Sarah, Author at Lawn Solutions Australia

How to Get Golf Quality Turf

Posted on October 27, 2022November 15, 2024 by Sarah

Have you ever wondered how golf courses get their playing surfaces in top condition or what maintenance is required? This blog looks at how you can get your lawn up to a golf course standard.

What grasses are mainly used on golf courses?

For Fairways, Tees, and surrounds, most golf courses within Australia use a Couch or Kikuyu turfgrass, depending on location. More recently, courses have been able to start using new turfgrass like Sir Grange Zoysia available to the Australian market. For greens courses will generally use Couch grass, for cooler states Bent grass is used.

Mowing Requirements

Different areas of a course will have different mowing requirements. The mowing requirements across other areas will change depending on climate and season. For greens, some courses will need to be mowed once a day. Fairways too will need to be mown often, in some cases once every second day. Other areas including the tees and rough’s can be mown less frequently, sometimes 2-3 times a week.

If you want to get golf quality turf at your home, you will need to be mowing frequently enough so that only one-third of the leaf is removed with each pass. This way you will be minimising stress caused to the lawn, helping avoid scalping from occurring and keeping the grass healthier.

Type of mower

As different areas have different mowing requirements, various mowers are used. For tee boxes and the green surrounds, walk-behind & surrounds ride-on mowers (3 reels) are used. For fairways – cylinder fairway mowers (usually 5 reels), some courses still use tractor gang mowers. The greens use cylinder mowers, both walk behind & triplex ride-on mowers. Rough areas will usually use a rotary mower.

When getting that golf quality turf at home, we recommend either mowing with a cylinder mower. With a cylinder mower, you will get a much cleaner cut as it won’t tear the grass like a rotary mower. With any mower, it is important to ensure your blades are sharp for the best cut possible.

Products used

Insecticides

When using insecticides, using a preventive product is a more economical option. In addition, as courses need their turf to look and perform great year-round, it is better to use a preventative option rather than treating if damage occurs, as it can disrupt play.

One preventative insecticide option available for the domestic market is Grub Guard Ultimate and Acelepryn.

Herbicides

Like insecticides, it is much better to prevent weeds before they appear. A pre-emergent herbicide designed for a home lawn is Oxafert. Oxafert will help prevent seasonal grass weeds like Winter Grass, Summer Grass, Crab Grass, Crowsfoot, and Creeping Oxalis.

Plant Growth Regulators (PGR)

PGRs are commonly used on commercial areas as they can reduce grass growth (reduced mowing requirements), increase root density, and increased durability, along with many other benefits. As mowing requirements can take up large portions of a green keeper’s time, using a PGR can help with this, especially throughout the growing season. A PGR that is available for the domestic market is Primo Maxx.

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

Different Ways to Utilise Lawn in a Good Garden Design

Posted on October 26, 2022November 15, 2024 by Sarah

With Charlie Albone

As a landscape designer I ask and discuss with my clients the preparation of a wish list of items they would like to see in their new garden. 99% of lists have a lawn in there for entertaining, children playing, sunbathing or simply because they like the look of it! Lawns are a great tool in creating the perfect garden design no matter the style of garden.

I love a lawn as a practical space, a space that you can see yourself using. I also like lawns for the breathing space it gives a garden. A lawn works well as a contrast to a more textured and layered garden bed like one of those films where the lead actor and support are equally as good as one another.

Often when people try to design their own garden, they try to fit too many things in at once and it feels cluttered. A great way to combat this is to start with your lawn and pick a spot in the garden that is the most suited to the variety you are growing. Often this the sunniest most free draining area of your property. From this, you can easily build the rest of your garden.

Incorperating shapes into your garden design

In a design, squares, rectangles and even circles are perfect shapes for a formal lawn, and they allow you to start your design with a structured element to work from. These shapes will set the tone for the whole garden and their simplicity works to draw you into the space. By having simple shapes when it comes to maintenance you get crisp edges and can even incorporate striping via a cylinder mower to take your garden to the next level.

