Some love mowing, while others hate it. Whether you are a lover or a hater of mowing, there are some gadgets and knick-knacks out there that can help make your time out mowing fun!
Have You Heard of Bluetooth earmuffs?
Safety comes first! Wearing protective earmuffs is important to help prevent your ears from damage. But why wear regular earmuffs when you can take it one step further and listen to your favourite tunes!
There is an excellent range of Bluetooth ear muffs available on the market, but one readily available from Bunnings is the 3M Work Tunes Call Connect Bluetooth Ear Muffs. Reviews rave about their battery life, easy setup, and excellent earmuff quality, making mowing a more fun and enjoyable experience.
Do You Need a Mower Beer Holder
Have you ever wanted to enjoy a nice cold bevvy when mowing but had nowhere to put it? With the Mower Mate, you can now enjoy your beer when you are on the go, mowing your lawn! The mower mate attaches to any mower handle with its sturdy clamp with no fiddly attachments.
Getting a Good Cut With a Smaller Cylinder Mower
If you are following any of the lawn care pages, you have probably seen the hype around this mower. The Ozito Cylinder Mowers are cheap, fun to mow with plus provide a great result which is pleasing to the eye.
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.
Need a Wearable Fan to Help Keep Cool?
When mowing on those hot summer days, you can work up quite a sweat! So to help combat the heat, why not use a wearable fan to help you keep your cool!
The O2COOl Deluxe Necklace Fans sit around your neck like a necklace, providing a strong vertical airflow, and it has three-speed settings while being quiet and lightweight.
Using a Wearable Umbrella to Help Keep Cool
While we are on the topic of staying cool, blocking out the sun and sun safety is a top priority. Wearable umbrellas will provide you with some of the best protection when mowing on a hot summer’s day, while helping you keep cool.
Is a Bunnings Straw Hat More Your Style?
However, we do understand wearable umbrellas might not be everyone’s style, but a more conventional option like the iconic Bunnings Straw Hat might be more your cup of tea when shielding the sun off your face on those hot summer days.
Want to Mow Lawn Stripes?
Adding a roller to your mower will help you get some stripes on your lawn, even when using a standard rotary mower! Stripes will show more after regularly mowing in the same pattern when using a roller.
The Toro Lawn Striping Kit will attach to most brands of 18” and 22” walk-behind mowers. If you are after some tips on perfecting your lawn stripes, check out our blog here.
Do You Want to Mow Less?
If mowing still isn’t your thing, why not look at using a plant growth regulator (PGR). A PGR will help reduce the number of times you need to mow throughout the warmer months while your lawn is growing at its fastest! PGR’s work by suppressing your lawn’s vertical growth and increasing the lawn’s lateral growth. When it comes to PGR’s we recommend using Primo Maxx.
Hopefully these tips will help make your time mowing a more fun and enjoyable experience! For more lawn care tips and advice, check out our lawn care page here.
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:
Cork HatTerry towel hatLegionnaires (Flap) hatBunnings Hat
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:
New Balance 452Grass ThongsThongs with bottle openerBare foot
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:
AviatorsPit Vipers or Speed DealersSkate/Surf brand of your choiceRay Bans
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:
Footy shortsBudgy SmugglersThe Lowes special party shirtBintang SingletBlue Singo/Chesty BondFlanno (Cold summer?)
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.
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.
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 – Soil Wetter
Lawn Soaker is a ready to use soil wetting agent specifically developed for use on lawns to improve the penetration of water.
Lawn Rescue – Feed and Nurture Recovery from Stress
Lawn Rescue is a perfect blend of liquid fertilisers, seaweed extracts and wetting agents.
Lawn Kelper – Soil Conditioner
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.
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.
Christmas spirit is in the air! It’s time to take out your Christmas decorations and set up your tree! We look at decorating and lighting options to help you and your home get ready this Christmas.
Inflatable Christmas Decorations
Inflatable Christmas decorations are a crowd favourite when decorating outside your home! They are big enough that you can see them when driving past and are a great staple to build your Christmas display around!
Inflatable decorations are best used on the lawn as they need to be pegged into the ground to avoid blowing away. During December, you may also need to take them down when mowing the lawn. When you set them back up after mowing, we recommend moving them around to allow the grass underneath to recover.
