Author: Sarah

The first rule when it comes to being a stylish ‘lawnie’ this summer is… well there are no rules. If you want to rock your budgies with crocs and a classy party shirt from your friends ‘at Lowes’, be our guest. The lawn is your domain.

In this blog, we share some style tips to guide your unique style without restricting you to a list of rules. Because when it comes to lawn style, a deviation is not only recommended, it’s celebrated.

A quick safety note: Safety always takes precedence over style. Enjoy your lawn in any attire your heart desires, but when it comes to mowing or maintenance, make sure you always wear the appropriate protective clothing or equipment.

Not everyone is brave enough to rock a mullet. But for those that are, mullets are back in vogue and for some of you, they never left. Nothing screams a day out on the grass more than the Aussie mullet. Short at the front, long and wild at the back. Just like your lawn, sometimes a nice, neat trim at the front is perfect for street appeal and a bit of length or ruggedness out the back that says ‘hey I like to party too’ can provide the ying to your yang.

Headwear

If you can’t wrap your head around a mullet, then a hat of your preference is also acceptable and may even be strongly recommended if the sun is at full blast.

Here are some iconic headwear options:

Footwear

Thongs, no shoes at all, some fresh or old New Balances that would make your father proud. All are acceptable when out on the lawn. If mowing or undertaking maintenance, refer to the safety message above.

Here are some iconic footwear options:

Eyewear

Sunnies can make your lawn style but will never break it. All options will provide a bit of flavour and are as important to your signature style as they are to actual eye protection.

Here’s some iconic eyewear options:

The Rig:

Unless you’re an exhibitionist, you are likely to be rocking a particular outfit on the rig. Comfort tends to take precedence over style in this department, you’re here to relax and be free with your lawn. Wear as little or as much as you like, but confidence is key.

Here’s some iconic options for the rig:

Accessories:

Now that you have your lawn style sorted, you just need to chuck in a couple of accessories to ensure your thirst is quenched and you are ready to get out on the grass.

For the ultimate style accessory this Summer, it’s got to be a new TifTuf lawn!

Enjoy your lawns!

If you are in the lawn care community, you may have heard of different product types and wondered if they are all there are talked up to be. In this blog, we look at a few popular lawn care trends and assess if they are worth the hype surrounding them.

Plant Growth Regulators (PGR’s)

Plant growth regulators will suppress your lawns vertical growth and increase the lawns lateral growth. This helps the grass to become denser while reducing the number of times you need to mow. This product is used throughout the warmer months when the grass is actively growing to help reduce mowing.

PGRs are only recommended for use in the warmer months and should be avoided in winter. As PGRs are more of a commercial-style product, you will need to calibrate your sprayer for application. Check out our blog here for more information on how to calibrate your sprayer.

If you struggle to keep up with regular mows in the warmer months or want to take your lawn to another level, PGRs are a great option. We recommend using PGR Primo Maxx.

Pre-emergent Herbicides

Pre-emergent herbicides will stop stubborn weeds before they appear in your lawn. They work by creating a barrier at the soil level, stopping any new weed seedlings in their tracks. They are ideal for controlling seasonal weeds like Winter Grass, Summer Grass, Crab Grass, and Creeping Oxalis. However, one thing to note – is that pre-emergents won’t treat weeds that are present in your lawn but will prevent further seasonal weeds from growing.

Pre-emergents are perfect to use if you want to help prevent weed invasions in your lawn. We recommend using pre-emergent Oxafert.

Battery Powered Fertiliser Spreaders

Battery-powered spreaders are another great popular lawn care trend. They will assist in spreading out granular lawn care products across your lawn, ensuring you have even product coverage. The advantage of battery-powered spreaders over manual handheld spreaders is that you don’t need to turn the handle to disperse the product, which may cause hand cramps over a larger area. When using a battery spreader, you will also be able to cover your area quicker than with a manual handheld spreader.

If you have a larger area size, battery spreaders like the Ryobi One+ fertiliser Spreader and the Ozito PXC 18V Fertiliser Spreader are ideal (batteries sold separately). However, a manual handheld spreader will still do an adequate job if you only have a small area.

Liquid Fertilisers

Liquid fertilisers can provide a quick boost of nutrients to your lawn. They do this as the leaves and roots of your grass absorb the fertiliser. However, when using liquid fertilisers you will need to apply them more frequently for results over a longer period.

Liquid fertilisers are ideal for lawns that are already in shape but are looking for a quick boost. For liquid fertilising, we recommend using Exceed Liquid Fertiliser.

If your lawn is in poor shape and you are wanting to help give the lawn a sustained boost over a longer period of time, we recommend using a granular fertiliser, like Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser.

Ozito Cylinder Mower

If you are following any lawn care pages, you have probably seen the hype around this mower. The steel cylinder blades can provide a clean and precise cut like the bigger, 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 mowers. The Ozito Cylinder Mower is battery-powered. Please note you do need to buy the rechargeable battery separately. This battery is also compatible with many other Ozito home and garden tools.