If you prefer a freer flowing naturalistic design style turf is the perfect filler between your garden beds, bringing a breathing space, a moment of clam before the riot of planting in the surrounding beds. Curves in the lawn work well to direct the traffic around the garden, creating a soft pathway that should be walked barefoot to engage with the garden on all senses.

Lawns as soft pathways

Lawn turfs make a great cost effective and soft pathway around a garden, if they get sufficient light to perform well. I like to use a grass walkway around a garden and have the centre of the garden filled with perennials. This may seem counterintuitive however the perennials will stand taller and more upright with the extra sun they receive in the centre of the garden and the lawn makes a delightful boarder to walk around on to observe.

Lawn also makes the perfect surrounding to a swimming pool as it accentuates the flat surface of the water giving the effect of a larger space. Grass never gets too hot so its excellent to walk on barefoot and sunbath on. If designing a lawn around a pool, make sure you have a sufficiently dimensioned coping stone to stop clippings flying into the pool when you mow the grass.

Choosing the right turf variety for your area

When it comes to selecting the right variety of grass for your garden design it is important to carry the theme of the garden through to your selection. It’s the small details that will make the design a successful one. For a formal design, getting the right leaf texture is key so you want to use something fine like Sir Grange Zoysia as it has a luscious deep green and soft fine texture leaf so is perfect but if you are in a low water area TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda will be more successful in the long run so a better choice whilst maintaining the fine formal leaf look. To make a more relaxed garden or those that will experience heavy traffic such as a play lawn DNA Certified Sir Walter is a great choice, as would the TifTuf be too. For a tropical garden the wider leaf of the Sir Walter Buffalo will suit the bolder, more foliaged based planting scheme.

Spring Lawn Care Quiz

Posted on October 26, 2022November 15, 2024 by Sarah

The weather is finally starting to warm back up and your lawn is starting to grow at a faster rate. Take our spring lawn care quiz to test your knowledge of the do’s and don’ts this season.

Are you looking to get your lawn back in shape for the warmer months? By following some simple lawn care tips you will be able to get your grass back in shape. Not sure how, check out our spring lawn care blog here.

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

How to care for a new lawn

Posted on September 29, 2022November 15, 2024 by Sarah

So, your new lawn is now installed, and you’re unsure what to do next? This blog covers a few simple steps on how to care for your new lawn.

Watering For a New Lawn

Ensuring your lawn has enough water, especially for the first few days after installation, is essential to help stop the grass roots from drying out.

For the first few days after receiving your lawn, you will need to irrigate more frequently. This is because the grass roots won’t have had the chance to grow into the soil. The duration and number of times you need to water will depend on a few factors, including temperatures, location, and rainfall.

As a general guide, you want to ensure your grass roots stay damp. If you are experiencing lots of rainfall in your area, you may not need additional irrigation. However, if your temperatures are hotter without rainfall, you may need to irrigate a few times a day.

For more information on watering your lawn, it is best to reach out to your local turf supplier. They will be familiar with the current weather conditions and local area.

Once the roots of your lawn have established into the soil, you can start reducing the number of times you need to irrigate. Once your lawn is fully established, you should only need to irrigate when there is not enough rainfall to meet the needs of your lawn. Some tell-tale signs that your lawn needs water are:

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 looking dry.

Mowing Your Lawn For the First Time

Your new lawn should be ready for its first mow once the grass roots grow into the soil profile. To see if it is ready, try lifting the corner of a turf roll from the ground. It is ready to mow if you can’t lift the roll from the ground.

With your first mow, raise the mower’s height so only the top of the leaf blade is removed. Then, slowly bring the height back to your preferred mowing height over the next few mows.

Should I Fertilise My New Lawn

Once the lawn has been down for 6 – 8 weeks, it will be ready for its first fertiliser application. For fertilising a new lawn we recommend using a well-balanced fertiliser, like our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser. This contains all the nutrients your lawn needs to thrive over the coming months and is safe to use on lawn types.