Here are a few of our favourite inflatable options that are on the market:
When setting up your light display, it is best to avoid setting the majority on the lawn, as they will need to be moved when mowing. Installing your lights in trees, shrubs, and on house fixtures will allow passers-by to better see your light display as they are elevated from the ground. When choosing your lighting options for outside, it is always best to ensure your lights are suitable for outdoor use.
For shrubs and trees, net lights are a great option. These lights simply need to be placed over the tree like a blanket, and away you go.
When wrapping Christmas lights around trees, start at the bottom and work your way up and around the tree in a spiral.
Rope lights are an excellent option for outlining fixtures like a garden bed, driveway, or roof.
Christmas light set up tips
Keep your Christmas lights organised. When mowing, avoid moving your lights into piles as they can get tangled. Wrapping your lights around a rectangular piece of cardboard or even on a clothes hanger will help prevent tangling from occurring. If you have multiple sets of lights that will need to be moved throughout December, labelling them will help make putting them back out an easier task.
When connecting extension leads outdoors, we recommend using a weatherproof connector protector. These will help protect your cords from deterioration, including protection from rain, dust, and tampering. Connector protectors can be used for a single lead or a whole power board. Some of our favourites are the Ampfibian X1 Weatherproof Connector Protector and the Arlec 4 Outlet Weatherproof Electrical Enclosure Box.
Gutter hooks are ideal when setting up a wide variety of lights on your house. Gutter hooks will attach to your house’s gutters and allow you to clip up your lights.
LED projectors are also a great option to use if you don’t have the time to set up lights across your home. Outdoor LED projectors will commonly have a stake or a base option. Once plugged in, they will project lights onto the selected area.
From choosing your turf to installing your new lawn, there are few rules to follow to ensure it will thrive. In this blog, we look at what you should be doing to give your new lawn the best start, and what should be avoided.
Soil preparation before laying your new turf
The success of your new lawn will be heavily dependent on the soil preparation work that is undertaken before your new lawn is installed. If your soil is prepared correctly, your new turf will be able to grow its roots down into the soil base allowing it to flourish. If the soil preparation is not done correctly, problems including poor drainage, compaction, and pH imbalances can occur.
Do’s
Do a soil pH test to see what your existing soils pH is. An ideal ph is between 5.5 – 7. If your soil is either side, you may need to adjust your soils pH. Check out our blog here for more information on how to adjust your soils pH.
Kill off any existing vegetation using glyphosate or a similar non-selective herbicide. You may need 2 applications to ensure all existing vegetation is completely eradicated.
Hoe in and turn over the existing base and remove any excess vegetation that has been sprayed out.
Bring in a turf underlay mix. For most turf varieties 100 mm of a sandy loam or a turf underlay mix is recommended. Spread out the soil evenly to the area and correct levels with a soil leveller or rake.
Don’ts
Don’t leave any weeds or other grasses in the soil. Even when soil is laid on top of them there is a high likelihood that they will be able to grow through the soil and into your new lawn.
Installing your turf
Now onto the fun part, installing your new lawn! On the day of installing your new lawn, make sure all your preparation work has been done beforehand. This will allow you to install your grass when it arrives.
Do’s
Install your turf as soon as you receive it. Turf is a living plant, so it is best to get it back to its growing environment as soon as possible.
Start laying the turf on a straight edge at the furthest point to your access and lay back towards the exit, so you are not working over fresh turf.
Lay the turf in a brickwork pattern, butting the edges together. If you are working on a slope, lay the turf across the slope.
If installing your turf on a hot day, water each section as you install it to avoid the turf drying out.
Don’ts
Don’t leave your turf on the pallet sitting around for days in the hot heat.
On a hot day, you may be tempted to water your turf while it is on the pallet, but it is best to avoid doing this. If water is applied while it is on the pallet, it will cool the turf on the outside, however the turf in the middle of the pallet will heat up at an accelerated rate and can cause burning.
Allow foot traffic and pets onto the area. After the lawn has been installed it is best to keep as much traffic off the lawn until it establishes into the ground. If the turf receives high traffic, it will take longer to establish and may cause damage to the new lawn.