For its price point, it is a great alternative from the bigger cylinder mowers. It can provide a much cleaner cut than other rotary mowers around the same price point. It is easy to use, manoeuvre, clean, and store. Although the roller attached can be a bit light, we have seen a few people adding a steel roller attachment allowing for better stripes.

Have you noticed patches appearing on your lawn from scalping after you have given your lawn a mow? In this blog, we look at why this occurs and how to avoid scalping your lawn when mowing.

Skip to: Why is my lawn scalping? How to reset the height of your lawn? How to fix your lawns levels? How to help your lawn recover from scalping?

Determine Why Your Lawn is Scalping

The first step is to determine why scalping is occurring. Scalping occurs when a lawn is mown too short. When too much of the leaf is removed, it will cause the grass to look brown in patches.

Here are some reasons why scalping might be occurring on your lawn.

• Has the lawn been growing too long in between mows?
• Are your lawns levels uneven? Are there high and low sections of the lawn?
• Does your lawn have an accumulation of thatch?

How to Reset the Height of Your Lawn

If scalping occurs from your lawn growing too long in between mows or an accumulation of thatch it is best to reset the height if your grass.

To do this, give the lawn a low mow a notch or two below your normal/preferred mowing height. If your lawn has an accumulation of thatch, you may need to bring down the mower a few more notches to allow it to reach down into the thatch layer. (When lowering the mowing height on Buffalo it is best to ensure you are not mowing too low and cutting into the runner). After you mow the lawn, it won’t look great at first, but it will be able to recover over the coming weeks. During this recovery period, it is best to ensure you keep water up to the lawn. Raise your mower back up to your preferred mowing height on your next mow. This process is best done while the lawn is actively growing throughout the warmer months and should be avoided in the cooler months while your lawn is growing at a slower rate.

After this, you will need to ensure you are frequently mowing to help avoid scalping the lawn again. As a rule of thumb, mow your lawn frequently enough so that only one-third of the leaf is removed with each pass. This means you will need to mow more frequently in the warmer months as the grass grows faster. Conversely, you won’t need to cut as often in the cooler months as the grass will grow slower.

How to Fix Your Lawns Levels

If scalping occurs from mowing over high spots in your lawn, you can add soil/sand to amend the lawn levels. This process is known as top dressing. When top dressing to improve levels, we recommend using sand. Something like washed plasterers’ sand or washed river sand is ideal.

When top dressing, it is best to give the lawn a low mow beforehand to ensure the top-dressing material will reach the soil profile. Best to also ensure at most 5-10 mm thickness is applied at one time. The sand should be rubbed in evenly using a lawn-leveller bar or the back of a rake to work the sand into the profile.

Check out our blog here for more information on applying a top dressing here.

Helping your Lawn Recover from Scalping

Your lawn will be in a bit of stress if scalped and will be vulnerable to becoming further stressed very easily. To nurture it through while it recovers make sure you keep it from drying out too much and look to use some liquid products to aid recovery.

Lawn Soaker is a ready to use soil wetting agent specifically developed for use on lawns to improve the penetration of water.

Lawn Rescue is a perfect blend of liquid fertilisers, seaweed extracts and wetting agents.

Lawn Kelper is a formulation designed specifically for turf/lawns to increase turf vigour and stimulate and strengthen roots and shoots.

Other Mowing Tips 

Now you are fully equipped to help stop scalping from occurring. We have a few final tips to ensure you will get the best cut when mowing.

• Ensure your mower has sharp mower blades.
• Mow when the lawn is dry, and try to avoid mowing when the lawn is wet.
• Mow at the same length and keep it consistent.
• Switch mowing directions.
• Mow in the mornings or afternoons. Avoid mowing in the middle of the day.
• Keep at a constant pace.

With the new year comes many new year resolutions. If improving your lawn is on your list, we’ve put together a guide on what lawn care activities will see the best results to help get you on the right track.

Getting Your Soil Right

By ensuring your lawn’s soil base is in good shape, your grass will be able to establish its roots deeply and have access to nutrients required to stay healthy.

What pH Should My Lawn Be?

If your lawn has been struggling for a while, it is worth doing a soil pH test. Your lawn’s soil should be between 6 to 7.5. If your pH is out of this range, check out our blog here for how to amend it.

When Should I Apply a Wetting Agent?

Over the last 12 months, most regions of Australia have experienced high rainfall. When excess rain is experienced, it can cause the soil to leach nutrients from the top layer of the soil. This can cause our lawns to dry out and compact very quickly.

To amend this, it is best to apply a wetting agent to help your lawn absorb water better and aerate the soil. We recommend using the wetting agent Lawn Soaker to help treat a water-repellent soil.

When Should I Aerate My Lawn?