If you want to apply products during the lawns first few weeks, you can use a soil conditioner like Lawn Kelper, this will help stimulate and strengthen roots and shoots.

Can I Use Herbicides on a New Lawn?

If you notice weeds starting to grow in your new lawn, it is best to hold off from using herbicides till the lawn has fully established. However, most lawn weeds should be able to be removed by hand.

If we haven’t touched on any inquiries you have about caring for your new lawn, reach out to your local turf supplier, or get in contact with the Lawn Solutions Team.

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

What Weed Is That?

Posted on September 29, 2022November 15, 2024 by Sarah

Does your lawn have weeds but not sure what type they are and know the best way to remove them? In this blog, we look at common lawn weeds that could be growing in your lawn, provide tips on identifying different weeds, and recommend the best way to remove them.

Bindii (Jo-Jo)

Bindii can be one of the more annoying and painful weeds to have growing in your lawn. This weed is low-growing, with its flower at the centre of the plant. Bindii will start to grow in winter and will grow a green carrot-like leaf. As the temperatures warm up in spring and summer, the plant will begin to dry out and leave behind its prickly seeds.

Bindii can be removed with most broadleaf herbicides like All Purpose Weed Control and Amgrow Bin Die. Both herbicides are safe for common lawn varieties, including Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo, Sir Grange Zoysia, TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda, couch, zoysia, fescue, and ryegrass.

Clover (Trifolium)

Clover is another weed commonly found in many Aussie lawns. This weed can be identified by its oval-shaped leaves. These leaves also have a white circular marking across all the leaves and will produce either a white, pink, red or yellow flower.

We recommend using a broadleaf herbicide like All Purpose Weed Control or Amgrow Bin Die to remove clover.

Crowsfoot/Crabgrass (Eleusine Indica or Digitaria)

Crowsfoot is an annual summer weed that grows in easy-to-identify tufts, staying fairly flat to the ground with almost white flat sheathed stems and smooth strap-like leaves. Seed heads usually appear from late spring or early summer. These seed heads can have as many as ten spikelets on each long stem. In an unhealthy lawn, if left to seed and spread, Crowsfoot will quickly infiltrate right through the entire lawn. Crowsfoot is commonly found throughout most Australian states.

If there are only a few tufts of crowsfoot growing, the best way to remove the weed is to pull it out by hand. If there is an infestation across the lawn, we recommend using a herbicide with DSMA as the active, like David Greys 500ml Crab Grass and Clover Killer Selective Herbicide. Please note herbicides containing DSMA as the active ingredient are not safe for use on Kikuyu, buffalo lawns, and QLD blue couch.

Cudweed (Gnaphalium spp.)

Cudweed has glossy light green leaves in a rosette shape. Under the leaf, it is white and furry. It has various flowering habits from mid-spring to early summer, or in autumn.

When treating Cudweed, it is recommended to use a surfactant or add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the herbicide, to help it adhere to the leaf. We recommend using a broadleaf herbicide like All Purpose Weed Control or Amgrow Bin Die to remove this.

Nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus)

Nutgrass is a noxious Sedge weed that gets its name from its nut-like tubers found on the plant’s roots. It is usually identifiable from its lighter green leaves that grow taller than the rest of your lawn. It has 3 blades that will shoot up from the stem. The stem will be triangular rather than circular stem like most grasses.

If your lawn has nutgrass, it is not recommended to pull them out by hand as the bulbs will be left in the soil, and the plant will reappear. To remove nutgrass, we recommend using a selective herbicide like our Lawn Solutions Sedge Control.

Creeping Oxalis (Oxalis corniculate)

Creeping Oxalis has small light green heart-shaped leaves, very similar in appearance to clover. (Oxalis have heart-shaped leaves while clover has oval-shaped leaves.) The flowers are small, about 3-4mm in diameter, and bright yellow in color containing five petals. Creeping Oxalis, as its name suggests, quickly runs along the surface of the soil and produces roots from the leaf as it goes and creeps under and through your lawn.

