Lawn Solutions Australia are always on the look out for new additions to our group that have the same high standards as the current network of LSA turf producers. Over the past 12 months we have welcomed 2 new additions to Australia’s largest network of turf producers, both in NSW, to make sure LSA premium turf varieties are readily available no matter where you are in Australia.
Lawn Solutions Australia is a network of leading turf producers that produce Australia’s leading turfgrass varieties for varied markets including – homeowners, sporting oval, golf courses, commercial and government bodies. The LSA Group has a national footprint to ensure coverage and supply for the consumer. It is always important to manage the supply chain and develop strategies to foresee sales growth and production align. Over the last 8 years the LSA Group has been proud of our strategic review on market analysis, supply chains and infrastructure development and implemented plans to fill this market demand.
Who are our new team members?
Tyagarah Turf in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. This name has a long history in turf, however over the last 10 years the business lost focus and changed hands several times. Now with a new owner the property was purchased for cattle and grazing. 50 hectares of excellent high country with an option for another 50 hectares form the new Tyagarah Turf farm. The Tyagarah Turf business is owned by Helen & Travis Stone who also own Clarence Valley Turf business in Grafton, NSW. During 2021 they have worked hard in preparing, levelling land ready to plant new turf varieties such as – Sir Walter DNA Certified, TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda, Sir Grange Zoysia and Zoysia Australis. This fits perfectly into the LSA model of expansion to ensure a national footprint and coverage to meet the growing market demand in the Northern NSW Region. Tyagarah Turf is open and operating to servicing this area.
Direct Turf Lawn Solutions Australia is proud to have secured Direct Turf in Windsor, NSW – this business is owned by Cameron & Jayden Vella who are part of a long family history in turf farming. Direct Turf has been working with the LSA Group for the last 4 years in a wholesale capacity. From July 2021 the decision was made to come on board to strengthen the supply chain for the LSA Group in NSW. Direct Turf currently grow 120,000 square metres of Sir Walter DNA Certified buffalo and have the potential to expand with additional plantings of Sir Walter DNA Certified and TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. Over the last 4 years the Direct Turf business has support the LSA Groups supply chain not only in NSW, the east coast QLD and VIC benefited from the Direct Turf business supply. This was of value to all LSA members and the growing customer base for the LSA Group.
We would like to welcome these 2 new additions to the Lawn Solutions Australia Group. It’s our vision to ensure we maintain and increase our footprint, our strategic goal is to continue to strengthen our network and supply chain to ensure all our customers continue to experience certified quality turf and industry leading customer service experience.
The devastating NSW floods occurred in March 2021, with the forecast in the lead up being of “minor to moderate flooding,” but never major flooding. The amount of rain that did come, caused utter destruction. Areas of the Hawkesbury Valley west of Sydney and on the NSW Mid-North Coast were the hardest hit, with over 2,800 hectares of turf production severely impacted. The flood peaked around 9pm on Friday 19th of March. Turf growers were left in a state of emergency and their families and businesses were turned upside down overnight. There would be a long road ahead, with significant emotional, physical, and mental challenges to overcome.
Floods are not new to the Turf Industry, but until this year’s flood in March there hasn’t been a major flood on the Hawkesbury-Nepean for more than 30 years, with the last comparable one occurring in 1990. Long-term Sydneysiders, however, will remember that twelve major floods occurred during the 40 years before 1990. Five of these were larger than this year’s flood in height, but the damage is always comparable. The big one Windsor and parts of the North Coast saw this year has been called many things. A “once-in-50 or 100-year flood”, “unprecedented” and “chaotic”, regardless of whether it was or was not as big as others in history for some areas, one of the most damaging factors to the Turf Industry is the time of year it came.
Whilst all floods are incredibly damaging, having one this late in the growing season is somewhat rare, with a much longer lasting effect. Silt, sadly is a result of all floods, and it can take months of good growing weather to recover crops even partially effected from the impact of silt. The other major floods in the past 35 years all came much earlier in the season. In 1986 it was August, in 1990 – February and in 2016 it came in September.
A flood in late March means that silt covered crops must enter winter and wait for more than six months for favourable growing conditions to return. What this means in short, is root rot, very heavy and brittle turf for months with huge increases in wastage and transport costs due to weight increases for months to come. In a normal year, this causes a turf shortage. This year it was more of a perfect storm, with the biggest building boom, the largest flood, and the largest demand for turf in 30 years, creating turf shortages we have never experienced before.