Aerating your lawn will help decompact the soil profile to allow the roots of the grass better receive air, water, and nutrients. Decompacting the profile will also aid in treating a hydrophobic lawn that struggles to drain away water. In addition, it will help make your lawn healthier by strengthening its roots. Aeration is also an important task to carry out if your area has frequent foot traffic from kids or pets.

Aeration can be carried out using a garden fork or tyne aerator over a small area. However, if you have a larger lawn, you may want to hire a motorised aerator to help you cover the area faster.

Check out our page for more information on aerating here.

How to Remove Weeds from a Lawn

After getting your lawn soil on the right track, it is best to get on top of any weeds. When removing weeds, you will need to use a herbicide that will target what you have growing.

For common broadleaf weeds like Clover, Bindii, Oxalis, Cudweed, and other broadleaf weeds, we recommend using a broadleaf herbicide like All Purpose Weed Control or Amgrow Bin Die. These herbicides are safe for common lawn varieties, including Buffalo, Couch, Zoysia, and Kikuyu.

Check out our blog here for more information on removing other common weeds from your lawn.

If you are looking for a preventative herbicide to help stop weeds before they grow, we recommend using Oxafert. Oxafert will prevent seasonal weeds, including Summer Grass, Crab Grass, Winter Grass, and Creeping Oxalis.

When Should I Apply a Fertiliser?

Once weeds have been removed, we recommend applying fertiliser to help give the lawn a boost in nutrients. When looking at fertilisers, it is best to use a well-rounded NPK fertiliser that contains all the nutrients your lawn will need to thrive.

If your grass is in need of repair, it is best to use a granular fertiliser that will slowly release nutrients to the grass rather than a short boost. This will feed the lawn over a longer period for a sustained boost. When looking at granular fertilisers we recommend using our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser. It is best to use this fertiliser around three times a year, once in spring, summer, and autumn. We recommend using the October long weekend, Australia Day, and Easter as a general guide on when to apply it.

If you want to give the grass a further boost in between fertiliser applications, we recommend applying a soil conditioner. A soil conditioner like our Lawn Kelper will promote root and shoot growth, helping improve turf vigour and strength.

How Regularly Should I Mow My Lawn?

Some love it, and some hate it, but with regular mowing your lawn will look and perform well. By mowing regularly throughout the year, you will help allow for consistent nutrients within the grass and will help reduce additional stress to the lawn caused by removing too much of the leaf.

When mowing, it is best to ensure you are cutting regularly enough so that only one-third of the leaf is removed with each pass. This means you will need to mow more frequently in warmer months as the grass grows faster. Conversely, you won’t need to cut as often in the cooler months as the grass will grow slower.

The wet start to spring and summer has caused a slower start to your lawns growing season. In this blog, we share a few lawn care tips on how you can help get your lawn back in health for the warmer months.

Aeration

Aeration is the process of decompacting your soil profile to allow air, water, and nutrients to travel down into the soil base. As we have had months of wet weather, your lawns soil base may have become compacted and waterlogged. By aerating your lawn, you will help allow this excess moisture to travel further down into the soil, helping your turf dry out faster.

For aerating smaller areas, use a garden fork or tyne aerator. When using a garden fork, drive it into the ground and wriggle it back and forward. This will help break up the soil profile. Repeat this across the whole lawn, inserting the fork around 8-10 cm apart.

Larger areas are more suited to a motorised aerator. These can be hired and will be more time and labour friendly.

Please have a look at our blog on aerating for more information here.

Sunlight 

As this winter has been particularly wet, our lawns have had much more water both in the soil base and on top of the turf than in previous years. If your area is shaded by any trees, foliage, or shrubs and has struggled to dry out we recommend running these back regularly to allow more sun to the lawn. This will help the soil of your lawn dry out quicker and will also help aid in your lawn bouncing back faster this summer.

Hydrophobic soil

If you notice the lawn is showing signs of being hydrophobic, where the water is being repelled by the soil and pooling rather than absorbing quickly, then a wetting agent application will help with this. A product like Lawn Soaker is ideal.

Regular mowing

As the warm summer weather starts back up, your lawn will start actively growing again. This means your lawn will be able to start to recover at a faster rate if damage has occurred. But with this extra growth comes more mowing.

When mowing, it is best to remove at most one-third of the leaf with each pass. This will help avoid causing extra stress to the lawn and will help avoid scalping.

Here are some of our top mowing tips to ensure you are getting the best cut:

• Keep your mower blades nice and sharp. If they are blunt or damaged, it is best to look at replacing them.
• Mow when the lawn is dry
• Don’t mow during the heat of the day
• Keep a consistent pace

Fertilising your lawn

With the extended wet weather, nutrients in the soil can be leached and travel down into the subsoil and rock. This makes it unavailable for your lawn to use. When this occurs, it is important to replace these lost nutrients.

To help replace these nutrients, we recommend applying a balanced NPK fertiliser like our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser as well as apply a soil conditioner like Lawn Kelper. This will help give your lawn the correct balance of nutritional requirements to help your lawn maintain an even growth pattern.