The removal of Creeping Oxalis is similar to clover, requiring a broadleaf herbicide. We recommend using either All Purpose Weed Control or Amgrow Bin Die, suitable for most lawn varieties.

The LSA App

Did you know that we have an app? Our Lawn Solutions Australia app provides handy resources to help you identify different types of lawn weeds while recommending the best way to remove them. Check out our app if this blog doesn’t mention a weed growing in your lawn.

Our app also provides:

Information on identifying lawn pests and diseases.
Lawn care blogs.
Promotions
Contact details of your local turf suppliers and free online turf quotes.

You can download the Lawn Solutions Australia app here.

Spring Lawn Care on a Budget

Posted on September 29, 2022November 15, 2024 by Sarah

Are you wanting to get your lawn on the mend but not sure if you can fit it into your budget? This blog looks at how you can get your lawn looking its best, even when working on a budget this spring.

Aerate Your Soil

Aerating your soil will help create space below ground for your soil to take in air, nutrients, and water. This will help stop and avoid many problems associated with compaction, like drainage issues, bare patches, weeds, dry spots, and fungal diseases. Aerating your lawn will also help the grass roots grow deeper into the soil base so the grass can grow stronger and more vigorously.

To aerate your soil, you can manually use a sturdy garden fork and drive it into the ground. Give it a good wiggle back and forward to help decompact the soil base. Continue this process across the lawn and aim for around 8 – 10cm apart.

Weeding Your Lawn

One of the quickest and easiest ways to remove most types of weeds is to pull them out by hand.

Remove weeds when they are small to help prevent them from spreading. At this stage, they are also unlikely to have gone to seed, preventing them from spreading further.
Remove all the weed’s roots.
Break up your lawn into smaller sections. Remove weeds from one area daily to help make the task seem less daunting.
Weed after rain. This is when the soil will be damp, making it easier to remove weeds.

Please note that some weeds are not recommended to be removed by hand, including Nutgrass, Soursob, and Onion Weed. Please have a look for more information here.

You Should Mow Your Lawn Regularly

Mowing your lawn regularly will not only help your lawn look tidy but will improve the health of your lawn. By mowing your lawn regularly, you will:

Encourage lateral growth, helping your lawn become thicker.
Help reduce stress on the lawn when removing too much of the leaf at once.
Help encourage a consistent growth pattern.
Help your lawn be less susceptible to disease, weeds, and pests.

So how often should you mow? We recommend mowing your lawn frequently enough so that only one-third of the leaf will be removed with each pass. In the warmer months, while the lawn is actively growing you will need to mow more frequently. In the cooler months, the lawn will slow down in growth and will require less frequent mows.

Mowing frequently will also help make mowing easier as you won’t need to push the mower through tall grass.

Should I Mow with the Catcher Off?

Your lawn’s clippings are a great source of nitrogen and can act as a natural fertiliser for your lawn. When leaving your clippings on the lawn, it is best to ensure you frequently mow and that only a small amount of the leaf is removed. This will help avoid the grass underneath becoming smothered.

When Should I Fertilise My Lawn?

If there is room in the budget, fertilising your lawn will help provide essential nutrients to the lawn. This will help give your lawn a boost and will help provide the nutrients your lawn needs to stay healthy.

When choosing a fertiliser, we recommend using our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser. This fertiliser has a well-balanced ratio of nutrients and is suitable for all lawn varieties.

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

Guide to Buying a Lawn Mower

Posted on August 26, 2022November 15, 2024 by Sarah

There are so many options to choose from when buying lawn mowers, from self-propelled, battery powered, cylinder mowers, the list goes on! With this, it can be difficult to know what type of features in a lawn mower to look out for. This blog looks at a few different mower types and their features to help you choose the best mower for you.

Mowers for Small Home Lawns

For smaller lawns, you won’t need a very large mowing deck and can get away without using a self-propelled mower.

