Author: Sarah

Plant Growth Regulators are one of the turf world’s best-kept secrets. They can significantly reduce your lawn’s mowing needs during periods of rapid growth, freeing up those weekends that would otherwise be spent behind the mower. But when’s the right time to start applying a PGR? Is it too early in the season? Let’s find out…

Skip to: How Does a Plant Growth Regulator Work? When Should I Apply Primo? Application Rates for Primo HG, How Do I Apply Primo HG to My Lawn? How Long Will Primo HG Last on My Lawn? Needing to Slow Down the Growth of Your Hedges?

How Does a Plant Growth Regulator Work?

Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) like the smaller, more affordable Primo PGR works by reducing the length and size of the stems, stolons (above-ground runners) and leaves in the above-ground parts of the turf. The smaller leaves and shorter internodes on the stolons result in much less physical upward growth and thus reduce mowing and clipping removal by 20 to 50%. (Reference – Syngenta.)

Primo is now available in a smaller, more affordable 500ml bottle, suitable for domestic use on the home lawn.

When Should I Apply Primo?

When using a PGR, as it will reduce your lawn’s growth rate, it is best only to apply it when the turf is growing at its fastest rate throughout the warmer months of the year. It is not recommended to apply when the grass is either going into or is heading out of dormancy, as the plant’s growth rate will naturally be slow and growth regulation is not needed.

It is also not recommended to use a PGR when turf is recovering from wear, renovation or turf is affected by disease or other stressors.

When looking to apply a PGR, ensure the grass has left dormancy first. You will notice this once your lawn has needed regular mowing to keep up with growth, and once temperatures have been consistently warmer in your location.

Application Rates for Applying Primo HG

When applying Primo at the start of the season, it is best to use the lower end of the application rate, and then as you reapply as the growing season progresses, move to a higher application rate. This also goes for the end of the season and lowering your application rate.

The application rate of Primo HG will depend on your lawn type. You can view the recommended application rate for your lawn type here.

How Do I Apply Primo to My Lawn?

When applying Primo HG, it is best to apply through a knapsack or pressure sprayer. It is also recommended to calibrate your sprayer before application for best results to find out how much water to use.

Alternatively, you can use 10L of water and evenly spray your tank mix over 100m2.

How Long Will Primo HG Last on My Lawn?

Primo HG provides up to 4–6 weeks of growth regulation, though factors such as temperature and application rate can influence how long it will remain active.

Needing to Slow Down the Growth of Your Hedges?

Did you know that there also is a product you can use to help slow down the growth of hedges as well? Trimmit is a growth regulator for hedges, helping you achieve a better-looking, more uniform hedge with less maintenance. At the same time, Trimmit will improve the hedges’ drought tolerance, promote denser foliage and deeper green colour.

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

Using a two-in-one weeding and feeding solution often falls short; it may not fully eliminate weeds and can also leave your lawn lacking the nutrients it needs. So, what’s the best way to both remove weeds and give your lawn a healthy boost? In this blog, we break down the most effective approach.

Skip to: What Is the Best Way to Remove Weeds from Your Lawn? How Do I Remove Broadleaf Weeds from My Lawn? How Do I Remove Invading Grasses from My Lawn? When Should I Apply a Fertiliser to My Lawn? What Professional Grade Fertiliser Can I Use on My Lawn? What Liquid Fertilisers Should I Use on My Lawn?

What Is the Best Way to Remove Weeds from Your Lawn?

When it comes to removing weeds from your lawn, there are two questions that you need to ask yourself. One: What type of weeds do I have growing in my lawn? Two: What type of grass is my lawn? From here, you can choose an appropriate weed killer that is safe for your lawn and targets the weeds.

If you are unsure of what type of weeds are growing in your lawn, please check out our Ultimate Lawn Weed Guide.

How Do I Remove Broadleaf Weeds from My Lawn?

To remove broadleaf weeds from your lawn, we recommend using a broadleaf herbicide like Estate Herbicide or Lawn Solutions All Purpose Weed Control. These products are designed to remove common lawn weeds, including Bindii, Clover, Creeping Oxalis, Cudweed, Dandelion, Catsear, Plantain and Thistles.

The All Purpose Weed Control comes in an easy-to-use hose-on-bottle, which you simply clip onto your hose and spray on your lawn. If concentrate products are more your style, or you have surrounding trees or shrubs that you need to be careful not to spray, Estate Herbicide will be the way to go.

How Do I Remove Invading Grasses from My Lawn?

When it comes to invading grasses, if only a small amount is invading, the best and easiest way to remove it is to pull it out by hand. If the grass has heavily invaded, then a weed killer may be required.

When it comes to spraying out invading grasses, it is best to ensure you identify what grass type is invading, as the recommended treatment will vary.