Caring for your new lawn
Your new lawn has now been installed! So, what’s next? For the first few weeks your lawn will need more frequent watering’s while the roots of the grass are establishing down into the soil base. After the lawns roots have grown down into the soil base you can reduce your watering’s to the lawn. After it has been installed, you will also need to look at mowing and fertilising.
Do’s
For the first few days after your lawn has been down, ensure you are watering your lawn enough so that the roots of the grass are not drying out. For the first few days you will need to irrigate frequently. After the roots have grown into the soil base you can start reducing the number of times you need to irrigate.
Your new lawn should be ready for its first mow once the roots of the grass have grown into the soil base. You can test if your lawn is ready for its first mow by trying to lift a corner of a turf roll from the ground. If the turf doesn’t lift from the ground, it is ready for a mow.
Raise your mower height on the first mow so only the top of the leaf is removed.
Once the lawn has been down for 6-8 weeks it will be ready for its first fertiliser application. For fertilising your new lawn we recommend using our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser.
Don’ts
While your new lawn is establishing it is best to hold off from using herbicides until it has fully established. If you do have weeds, it is best to pull them out by hand.
Keep all foot traffic to a minimum while the lawn is establishing. Best to keep all pets and kids off the area.
Summer Lawn Care Products | Fertilising and nutrition
Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser
Supercharge your lawn with this premium lawn food that’s ideal for all lawn varieties.
Both fast and slow-release granules packed with essential nutrients and trace elements encourage strong growth and rich colour.
The slow-release granules will deliver a small amount of nutrients to your lawn each day for up to 12 weeks after the initial application to aid in sustained growth for best all-round results.
Contains 16% Nitrogen (N), 0.7% Phosphorus (P), 4% Potassium (K), 20% Sulphur (S), 1.5% Calcium (Ca) and 2% Iron (Fe).
Provides nutrients for turf growth and recovery.
Lawn Solutions Premium Lawn Fertiliser was developed specifically for use on Sir Walter DNA Certified Soft Leaf Buffalo and works equally well on other lawn varieties.
Lawn Kelper Liquid Nutrient Package is a balanced formulation with the added additions of Trace Elements, Seaweed Kelp and Fulvic Acid.
This formulation is designed specifically for turf/lawns to increase turf vigour and stimulate and strengthen roots and shoots. Ideal to use year round to keep your lawn looking dark green and healthy.
Summer Lawn Care Products |Grub Treatment and Prevention
Lawn Solutions Grub Guard Ultimate
Lawn Solutions Grub Guard Ultimate Turf Insecticide delivers excellent preventative control against a large range of common lawn pests.
Optimal results are achieved when applied early in the season at the appearance of overwintering adult pests.
This 4kg bucket will cover up to 500m2
The long residual performance of Lawn Solutions Grub Guard Ultimate Turf Insecticide will provide up to 6 months of protection at the higher application rates.
Curative control of pest outbreaks later in the season can also be achieved using the higher recommended application rates.
Grub Guard Ultimate prevents and treats a broad range of lawn pests including:
Lawn Armyworm
Lawn Curl Grub (African Black Beetle Larvae
Argentine Stem Weevil
Billbug Larva
Sod Webworm
Grub Guard Ultimate – Powered by Acelepryn Technology
Battle Insecticide is a powerful knockdown and residual pesticide that works through direct contact and by residual action as the pest comes into contact with treated surfaces. This is a liquid concentrate that contains the active ingredient Bifenthrin, plus a surfactant to help the product adhere on application.
Battle treats a broad range of lawn pests including:
Lawn Armyworm
African Black Beetle Adults
Funnel Ants & other species
Subterranean Termites
Argentine Stem Weevil
Billbug Adults
Papernest Wasps
Midges, Fleas & Ticks
Battle Insecticide can be used as a protective treatment when applied at regular intervals or as a knockdown treatment to control existing pests.
Launch a preventative strike on annual grasses and broad-leaf weeds with Lawn Solutions OxaFert Herbicide and Fertiliser. A pre-emergent herbicide for most warm season turf varieties, OxaFert controls weed seedlings during germination.
OxaFert controls annual grass-type weeds including Winter Grass, Crowsfoot, Summer Grass, Creeping Oxalis and Crabgrass before they appear.