The Victa 18’ Classic Cut Mulch Or Catch Petrol Lawn Mower has a smaller cutting deck of 18’ and features an easy start setting. This mower mulches the grass clippings, so you can leave the clippings or bag if you prefer. The mower hasa mowing height range of 11-76mm, making it ideal for most lawns. Customers have liked that the mower starts with the first pull and have easy access to oil and fuel.

Features:

Briggs & Stratton 500E series OHV engine 6.8Nm torque
5-year domestic warranty – Lifetime catcher warranty
Mulching Functionality
Rapid start ignition for easy starting
Dual swing back blades cutting system

Battery Powered Lawn Mower

Battery Powered Mowers are a more environmentally friendly mower option compared to the classic petrol-powered mowers. The newer battery-powered mowers on the market are much more powerful than they once were. Most batteries for battery-powered mowers are also compatible with other tools that the specific brand produces. So, if you already have a battery-powered tool from one brand, it is more economical to use a mower for which you already have batteries for.

The Ryobi One+18V 37cm Brushless Cordless Lawn Mower Kit is ideal for small to medium size lawns (37cm mower). It doesn’t have any pull cords and fuel or oil to worry about. One benefit of this mower is that it includes the required Ryobi battery and fast charger. In addition, users have loved the height adjustment range, ability to fold up quickly for storage, and 40L mesh catcher.

Features:

6 Position height adjustment
40L Full mush catcher
Includes battery and fast charger
37cm Mower
Polymer deck

Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

Self-propelled mowers are ideal when mowing medium to large lawns or when mowing up a slope. This will help limit fatigue and help you cover your area faster than the standard push mower.

The Honda 21’ Self Propelled Mower is packed with features that provide an excellent mowing experience while providing a great cut. In addition, users have loved that it is easy to start and helps reduce the mowing time.

Features:

Powerful GCV170 4 stroke engine with more power and torque
Self-propelled mower
Heavy-duty 21” durable steel deck
Low noise and vibration
3 in 1 Clip Director for mulching, bagging, or discharging versatility. No attachments required

Automower

The robot lawn mower is one of the newer mowing options to hit the market. Robot mowers work similarly to robot vacuums. These mowers will work within a parameter set by you and will automatically return to the charging station once the lawn is cut or if it has a low battery. There are a few different robot mowers on the market. Some can be controlled by your phone, and some can mow up steep inclines, while delivering excellent cutting results.

The Husqvarna Automower range is a popular robotic mower option. They have a great range available to suit all lawn sizes and areas. You can find more information on the Husqvarna Automower range here.

Small Cylinder Lawn Mowers

If you are following any lawn care pages, you have probably seen the hype around the Ozito Cylinder Mower. The precision-ground steel cylinder blades can provide a clean and precise cut like the bigger and much more pricey cylinder mowers on the market. The Ozito mowers adjustable cutting height is between 14-38mm, cutting a bit higher than larger cylinder lawn mowers.

The Ozito Cylinder Mower is battery powered. You do need to buy the rechargeable battery separately. This battery is also compatible with a range of other Ozito home and garden tools.

Features:

Battery powered cutting action
5 Precision ground cutting blades
45L Grass catcher
4 Cutting heights
Compatible with all Ozito PXC batteries – sold separately

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

What’s the Best Grass Around Pavers and Concrete

Posted on August 25, 2022November 15, 2024 by Sarah

Have you ever wondered what’s the best grass you should use around paving, concrete, and other surfaces? This blog looks at a range of options you can use in your outdoor space.

What’s the Best Grass Around Paving

When using grasses around paving, we recommend choosing a grass type that won’t grow particularly tall and will grow thick around the paving. If you plan to have pavers across your lawn, we recommend going for a slower-growing grass like Sir Grange Zoysia or Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo.

Sir Grange Zoysia

Sir Grange Zoysia is a slower-growing boutique grass that looks great with little maintenance. This grass has a stunning fine leaf, with a beautiful dark green colour, and is slow growing. This grass can even be left unmown! The Sir Grange also doesn’t grow particularly long, so it works well in landscaped areas. This is a slower-growing grass. So, it won’t have as fast repairing nature as other warm-season grasses like couch and buffalo grass. So, it is best used in low traffic areas that will not be used by pets and kids, or where the paving will be walked on, instead of the lawn.