Earl’s Turf is a Lawn Solutions Australia accredited turf supplier based in Taree on the Mid North Coast of NSW. Owner and Manager Earl Stanley said, “the farm looked like it had been hit with a tsunami. All the fences were ripped out, all gravel roadways ended up on paddocks, tonnes of flood rack were strewn across all the paddocks.”
Many of Earl’s paddocks were inundated with up to 300mm of silt. One paddock surprisingly even had a Nissan X-Trail on it and numerous bales of silage from surrounding farms. Three of their travelling boom irrigators were mangled with some also losing their hoses. One Hardi spray unit was found 40km away on Tuncurry beach, with another being found on Dumaresq Island and a third found at Manning Point, 20km’s away. Thanks to the power of social media the Hardi spray unit was found on a Buy Swap Sell. ‘One very disappointed seller he ended up being!’
“At the time of our worst drought ever three years ago we thought things were tough, but we now know what tough is. A flood has proven to be far worse than any drought.” said Earl Stanley, Earls Turf
The turf industry was able to unite, along with their local communities and began the clean up as soon as the flood water receded. Growers from different areas helped supply machinery and banded together to rebuild and recover what they could.
With many turf suppliers impacted by the floods, supply was significantly reduced in the regions effected. Some growers lost entire paddocks, some hoped to save 50% of their turf in production, with the impacts of the flood being felt across their entire farms. Some growers had farms located on higher ground and were able to recommence supply within weeks. Others were not so lucky.
Green Life Turf is based in the Hawkesbury region of NSW in Freemans Reach. Green Life Turf are fortunate to have a farm in Singleton as part of a flood proof plan for their business. This allowed them to continue to supply their regular customers. The biggest challenge they have faced with reduced supply is the timing of matured stock effecting the overall availability. Managing the timing of mature stocks, the extra logistics required to transport turf from singleton, combined with the added demand of turf this has immense pressure on their team.
The damages Green Life Turf incurred included erosion to riverbanks, drainage systems blocking and failing, pump sites being washed away, broken fences, damaged irrigator infrastructure, damage to sheds, offices, cool room, and the loss of crops.
“As soon as the flood waters receded and we could get access to our properties again, we started to wash and broom out all the silt from our sheds and offices. We then started to focus on fixing failed drainage in our paddocks to help them dry up, allowing us to start salvaging the crops that we could,” Joshua Muscat from Green Life Turf said.
This has been a long and ongoing process for the Green Life team. They started by fixing things that were important for supply first and are continuing to work towards finding time to fix other things, like the fences.
“We keep on doing what we do best. Growing and supply the highest quality turf possible.”
Joshua Muscat, Green Life Turf
If it wasn’t for the resilience, quick thinking and innovative nature of the modern turf farmer that saw flood clean ups at record speed, using new flood recovery and silt removal techniques, the current turf supply crisis may have been a lot worse. We are now seeing the turf quality and supply chains starting to return to normal, which is possibly the quickest we have seen in history.
Earl’s Turf would like to thank Geoff Hatton from Cobbitty Turf for helping them out, providing valuable knowledge and giving them the use of their Blecavator to help rebuild the farm.
Mollymook Golf Club Beachside Golf Course Renovation
Beachside is one of two beautiful golf courses housed under the Mollymook Golf Club. Beachside is a 9-hole, par 33 course that lies atop the southern tip of the gorgeous Mollymook Beach, surrounding the stunning Collers Beach inlet. One of the larger tourist attractions for the small South Coast town, Beachside Golf Course accommodates many new faces, as well as regularly hosting its loyal members.
After many successful years and a strong community presence, the Mollymook Golf Club made the decision for its Beachside Course to undergo a transformation. A massive redesign and course restructure was on the agenda, with opportunity to level up the functionality, and overall experience for those who step up to the tees.
This renovation project was originally discussed around 15 years ago, with several redesigns proposed by various architects, but the project never got off the ground. Over recent years, the Club has become very strong financially, and the renovation project was revisited roughly 3 years ago with the various stages of planning discussed between Programmed Turnpoint (Construction and Maintenance Services), Troon Golf (Golf Club Management Services) and Mollymook Golf Club. Mollymook Golf Club were planning to start construction in winter of 2020, but it was postponed by 12 months due to the uncertainty of Covid-19 at that time. Programmed and Troon worked very closely behind the scenes to present the final design to the Club that ticked all the boxes.