• For sedge weeds like Nutgrass and Mullumbimby Couch, it is recommended to use a dedicated herbicide like Sedge Control.
• To remove Winter Grass, we recommend using a targeted herbicide like Amgrow Winter Grass Killer.
• For Summer Grass, Crab Grass and Crowsfoot, it is best to use a herbicide with DSMA as the active ingredient, like David Grays Crab Grass and Clover Killer.
• If you have Onion Weed or Rye Grass growing there, it is best to use Duke Herbicide for removal.

When Should I Apply a Fertiliser to My Lawn?

Once the weeds have been removed from your lawn, we then recommend applying a fertiliser to help give your lawn a boost in both nutrients and growth.

If you want a good all-round fertiliser packed with the nutrients your lawn needs to thrive, we recommend Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser. This fertiliser is ideal for all lawn varieties and has a combination of fast and slow-release granules. The fast-release granules will provide your lawn with a good upfront boost in nutrients. Then the slow-release granules will release nutrients for up to 12 weeks, providing your lawn with a sustained boost. This also contains a balanced NPK ratio and trace elements, all designed to improve turf health and best overall results.

Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser is available in both a 4kg and 10kg bucket.

Is There a Professional Grade Fertiliser Can I Use on My Lawn?

If you are looking to take your lawn to the next level, or maintain your lawn at a lower cut, using an extended-release mini prill fertiliser like ProPlus is the way to go.

ProPlus fertiliser contains a much finer prill that can work its way down through the grass profile easily, which is especially advantageous for those who keep a fine cut on their lawns. The extended-release granule will also provide a consistent release of nutrients to the lawn over 90 days.

Should I Use Liquid Fertilisers on My Lawn?

If liquid lawn care products are more your style, or you want to give your lawn a quick, up-front boost, we recommend Exceed Liquid Fertiliser. As the leaf absorbs the fertiliser, the grass will have a much faster nutrient uptake. This also contains a balanced NPK ratio for health and colour, as well as additional micronutrients including iron and manganese.

Exceed Liquid Fertiliser is available in an easy-to-use 2L hose-on bottle and a 2.5L concentrate.

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

Zoysia grasses, like Sir Grange Zoysia and Zoysia Australis, are a popular choice for Aussie homes. Known for their versatility, they’re used everywhere from backyards to public spaces to golf courses. In this blog, we’ll share the best tips for looking after your Zoysia lawn.

Skip to: How Often Should I Mow My Zoysia Lawn? Should I Fertilise My Zoysia Lawn? How Much Water Does a Zoysia Lawn Need? What Weed Killers Can I Use on a Zoysia Lawn? How Much Sunlight Does a Zoysia Lawn Need?

When looking at zoysia grasses, it is best to first work out what type of zoysia you have. Two of the most popular zoysia types available include zoysia japonica’s and zoysia matrella’s. Zoysia japonica’s, like Zoysia Australis, are faster-growing grasses compared to slow-growing zoysia matrella’s, like Sir Grange Zoysia.

How Often Should I Mow My Zoysia Lawn?

For all turf types, it is best to ensure you mow your lawn regularly to help keep your lawn healthy. When mowing, it is best to ensure you are following the one-third rule. This rule ensures you mow the lawn regularly enough to remove only one-third of the leaf blade with each pass.

For slower-growing zoysia matrella grasses like Sir Grange Zoysia, this means you don’t need to mow as frequently as you would with Zoysia Australis or at all.

Should I Fertilise My Zoysia Lawn?

Zoysia japonica’s like Zoysia Australis will generally need around three applications of a well-rounded granular fertiliser per year. An application in spring, summer and autumn is ideal.

Zoysia matrella turfgrasses will require fewer nutritional inputs, requiring two applications of a granular fertiliser per year. Once in spring and then again in autumn.

For fertilising, we recommend using a fertiliser that has a good all-round base of nutrients, with a balanced NPK ratio. We recommend using either our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser or ProPlus Mini Prill.

If your zoysia lawn in between applications looks like it needs a bit of a boost or is lacking nutrients, we then recommend using a foliar fertiliser like Exceed to help give the lawn a quick and upfront boost. Exceed is available in both an easy-to-use hose-on bottle and a concentrate.

When entering the winter dormancy period and heading into spring, an application of an iron-based product, like Iron Guard Plus will assist with strengthening and providing colour during periods of seasonal transition.

How Much Water Does a Zoysia Lawn Need?

As zoysia grasses are native to Southeast Asia and the Pacific region, they will generally prefer hot and humid conditions where rainfall levels are high. These grasses have good drought tolerance once established, but they will lose some colour when irrigation is needed.

Some tell-tale signs that your lawn needs water include:

• Leaf is losing colour
• Lawn is looking dry or crusty in hot weather
• Wilting leaf
• When walking on your lawn and a footprint is left behind.

