quick Tip: The lower you mow, the more often you must mow your grass. If you are mowing at 25mm for example, you should only need to mow once a week.
If you are mowing at 5mm, you will need to mow your lawn nearly daily, like they do on golf courses.
How to maintain a cylinder mower
There are a few steps to maintaining a reel mower and it’s important that you do this regular maintenance to keep the machine cutting cleanly.
Make sure the reel can cut paper against the bedknife (bottom blade).
Before every mow, you need to check if your mower is cutting properly. This involves checking your reel against the bedknife. The best thing to do is to get some strips of paper and see if the reel will cut paper. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to adjust the reel so that it cuts properly and doesn’t cause damage to your lawn. It’s important to note that the reel should never be tight against the bedknife. If should be quite loose and only just making contact.
Make sure to clean your mower down after every few mows. This will help to keep the reel and bedknife clean, so your mower continues to cut properly.
On some mowers you need to engage the cylinder (Scott Bonnar 45’s). When you engage them with the lever, make sure you do it slowly or you can cause damage to the mower.
Get your reel professionally ground every two seasons at least.
Reels in cylinder mowers wear down after a season or two of regular mowing. You’ll know it’s time to send away your reel when you can’t make it cut paper unless it’s tight against the bedknife.
You’ll need to send your reel and sole plate (this is what the bedknife sits on) away to be ground together.
Cylinder mowers are great at getting a nice low cut on lawns and can help you achieve that golf course look.
You will need to train your grass to be mown low though.
Here is the process I take when taking my lawn from something like 30mm, to 10mm:
1. Make sure you never break the 1/3 rule unless you have no choice
You never want to cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade off. So if you are cutting at 30mm, only take off 10mm, which obviously will make your height of cut 20mm.
Following the 1/3 rule, to bring my lawn lower, I would cut from 30mm to 20mm. From there, I would cut at this height every couple of days for at least two weeks to train the lawn to get used to this height. Once it’s trained to this height, you can then do the same process to get to the next level down, making sure you stick with this 1/3 rule. Repeat this process till you get to your desired height.
Quick note: You will sometimes get some scalped spots and yellowing. This is normal and the lawn will adjust over time. If you have high or low spots though I’d recommend that you level your lawn with some topdressing, but only do this in your lawn’s growing season.
2. Scalping straight down to your desired height.
Another way to take your height down is to scalp it back below your desired cutting height, then raise the mower to where you want it to be. This process is a lot quicker, but your lawn will look sick for quite a few weeks, depending on the season. I recommend you only do this when your lawn is actively growing, and you can keep water up to it to baby it back to full health.
Advice on watering lawns can differ substantially depending on who you ask, and more often than not, more water is used than is required.
How do you know if you are watering your new lawn enough?
Providing water to your new lawn is so important to ensure that it gets off to the best possible start. A new lawn that has been correctly watered will have deep roots, consistent colour and health. This will ensure that you create a lawn that is resilient, hardy and drought tolerant. Once established, in times of low to zero rainfall over an extended period, your lawn will survive to thrive again when it receives the moisture that it needs.
Watering New Lawns
Only freshly laid turf needs to be watered a couple of times a day, every day, for the first couple of weeks. Once your lawn sets root into the soil, it is starting to become established.
Important tips for new lawns:
Water a few times a day, every day for the first couple of weeks
Water in the mornings and throughout the day as required
Keep the ‘feet’ of the turf damp at all times to help the roots establish into the soil
Water the new turf evenly using a sprinkler or irrigation system
The key thing you are trying to achieve is moisture in the soil down to a depth of 150mm. This will ensure your roots establish into soil easily and it provides the moisture it needs as it goes. Keeping the ‘feet’ of your new turf wet is paramount. This will mean checking on your new turf a few times a day to make sure that the soil is still damp and hasn’t completely dried out. Reacting to this and adjusting the frequency of watering to coincide with the current weather conditions will help to give the lawn every possible chance of staying healthy and robust.
A common problem that we see is where new turf simply hasn’t been watered enough. The lawn stunts in growth and doesn’t establish its roots into the soil. From there it is an uphill battle to get it where you need it. Signs that your turf isn’t getting the water it needs include yellowing across the entire roll, curling or wilted leaves, no lateral growth or when lifted there are no visible white roots establishing into the soil.
How do I know if my new turf is getting enough water?
Ask yourself how much water is my lawn getting? If your answer is plenty or a lot, you probably need to delve a little deeper into the specifics. What are you using to water? When are you watering? For how long and at what time of day? Putting a few catch cups around the area when the irrigation is on will give you a good idea of how much water your new turf is receiving and how evenly.
If you notice consistent discolouration across the entire turf roll or slab, it is likely you are not watering enough. If the discolouration is limited to the edges where the turf was cut, this is considered normal. This part of the turf is more likely to dry out quicker and be in more stress from being cut. You can top dress the joins of your new turf to limit this. Ultimately as long as you provide the turf with enough water for it to stay green and hydrated, as the turf begins to grow laterally the dry edges will disappear and look a lot healthier.