The main reason for the course redesign, was to improve safety both on and around the course. With 9 holes in a rectangle that is surrounded by houses, roads and pedestrian traffic, issues can arise time to time. The 1st and 9th holes had a public road going across the middle of them which was not ideal. As the Club worked its way through the design process, it became more and more evident that moving a couple of tees and greens wasn’t going to be enough. When the final design shortened the course from a Par 33 to a Par 28, the club wanted to provide superior playing surfaces and raise the profile of the course.
The Club agreed the best way forward was to rebuild every tee and green in the renovation with a whole new irrigation system to compliment the course. An irrigation system was a high priority, being both a vital and sustainable step for large-scale area turfing during its establishment, and future maintenance.
Mollymook Golf Club were working with a short time frame (18 weeks) to complete the whole project to get the course open again in time for the busy tourist season in December. After a few meetings and visits to other courses, it was decided to seed all the greens and returf all the surrounds and tees.
The Mollymook Golf Club had a small team that have worked very closely all the way through the design, planning and construction phases which included preliminary site visits to other courses and local turf farm, Turfco.
The design and construction plan were spearheaded by;
Justin Trott, the General Manager of Programmed Turnpoint and a very experienced course architect.
David Lunardelli, the Director of Agronomy for Troon, has a wealth of knowledge in agronomy and new golf courses.
Barry West, the Golf Manager at Mollymook Golf Club who has been involved in several large golf projects interstate and overseas.
Mollymook Golf Club Superintendent Mark Pullinger, who has worked on the courses at Mollymook for over 20 years before becoming the Superintendent 3 years ago, with good knowledge of what is above and below the ground at Mollymook.
Turfco produces more than 200 acres of quality turf and is the NSW South Coast’s only Lawn Solutions Australia accredited turf grower. The Turfco team were included in the planning process during multiple site visits to the Berry Turfco Farm. Mollymook Golf Club presented a timeframe that scheduled the large-scale turf installation within September-November 2021. Turfco would supply a quantity of around 3,500m2 within this window, with Mollymook Golf Club and Programmed Turnpoint to complete the turf installation.
With Beachside Course is subject to both full sun and heavily shaded areas, as well as constant high traffic and wear & tear, the Mollymook team were in the market for a turf that could thrive in this setting. Turfco hosted various display visits to farm the Mollymook Golf Club with all the necessary knowledge to ensure a successful returfing on the Beachside Course.
Sir Grange Zoysia was the favoured variety for the Mollymook team for both its beauty and heavily researched qualities. In the month of May 2021, Turfco delivered a small quantity of Sir Grange as a trial on a particular Beachside tee. The team were impressed with the results, despite the turf being laid in the cooler months. The go-ahead was granted for Sir Grange Zoysia on the Beachside Golf Course reconstruction.
The greens were seeded with a mix of A1/A4 Bent and the surrounds were solid turfed with Sir Grange Zoysia while the tees were solid turfed with TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. The Club wanted a low maintenance grass for the surrounds that looks very impressive hence the Sir Grange Zoysia, while also after a grass that can handle high traffic and repair quickly, so the TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda was an obvious choice. TifTuf was also selected areas for its fast establishment, ensuring a quick turnaround for the more popular spots that were of high priority in the reopening.
It was decided to periodically deliver the quantities of turf over two-three months. Spaced intervals allowed both Turfco and the Mollymook Golf Club to manage and optimise the workload, while allowing certain areas of the course an extended period of establishment prior to the reopening.
Pictured on October 12th, 2021 is a progress update of two areas of Sir Grange laid at different times (8th Green).
In the coming weeks Turfco will begin their delivery of TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda to Beachside Golf Course.
Turfco and Mollymook Golf Club have a long-standing relationship developed over many years, in the past supplying Eureka Kikuyu turf. Turfco welcomed the opportunity to provide The Club with a more suitable turf variety that would top-off their course transformation.
The Superintendent Mark, and many others at the Beachside Golf Course are well equipped and experienced individuals who no doubt will provide the course with all the required maintenance and care.
Are you wanting to know all there is to know about lawn care or need a quick lawn care knowledge refresher? In this blog, we look at the A to Z of lawns!
A – Aeration
Aeration helps the roots of your lawn grow deeply to produce a stronger and healthier lawn. Aeration helps decompact the soil base of your lawn, better allowing for nutrients and water to get to your lawn’s roots. There are a few different tools that you can use to aerate: garden fork, tyne aerator, and aerator sandals.