OxaFert will prevent the targeted weed seedlings before they take hold, preventing them from growing and spreading throughout your lawn for up to 12 weeks.
Lawn Solutions OxaFert won’t harm healthy turf or inhibit turf root growth or recovery from damage.
Fertilise your lawn and control weeds in one easy application.
Treatment for water repellent soil. A premium lawn hydration solution.
Lawn Soaker is a ready to use soil wetting agent specifically developed for use on lawns. It improves the penetration of water so it can reach deep down to the roots. Regular use will ensure the soil re-wets and prevents further dry spots from forming.
Apply as frequently as necessary to treat water repellent soil and improve drought resistance.
Lawn Soaker will help break down the wax like substance that is caused by the decomposition of organic matter, allowing water to penetrate.
Increased durability: hardier under children and pet use.
Promotes denser, healthier turf that is better able to withstand a variety of stresses including heat, drought, diseases and traffic.
Slows the production of gibberellic acid, a plant hormone that promotes cell elongation. Vertical shoot growth is slowed, while lateral and below-ground growth of rhizomes, stolons, tillers and roots is stimulated.
Reduces mowing by up to 50%.
Is claimed to suppress Winter grass growth.
Cuts mowing in half, reduces seed head production, fertiliser use, watering, and clipping yield, making lawns look great with half the work or for less than 3 cents a square meter.
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.
The year is 1996 and several thoroughbred Racecourse Managers from across Australia assemble at the Rosehill racecourse in Sydney under the guise of a Conference with the objective to work together to improve track management practices and efficiencies. It’s a successful event and quickly becomes an annual occurrence.
ARMA is Founded
The Racecourse Managers in August of 2004 travelled across the Bass Strait for the Racecourse Managers Conference to be held at the Mowbray Racecourse (Tasmania Turf Club) where it was agreed the group be formalised and the Australian Racecourse Managers Association (ARMA) is born.
Delegates of the Conference unanimously supported the proposal as an important milestone in the industry quest for improvements in race and training track construction, management, and presentation of racecourses, to promote and advance best practice, facilitate research and development, and represent racecourse managers, as required, on racing industry matters.
ARMA thrives under the formalisation and extends invitations to their colleagues in New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa and the United Kingdom, with New Zealand (2017) and Singapore (2013) becoming future destinations for the newly labelled “Australian Racecourse Managers Association Conference”.
The ARMA Conference
The ARMA Conference has become such an important event in the Australian racing calendar where Racecourse Managers, representatives of the different State’s governing bodies and industry suppliers gather to discuss important industry issues, trends, practices and innovation as well as to highlight support networks.
So, the blight of COVID-19 and the corresponding impacts of the pandemic not only forced the cancellation of the Conference for two years, but also increased the strain and stress imposed on Racecourse Managers across both Australia and New Zealand as they worked within reduced budgets, staffing levels and strict protocols to ensure that the thoroughbred racing industry could continue to keep the industry going and everyone associated employed.
Such was the struggle; it became never more important for a Conference to be held.
The 2022 ARMA Conference was finally held from 18-20 August and hosted by the Australian Turf Club at Royal Randwick Racecourse. Beginning on Thursday 18 August, over 160 delegates and sponsors attended each day of the Presentations & Trade Shows with delegates flying in from every state of Australia, a strong contingent from New Zealand, with some even travelling from the United Kingdom to partake.
ARMA Chairman Lindsay Murphy was delighted with the event that saw a record number of delegates in attendance and a record number of partners. “We are extremely grateful to all our Members who not only made the trip to attend the Conference but contributed throughout all the facets of the event. After three long years of cancellations and postponements, it was a huge thrill to have all our ARMA Members together again.
The support from our 33 partners has been overwhelming as the show doesn’t happen without them, it’s that simple. A special thank you to Jackie Hanslo and the Polvin Fencing Systems team for their support as the naming rights sponsor of our event.
We would like to thank Michael Wood and the ATC (Australian Turf Club) for hosting the Conference. The new facilities of the Winx Stand are amazing, and the event and catering staff and service were all tremendous.