What Weed Killers Can I Use on a Zoysia Lawn?

Whenever using weed killers on your lawn, it is always best to ensure you read through the whole label before use. Herbicide labels will state what turfgrasses they are safe for use on.

As zoysia grasses, are still relatively new to the Australian market, some herbicides may not state whether or not they are safe for use on Zoysia Grass. If this case with the product you are wanting to use, it is always best to consult with the product manufacturer before use.

For removing common broadleaf weeds like clover, bindii, oxalis and more, we recommend using a broadleaf herbicide like All Purpose Weed Control.

How Much Sunlight Does a Zoysia Lawn Need?

Zoysia grasses generally have a good shade tolerance and will be able to thrive in areas that receive as little as 4 hours of direct light per day.

However, it is important to note that, as Sir Grange Zoysia is a slower-growing grass, its establishment period will be longer (up to 1 full growing season). During this establishment period, it will require full sun, and then once fully established, it will develop its shade tolerance.

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

Spring is here! Our lawns are actively growing now that the warmer weather is on the way! If your lawn has been left worse for wear over the cooler months, you may need some extra help to get it back on track this spring. In this blog, we share the answers to some of our most commonly asked questions.

Skip to: When Can I Apply a Fertiliser to My Lawn? My Lawn Has Become Overrun with Weeds; What’s The Easiest Way to Remove Them? How Often Should I Mow My Lawn? Should I Renovate My Lawn? When Should I Apply a Pre-Emergent Herbicide?

When Can I Apply a Fertiliser to My Lawn?

When applying a fertiliser to your lawn in spring, it is best to ensure you don’t get your application down too early. For best results, ensure your lawn is actively growing first, so it can uptake the additional nutrients you are applying.

In most regions, this will be around October; but this will be dependent on what temperatures are in your region. We recommend waiting until you have noticed that your lawn has needed a few mows first before the first application.

For fertilising your lawn in spring, we recommend applying a well-rounded granular fertiliser like our  Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser, or our ProPlus Mini Prill. If liquid products are more your style, we recommend looking into Exceed Liquid Fertiliser, available in both a handy hose-on and concentrate.

My Lawn Has Become Overrun with Weeds, What’s The Easiest Way Remove Them?

Over winter, when our lawns growth slows down, they can become susceptible to invading weeds. In most cases, if there are only a handful of weeds present, the best and easiest way to get on top of them will be to pull them out by hand. If there are too many for hand removal, you may need to consider using an herbicide.

When using an herbicide, it is important to identify the weed growing in your lawn, so that you can target it with an appropriate product. If you are unsure of what type of weeds you have in your turf, make sure you check out our Ultimate Weed Guide.

For removing common broadleaf weeds like Bindii, Clover, Oxalis and Cudweed from your lawn, we recommend using a broadleaf herbicide like All Purpose Weed Control or Estate Herbicide (Estate Herbicide is a broadleaf herbicide concentrate alternative for the discontinued BinDie.

How Often Should I Mow My Lawn?

As a general rule of thumb, when it comes to mowing your lawn, it is best to ensure you are mowing your lawn regularly enough so that only one third of the leaf blade is removed with each pass.

Unfortunately, there is no one straight answer to how frequently this will be as it is dependent on a variety of factors. These include your location, turf type and weather in your region.

Should I Renovate My Lawn?

Although there is a lot of hype around lawn renovations in spring each year, in most cases, your lawn won’t need a full renovation. A lawn renovation is only required if you want to remove thatch buildup, improve your lawn’s levels, amend your soil profile, decompact your soil base or if you want to take your lawn to the next level.

If your lawn is facing one or more of these issues, consider renovating your lawn. If you want to know more about the renovation process, check out our blog here.

When Should I Apply a Pre-Emergent Herbicide?

Pre-emergent herbicides are one of the easiest ways to help keep your lawn weed free this spring and summer. Pre-emergents should be applied in spring, and then again in autumn, just before the temperatures are set to rise and fall, as this is when the seasonal weed seeds that are in the soil will start to germinate and grow.

When it comes to choosing a pre-emergent to use on your lawn, our go-to is Oxafert and Oxafert Plus. Both of these are in a granular form, making them easy to apply to your lawn. However, if you do prefer to use liquid products on your lawn, another liquid pre-emergent option includes Barricade.

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

From reducing compaction to assisting in drainage, aeration has so many benefits for your lawn! We take a look at all you need to know about aerating your lawn…

Skip to: What is aeration? Why should I aerate my lawn? When should I aerate my lawn? How do I aerate my lawn? How to aerate my lawn if the soil is hard.

Firstly, what is aeration?

Aeration is the process of decompacting your soil by either punching holes into the soil profile with a garden fork, aerator sandals or extracting cores of soil by using a tyne aerator.