B – Buffalo grass
Buffalo grasses are a warm-season variety, Native to North and South America, parts of Africa, and the Caribbean. Most Buffalo varieties on the market in Australia are soft leaf buffalo.
Buffalo grass has a broadleaf and only has above-ground stems known as stolons to establish from.
Couch grass (sometimes called Bermuda) is another warm-season variety. Couch is native to most of the eastern hemisphere. This grass is known for its fast growth rate, wear, and drought tolerance.
Couch as a fine leaf and grows from both above and below ground runners.
TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda (couch) has a superior drought tolerance, is tough, and has a speedy recovery if it gets damaged. TifTuf is also the only grass in Australia to be awarded the Smart Approved Water Mark for its ability to stand unto drought conditions and save you water.
D – Dogs and your lawn.
Dogs are an important member of many Aussie families, and they spend a lot of their time out on the lawn. With this a few issues like wear and tear, compaction, digging and urine burn can occur. Making sure your lawn is still a place for both you and your pets to enjoy is important. Check out our blog here for more information on how to keep your lawn looking and performing great for both you and your best friend.
E – Ergo Weed Puller
The Ergo Weed Puller is a great tool that helps you pull out weeds without straining your back. It quickly and easily digs down underneath the weed and when extracted removes the entire weed, roots, and all.
F – Fertiliser
Fertilising your grass is not only a great way to keep your lawn looking its best but will also provide the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. There are a few different fertilising products on the market from granular, liquid, slow-release, fast release, and controlled release. Some of our top picks for fertilising all lawns are the Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser and Exceed Liquid Fertiliser.
G – Grubs
If there is a large infestation of grubs or they are causing damage to your lawn, quick action may be required. When grubs damage a lawn, the grass will become dry and straw-like as it would in a drought in patterns across the lawn. If there is an infestation or damage, we recommend using a fast acting insecticide like Battle Insecticide or Grub Guard. Follow-up applications may be needed to ensure the whole lifecycle has been treated. You can also prevent grub and other pest attacks on your lawn by using a preventative product like Grub Guard Ultimate or Acelepryn GR. Please have a look here for more information.
H – HOC (height of cut)
Height of cut refers to the height that your lawn mower cuts at. If you have a cylinder mower you will be able to get a much lower and cleaner cut for your lawn compared to a rotary mower. With varieties like couch and zoysia, you can maintain a lower HOC and other varieties like buffalo prefer a higher HOC due to their above ground runners.
For more information on mowing heights and mowing tips, check out our blog here.
I – Irrigation
Watering your lawn for longer less frequently is best. This will encourage the roots of your lawn to grow deeper into the soil, helping it become more drought tolerant. Watering in the morning before the heat of the day is best. Avoid watering at night, this will help stop the lawn from being damp overnight which can encourage fungal disease.
J – Japonica
Japonica is one of the 3 main types of Zoysia grasses: Zoysia Macrantha, Zoysia Matrella, and Zoysia Japonica.
One of the common types of Zoysia Japonica that are available around Australia is Platinum Zoysia. Japonicas have a medium leaf texture, fair shade and wear tolerance and are more suited to the warmer climates of Australia.
K – Kikuyu grass
Kikuyu grass is native to the highland regions of East Africa. This grass is most well known for being a rapid grower, loving full sun areas and is a great choice for homes, larger spaces, racecourses, and parks.
Kikuyu has a medium-sized leaf and grows from both above and below ground runners.
Eureka Kikuyu is Australia’s number one Kikuyu grass. It has a bright yellow-green colour, superior disease resistance, deep root base and loves full sun.
L – Laying a new lawn
Laying a new lawn can instantly improve the appearance of your garden! When you do lay your new lawn there are a few simple steps to ensure your new lawn thrives once it is installed from choosing the right turf variety for your family and area to preparing your soil base.
For more information on how to install a new lawn, click here.
M – Mowing
Mowing regularly will help your lawn stay healthy and look great! As a rule of thumb, it is best to remove no more one-third of the leaf blade with each mow (except when dethatching).
Nitrogen is one of the key components that your lawn needs to stay healthy. When adding nitrogen to your lawn, it is key to ensure the amount used concedes with the lawns growth rates. Spring and summer are the primary seasons when your lawn will be growing the fastest and searching for a bit more nitrogen. In autumn, little nitrogen is required and in winter not much at all is needed.