We would also like to thank all those that presented at the Conference, with many of them flying into Sydney just to present for the betterment of our Delegates. We worked hard to provide a range of highly qualified speakers to present across a range of topics and we hope that all our Members are going back to their Clubs after the Conference, armed with new ideas and information to help them succeed in their roles.
Topics that were covered throughout the Conference included;
Using drones for racecourse aerial surveying and analysis
The impact of climate change on turf management practices
Major industry project updates of the construction of the Caulfield Inner Track as well as the Gold Coast Turf Club Master Plan
Recognising and addressing mental health
The important role Racecourse Managers play in the media
Advantages of foliar feeding
Leadership discipline, culture and tackling conflict
Preventing racehorse injuries with Professor Chris Whitton
How UK Racing navigated through Covid-19 and TurfTrax future developments
The impact and management of recent NSW floods on the turf industry
Jason Petch, an ex-horse trainer and founder of Behind The Barriers presented on day one of the Conference about the importance of recognizing and addressing your mental health. Behind The Barriers is an industry- focused mental health support service which Jason explained before announcing that the organisation has generously opened their service to now include all Racecourse Managers. Behind The Barriers provides free, immediate and confidential support to Racing industry participants and immediate family members suffering mental health issues due to the demands of the industry.
2022 Toro Industry Services Award
One of the highlights of any ARMA Conference Dinner is the announcement of award winners and the 2022 renewal was no different. In front of more than 180 guests in the Winx Stand of Royal Randwick, it was Sheldon Simmonds from Toro Australia who announced that the winner of the 2022 Toro Industry Services Award was Warren Williams (Racing Queensland) to an eruption of applause.
“Warren’s contribution to the Industry has already spanned almost 40 years so it was such an honour to be able to present this award. He is such a worthy winner” Sheldon explained post announcement.
ARMA Chairman Lindsay Murphy was quick to heap praise on to Warren; “ARMA is so thrilled that Warren’s tireless and continued contribution to the racing industry, which includes his important work with our Association, could be formally recognized tonight in front of his peers and friends.”
Warren Williams was overwhelmed by the announcement. “This was so unexpected. I’ve always thought it was important for ARMA Members to have an annual gathering to better the management of racecourses and for this Conference to still be thriving in 2022 since beginning in 1996 is something I am quite proud of. It’s almost been 40 years since I first started at Moonee Valley and I’m so grateful for all the support I’ve had along the way, with a lot of those people in the room here tonight.”
Anco Turf VRC Carnival Experience
Anco Turf proudly again offered the Anco Turf VRC Carnival Experience which is open to young and enthusiastic racecourse employees to work alongside Liam O’Keeffe, Racecourse Manager of Victoria Racing Club (VRC) during the 2022 Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington. Anco Turf’s Projects and Commercial Sales Manager Tim Elligate announced that given the missed opportunities through the COVID pandemic, Anco Turf, in conjunction with the Victoria Racing Club were awarding two winners in 2022. Tim announced the winners were Scott MacKinnon from the Sunshine Coast Turf Club (QLD) and Wayne Tucker from the Bendigo Jockey Club (Vic). Both award winners qualified for the award as full-time employees of an Australian Racetrack and work on the track. ARMA encouraged Clubs to enter a staff member for the award as the winner will be provided with a unique opportunity to work within the biggest horse racing event in the Southern Hemisphere.
Another highlight of the Conference was the guest speakers during Thursday night’s Conference Dinner, with Richie Callander interviewing jockey Hugh Bowman, aptly held in the Winx Stand. Hugh provided some amazing insights into riding the four-time Cox Plate winner and what his own future holds, while Richie’s comedic efforts were enjoyed by the crowd as always. Many thanks to Evergreen Turf for organising both Richie and Hugh to attend.
The 2022 Polvin Fencing ARMA Conference concluded on Saturday when all in attendance at the Group 1 Winx Stakes Race Meeting were treated to a magnificent day of high-quality racing and hospitality at Royal Randwick, with Anamoe the star of the show as he dominated the Group 1 Winx Stakes for a successful start to what looks like another epic Spring Carnival preparation.
The ARMA Conference Organising Committee are now working hard behind the scenes to finalise the host Club, date, and a range of other details for the 2023 ARMA Conference.