As this grass is a slow grower, it can take some time to establish. Sir Grange Zoysia also requires a bit of extra ground preparation work when installing. For more information on the installation and establishment of Sir Grange Zoysia, click here.

Get a Quote

Moderate Traffic Areas Around Paving

If you are installing grass in an area with pavers or other surfaces like concrete that will receive more foot traffic or will be used by pets and kids, we recommend having a look at Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo.

Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo grass has a higher wear tolerance and a faster repairing nature than Sir Grange Zoysia. Sir Walter has a soft broad leaf, high shade tolerance, and excellent with pets and kids. This grass is low maintenance, and well-suited to the Australian Climate.

High Wear Areas

For choosing a turf type in high-wear areas along a driveway or other surfaces, we recommend looking at TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda or Sir Walter DNA Certified.

For turfed areas along driveways and paths, look at using faster-growing grass. Although you will need to keep in mind the lawn may need its edges done from time to time. Edging along driveways and paths will be much easier to maintain as they are mostly straight. Please check out our blog on edging for more information here.

If you want your lawn to sit flush with a concrete surface, we recommend leaving about 30-40mm below the height of the other surface. This will allow for the thickness of the turf. Best to chat with your local turf supplier for exact measurements of how thick they are cutting their turf.

Ground Cover Alternatives

There is an excellent range of other ground covers that you can use around paving. These ground covers are a good option to look at using in smaller areas, like alongside of the house or on small pathways. When choosing plants, it is best to look for something that is low growing and can spread to prevent weeds from growing. A few options include Baby Tears, Dwarf Mondo Grass, Dichondra Silver Falls, and Blue Star Creeper.

For more information on choosing the best turf variety for your area, it is best to have a chat with your local Lawn Solutions turf supplier.

Getting Your Lawn and Garden House Inspection Ready

Posted on August 25, 2022November 15, 2024 by Sarah

Whether you are having an open house, or a rental inspection, lawns and gardens are often one of the last areas to tidy before inspection day. To help you get organised, we have put together a guide on how to get your lawn and garden inspection ready.

Repairing Patches in Your Lawn

If there are big bare patches, the best way to get grass growing is to lay new turf in the patch. This method is quicker and easier to achieve better results, especially when short on time.

When replacing a patch of grass, you will need to rake out any dead foliage in the bare area and turn over the existing soil. Then if needed, bring in some soil to raise the ground level. Next, cut your turf to size and lay the bare patch on top. Keep the water up to the patch and avoid mowing this area until the new turf has rooted down into the soil base.

To purchase turf, get in contact with your local turf suppliers here.

Mowing Your Lawn

A quick mow will help get the yard looking tidy. If the lawn has been left a bit too long, it is best to mow with the catcher on to prevent lawn clippings from smothering the grass. Mowing with a catcher will also help avoid clippings from going over other surfaces like the driveway.

To help keep the lawn healthy for future house inspections, regular mowing is key. This will help your lawn maintain a consistent growth pattern and help your lawn become thicker and healthier.

ColourGuard Plus

A great way to help give your lawn an instant green up and a boost is to apply ColourGuard Plus. ColourGuard Plus is a natural organic lawn pigment and liquid fertiliser product that helps provide natural green colour to your lawn, especially in a hurry for a house inspection!

Tidy Garden Beds

A quick tidy-up of garden beds and removing any weeds that have grown in will go a long way. The best and fastest way to remove weeds is to pull them out by hand. When removing weeds, it is best to avoid spreading any weed seeds to the rest of the lawn and dispose of them in a green bin or garbage bag.

Edging

Edging your lawn is another great way to make your lawn looks clean and tidy for a house inspection, especially if the lawn is growing over concrete or other surfaces. There are a few different edging tools available, but you should be able to achieve sharp edges by using whipper snipper.