Once establishment is happening you can start to back off the watering, depending on the weather and the climate in your region. Signs that your turf is establishing include turf becoming less easily lifted, colour across the turf remains green, vertical leaf growth is consistent and lateral growth is slowly reducing the visibility of the lines between each roll.
Perform spot checks after three weeks to determine if the turf can be lifted. If it can in certain areas and not others, chances are its roots are shallower in those areas; these spots will need to catch up with the assistance of additional deep watering during establishment.
Watering Established Lawns
Water is an important element in your lawn care and maintenance program. With a clever choice of lawn and the correct preparation you can keep watering to a minimum once your lawn is established.
Choose a drought tolerant turf variety
The easiest way to limit the amount you need to water your lawn, is to put in a drought tolerant turf variety in the first place.
TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda has recently received certification and is the first and only turfgrass to ever receive the Smart Approved WaterMark in Australia and across the world. In the US, TifTuf will now automatically be approved for the ‘Water Sense’ program. This means TifTuf is the first turf grass not just in Australia, but throughout the world, to receive recognition to this level of water saving efficiency.
A common question we get asked here at Lawn Solutions Australia is, “how do I know if I am watering my lawn enough?” – The answer to this question can be quite different due to a variety of factors.
Some of these factors include:
The climate in your area and the season
Water restrictions
Access to and cost of water
Your soil type and its ability to absorb and hold water
Lawn variety and its drought tolerance
Environmental factors such as how much sun, shade, wind or heat there is in your garden and your area
The health of your lawn
Make sure your sprinkler can cover the lawn evenly, regardless of whether it’s a manual shift or automatic sprinkler system. Be sure that no areas hold water and they are all drained well.
When should I water my lawn?
The simple answer is – when your lawn needs it. It is important that you only irrigate when there is not enough rainfall to meet the needs of your lawn. When you do water, do so within the rules outlined by local water restrictions.
If you water your lawn 3 times a week at 8am every single week regardless of the weather or moisture content of the soil, it’s very likely you are overwatering your lawn. This will lead to shallow roots and a lawn that has been taught to expect regular watering, so without it, it will turn its ‘toes’ and begin to struggle during even the shortest of periods without moisture.
Most common lawn types in Australia can survive extended periods of drought. They will lose colour, becoming brown and dry, with little to no leaf growth, but they will generally sit dormant until the next rain or irrigation event.
A common misconception is that a drought tolerant lawn won’t go brown. Drought tolerance relates to a turf varieties ability to recover after extended periods without irrigation. Some grasses will survive in extreme conditions with minimal water, but not look their best, while others will look better for longer, but can die without adequate water.
How do I know if my lawn needs watering? Just look for the tell-tale signs:
Leaf is wilting or losing colour.
If you walk across your lawn and leave a footprint behind, then your lawn is likely lacking in water. If it bounces back, your lawn should be well hydrated. This is known as the footprint test.
During hot weather, if it’s dry and crusty, taking on a brown colour, there’s a good chance it needs water.
The best time to water your lawn is early morning or late in the afternoon/early evening. This is when there is no wind and less chance of water loss due to heat related evaporation. In humid areas, avoid late afternoon or early evening watering as this can increase the chance of fungal diseases. Early morning is best.
By utilising these tips, you can ensure your freshly laid turf or fully established lawn have the ideal amount of moisture and all water consumption is limited to what is required and effective.
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Professional football grounds look fantastic and are superb to play on. There’s a lot of work that goes into preparing the surfaces of these grounds and much underground as well. What grasses are used on football fields, how are they prepared before a game and how is a typical ground usually constructed prior to the installation of turf?
Australian sports fields generally fall into three categories:
Major stadiums, such as AAMI Park, Adelaide Oval, ANZ Stadium, Bankwest Stadium, Gabba, Marvel Stadium, the MCG, Optus Stadium, Suncorp Stadium and SCG.
Tier 2, which are 10- to 20,000-seat venues, such as Sydney’s Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Panthers Stadium and New Era Stadium. These are usually council or club-owned and managed by full-time ground staff.
Tier 3, which are less than 10,000-seat sites, usually local council grounds, such as Sydney’s Drummoyne Oval and Bankstown Oval.
Turf type and installation
Many grounds have kikuyu or couch. All major stadiums in Australia are couch. A lot of the tier two and three grounds vary from couch to kikuyu throughout the country. Depending on the age of the grounds and what the specifiers’ preferences are if the ground is under construction.
The preparation prior to turf installation also varies depending on the situation.
Major stadiums have million-dollar, USGA-specified (United States Golf Association) sand profiles. These profiles include a lot of work for drainage, such as drainage pipes, gravel and sand that needs to be settled and graded to ensure run-off. The grass is obviously the uppermost layer of the profile.
Most tier 2 grounds are sand profiles, but some are not.