Why should I aerate my lawn?

Aeration has many benefits to the overall health of your lawn. Decompacting the soil base helps allow for air, water and nutrients to more freely travel down to the roots of your lawn. This will help the lawn grow its roots deeply to produce a stronger, more vigorous lawn.

A few common lawn issues that aeration can assist with include:

• Helping your lawn to grow thicker and stronger.
• Help alleviate soil compaction from high amounts of foot traffic and wear.
• Assisting where drainage is poor.
• Help your lawn spread back over bare sections of lawn.
• Better allow for nutrients to reach the roots of your lawn.

When should I aerate my lawn?

Aeration can be done at any time throughout the year, but the most common time to do this is in spring and summer when grass is actively growing. This is particularly the case when core aerating as there will be holes left in the profile where the soil has been removed. When doing this in spring and summer, this means that the grass will be able to grow back over at a faster rate.

Aeration can still be done throughout the cooler months, but you may not see the full benefit till the grass begins to actively grow.

How do I aerate my lawn?

There are a few different tools you can use to aerate your lawn:

Aerating with a garden fork is one of the most common ways to aerate your lawn. This method involves you driving a sturdy garden fork into the ground then giving it a good wiggle back and forwards to help break up the surrounding soil. Then continue this across the lawn, aiming for spacing around 8-10cm apart.

Aerating sandals are also another way to aerate the lawn. With aerating sandals, you attach the sandal to your shoe, then walk across your lawn. These sandals are a less labour intensive, however may not be quite as effective as other methods.

Core aeration is another method of aerating where the tines will remove plugs of soil from the ground. This particular method of aerating allows more space for your lawn to breathe and is ideal where there are high amounts of compaction present. Core aeration can be done using a manual core aerator fork, or if you have a larger area, you can hire out a mechanical core aerator.

How can I aerate if my soil is too hard?

If your soil has become too compacted and is difficult to get the tines to penetrate the soil, give the lawn a good water a few hours beforehand. This will help to help soften up the soil.

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

Does your lawn have big bare patches of dirt, and do you want to find the best and quickest way to get turf growing there again? In this blog, we look at the best way to fix bare patches in your lawn.

Skip to: How big is the bare patch in your lawn? Matching your new piece of turf with your existing lawn, Preparing your area for new turf, Repairing bare patches with new turf, How do I care for new turf?

How Big is the Bare Patch in Your Lawn?

Generally, if your bare patch is larger than an A4-size piece of paper, it is best to use a roll/slab of turf to patch up the lawn. This will be a much more efficient and quicker method to get your lawn looking its best.

If your bare patch is smaller than an A4 piece of paper, it is best to encourage the surrounding grass to grow and spread back over. For more information on how to do this, please check out our blog here.

Matching Your New Piece of Turf with Your Existing Lawn

In order to get the most seamless match to your existing lawn, you firstly need to know what type of grass your main lawn is. When identifying your lawn type, you will need to look closely at the runner of the grass and analyse the grasses leaf and stolon structure. If you don’t know what to look for when examining your turf, check out our handy grass identification video here or our blog here.

If you are still unsure what type of grass your main lawn type is, get in contact with us or your local turf supplier for an identification.

Preparing the Area for Turf

To prepare the area for turf, you will first need to rake out any of the dry or dead plant material that is currently there. If there are any weeds growing there, you will need to remove them as well. Either pull these out by hand or look at removing them with a non-selective herbicide like Roundup or Zero. When preparing the area, try to make the patch as square as possible to make installing the turf as easy as possible.

Following this, turn over the soil base with a garden fork to help decompact the soil profile. Then if you need to raise the soil levels, bring in some new sandy loam or turf underlay mix.

Repairing the Bare Patch with Turf

After preparing the area, get in contact with your local Lawn Solutions Australia member and pick up the amount of turf you need.

Once you have picked up your turf, it is best to install it as soon as possible. This will prevent the turf from drying out, especially if doing this on a hot day.

Cut the turf to the required size and shape, then lay it over your prepared area. If you have any leftover soil, you can use this and lightly top dress around the joins between your existing turf and the new grass. Water in the turf well, as you would a new lawn.

How Do I Care for the New Turf?

For the next few weeks as the new turf establishes, ensure you are watering regularly to help prevent the roots of the grass from drying out.

For your first mow, it is best to wait till it has had a chance to establish its roots down into the soil base before mowing. You can test if your turf has grown into the soil by gently pulling up a corner of the new turf. If the turf does not lift, it is ready for a mow.

Over the coming weeks post-installation, your new turf patch will be able to knit together with your existing lawn. Ensure you are mowing the area regularly and keep up with regular lawn maintenance to get the most out of your lawn.

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