For more information on how to edge your lawn, check out our blog here.

Pruning Back Trees and Shrubs

Prune back any trees or shrubs that are overgrown or blocking paths, entryways, or needs a tidy. This will help make the property look more appealing. For pruning, you can use wither garden sheers, saws, or hedge trimmers, depending on the plant and how much plant material you are removing.

Fertilise Your Lawn

Now is also a great time to fertilise your lawn. This will help the lawn improve its colour and help thicken the profile.

A liquid fertiliser like Exceed can provide fast results as it is absorbed by the leaf of the grass. This provides a much quicker result compared to granular fertilisers as they are absorbed by the grass roots.

If you are wanting to help improve the overall health of the grass, you may want to look at using a slow-release granular fertiliser that will release nutrients to the lawn, giving it a boost over a longer period. For granular fertilisers we recommend using our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser. This contains all the essential nutrients your lawn needs to look and stay healthy.

For more information on how to repair bare patches in your lawn click here.

4 Spring Lawn Care Musts

Posted on August 23, 2022November 15, 2024 by Sarah

Spring is now here! Temperatures are now rising, and our lawns are set to start actively growing again! We recommend doing a few simple spring lawn care activities to ensure your grass will grow at its healthiest throughout the warmer months.

When is the best time to fertilise my lawn?

We know it might be tempting to throw grass fertiliser down as soon as spring starts, but it is best to wait until the temperatures rise and ensure the lawn is actively growing first. If you time your fertiliser application before this, the lawn won’t be growing fast enough to absorb all nutrients provided and won’t allow the fertiliser to work to its full potential.

So, when should you apply fertiliser? Best to wait until you notice your lawn is actively growing. You should be able to detect this when the lawn needs more frequent mows. This can be at different times for different regions of Australia.

For fertilising in spring, we recommend using a granular lawn fertiliser, like our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser. This has a combination of fast and slow-release granules that contain a balanced ratio of nutrients your lawn needs to thrive. This fertiliser is suitable for all lawn types.

Checking your mower blades

Another spring lawn care activity you can do is ensuring your mower blades are nice and sharp. This will help your grass look better after mowing and will help keep your lawn healthier.

We recommend checking your mower blades at the start of every growing season to ensure they are in good shape or need sharpening. To check your mower, tilt your lawn mower up with the front wheels pointing upwards and the handle flat to the ground or bench. This will ensure no oil flows where it shouldn’t.

If the blades have any cracks, bends, extremely thin blades, or even holes in the blades fin – then your blades need to be replaced.

If there is still plenty of meat left on your blades and they are in their correct shape, they may simply need to be sharpened.

For most people, the easiest fix is to have your mower blades looked at by a professional. However, if you are not confident or short on time, your best option is to drop your lawn mower off at your local mower shop and have the experts give the whole unit a once over. It can be a good idea to undertake a mower service every 12 months or so, leaving your mower ready to go when you need it during the warmer months.

Mowing regularly – the 1/3 rule

The one rule relates to the leaf length that you should limit yourself to taking off at each mow. The reasoning behind it is to lessen the grass’ stress during the destructive mowing process. Removing only one-third of the leaf during a mowing event will limit the amount of photosynthesizing material removed and allow the plant to maintain reasonable growth by minimising this stress among others.

Do I need to aerate my lawn?

Aerating your soil is another great spring lawn care activity to do! Aerating your soil will increase the amount of air, water, and nutrients it receives. This strengthens grass roots and helps create a healthier lawn. Aeration decreases thatch and compaction and should be carried out annually in high traffic areas and on hard lawns. Lawns with poorer soil can benefit from aeration too.

To aerate your lawn, drive a garden fork into the soil and give it a wiggle to help decompact the soil base. You can also do this with a core aerator which will remove plugs of soil at the same time. Continue this across the lawn around 8-10 cm apart for best results.

It may be worth hiring a motorised aerator if you have a larger area or your soil is highly compacted.

Check out our other lawn care blogs here for more spring lawn care tips and advice.