Tier 3 arenas are generally existing sites with some improvements added or blended in. The soil profiles are levelled and then grass is sprigged or turfed.
Tools of the trade
Football stadium groundsmen use a lot of maintenance equipment – mowers, blowers, rakes, tractors, snippers, edgers, line marking machines, etc. Two of the more interesting renovation machines are the scarifier and verti-drain. A scarifier is used to dethatch the ground and remove old grass, while a verti-drain is a coring machine that’s used to aerate the surface.
Before kick-off
During the week leading into a televised game a major stadium curator may:
Install and/or change the sports posts.
Spray the surface with iron and magnesium to enhance grass colour.
Cut the pattern, depending on the sport, 10 to 30 times.
If unmarked, measure and mark the field out ready for marking the night before or day of the game to ensure the best colour of the lines. If marked, the lines will need to be washed out immediately after the previous sport has been played to ensure that paint doesn’t stick to grass.
Roll the surface pattern with a light fairway mower without the cutting reels engaged just before the game.
Perform any last-minute touch-ups to lines.
Wet the surface. If it’s a soccer match most teams like the surface wet prior to warm-up, kick-off and half-time. This assists players’ sliding and affects the speed of the ball.
Post-game recovery
After football games grounds staff will walk over the surface with buckets of sand and a screwdriver, filling holes and using the screwdriver to turn divots back out. They may plug deep divots with grass from a turf nursery. They’ll then cut the surface. Depending on the stadium and available resources, different green keeping practices may follow from here, such as wetting the surface, vacuuming or blowing.
Substitutions
Depending on the variety of turf used and amount of play, most major and tier 2 venues would need to replace their goal squares and centre square annually. Most surfaces, if maintained correctly, can last up to 10 years.
Do you want a stadium finish?
The number one tip to achieve a sports field look is to cut your lawn regularly (minimum of three times weekly during your lawn’s growing period), at your desired height. Following a fertiliser and pest management program is a good idea too.
Now you know a little about how the experts achieve fantastic surfaces at their stadiums you can take a little from their playbook and apply it to your own lawn.
Enjoy the footy.
For more on soil preparation, check out this article.
When it comes to gardening products, it’s easy to assume they are all the same, just with a different label. But if you look a little deeper, there can be loads of information nuggets hidden in the label that will make sure you’re getting the best out of your product and the best bang for your buck.
Save money!
It goes without saying that if you have dished out your hard-earned cash, that you want to ensure the product will provide the function that you intend to use it for. Quite often we see people applying products willy-nilly in desperation to resolve an issue, when the solution was one that didn’t require the purchase of a product at all. Lawn Solutions Australia doesn’t actively encourage the application of products like herbicides or pesticides unless necessary.
If you don’t read the whole label, you might also miss some important information relating to use in your garden beds or with some types of plants – This could save you the heartache of accidentally destroying all of your hard work!
Common label categories
Safety and First Aid
This area of the label is one of the most important and relates to how to personal protective equipment required for use and what to do if the product is ingested or splashed in the eye for example. It’s unlikely you’ll need to act on this, however if you’re aware of what needs to be done, you’ll be much quicker to react if an adverse situation does arise.
Precautions for Use
This information can sometimes determine whether you proceed with the use of the product or wait until a more suitable time for application. There may be environmental factors to consider, or precautions that relate to the use around pets and other living organisms.
Understanding the information in this part of the label could also separate a good job from a poor one. If this part of the ColourGuard label went unread for example, a user might apply the product when their lawn is wet and end up with poor results.
Directions
Safety aside, which is obviously of critical importance, are the directions for use. Following the steps provided on the label closely will ensure you don’t miss an important part of the process. This information should also tell you what to do before, during and after applying the product, which can all affect how the product performs.
Application Rates
It’s important to avoid over applying products, for several reasons. These rates are particularly important for fertilisers and herbicides. Applying ‘off-label’ rates, that is, the over application of these products, can be harmful to your lawn and the environment. It’s a wasted effort as well because the products perform their best when they’re applied at the specified rate.
Take fertiliser as an example. Some turf varieties require less fertiliser than others. You will prevent wasting product (and money) if you make sure that you are sticking to the application rate recommended. Sir Grange Zoysia and TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda only require 1/3 of the amount of fertiliser compared to other common varieties. A bucket of fertiliser on these lawns will go a lot further.
There are regulations in place that prescribe the maximum dose of chemical application allowed. This is considered when a manufacturer lists rates of application.
Clean-up
Knowing how to go about cleaning after you’ve used a product can also make a big difference to the result. This may also include advice on what to use and do in the case of an accidental spill.
Storage and Disposal
Some products need to be kept cool and out of direct sunlight; many need to be kept out of the reach of children, so it’s vital this information is known when using these products so it’s ready to be used again when required.
Reading lawn care product labels has many benefits. You not only gain knowledge about the use and application of a product but broaden your expertise in lawn care.
By understanding what a product does and how to use it, you will get the best results for your lawn.