O – Oxygen
Oxygen is absorbed through transpiration points on the grass’s roots and leaves. Aeration helps your lawn better absorb oxygen by fracturing up the soil profile, letting air, nutrients and water penetrate to the roots of your lawn.
P – Pigments
Lawn pigment products like ColourGuard Plus are a great way to give your lawn an instant green up! ColourGuard is easy to apply and can be used at any time of the year!
You can find out more information on ColourGuard Plus here.
Q – Quality
All Lawn Solutions Australia Turf Suppliers are committed to supplying our customers with a high-quality turf product. All Lawn Solutions Australia Turf Suppliers are AusGAP Certified; AusGAP helps throughout the entire production process to ensure the turf you receive is a high-quality product, free from weeds, pests, and diseases.
R – Renovation
Lawn Renovations are a great way to help bring your grass to the next level. A typical spring renovation will include getting on top of any weeds that are growing, dethatching, aerating, fertilizing, and top dressing.
For more information on how to renovate your lawn, check out our video series here.
S – Stripes
Lawn Stripes are one of many ways to bring your lawn to the next level. Stripes are made when mowing either with a rotary mower with a roller attachment or with a cylinder mower. When the roller bends the grass towards you, the grass will look dark and when bent in the opposite direction it will appear lighter.
Looking to stripe your lawn? check out our lawn care blog here.
T – Traffic
If a lawn has regular traffic, the soil base underneath your turf can become compacted, impacting your grass. One of the best ways to help alleviate soil compaction caused by traffic is to aerate.
U – Urine burn
Urine burn is often one of the main causes of dead patches on our lawns. As dogs’ urine contains a concentrated amount of nitrogen, grass can become burnt and die off.
For more information on how to help prevent urine burn from occurring, check out our blog on urine burn here.
V – Varieties of grass’s
There are many different varieties of grasses available on the market. From cool season grasses like Fescue and Ryegrass to more common warm season grasses like Buffalo, Couch Kikuyu and Zoysia.
Lawn Solutions Australia has a great range of specialty grasses. You can view our range of turf varieties here.
W – Weeds
Most lawn weeds are simple and easy to remove. For common broadleaf weeds like clover, bindii, cudweed, oxalis, and catsear a broadleaf herbicide All Purpose Weed Control will be able to remove this quite quickly. Other weeds may require a specific herbicide.
For more information on how to remove weeds from your lawn, check out our lawn care blogs here.
X – Xylem and phloem in grass
Xylem (plant vascular tissue) and Phloem work closely together, Xylem is responsible for the transport of water from the roots of the grass to its stems and leaves. Phloem is used mostly to transport food created from photosynthesis from leaves to roots and stems.
Y – Young grass
After installing your lawn there are a few simple lawn care activities you can do to ensure your grass thrives.
• Keep traffic to a minimum for the first few weeks of laying your lawn will help it establish down into the soil profile faster.
• Water regularly, ensure the roots are staying damp and not drying out.
• To see if your lawn is ready for its first mow, try to lift a corner of the turf roll. If the roll lifts it isn’t ready. If the roll does not move and is rooted down into the soil it is ready to mow.
Z – Zoysia
Zoysia is a warm-season grass native to Southeast Asia and the Pacific region. There are 3 main types of zoysia’s, Zoysia Macrantha, Zoysia Japonica, and Zoysia Matrella.
Zoysia’s have a relatively fine lead of up to 5mm wide and are spread by both above and below ground rhizomes and stolons.
Sir Grange Zoysia is a Zoysia Matrella that has a stunning fine leaf that has a beautiful dark green color. Sir Grange has a slow growth habit, can be mown short or left unmown, loves full sun and when once established has an excellent shade tolerance.
Some weeds can be incredibly difficult to eradicate. One of these weeds that is particularly prevalent during the warmer months is the noxious Nutgrass. In this blog, we look at how to treat Nutgrass and other sedge weeds like Mullumbimby couch.
Nutgrass
Nutgrass is a Sedge weed that can remain inactive in soil for long periods of time. It can be as simple as a disruption of soil or the addition of nutrients or water to an area that causes a dormant nut within the soil to begin to grow. Before too long, your lawn can be heavily infested.
If you find Nutgrass in your lawn, it is best you act quickly before it spreads and becomes almost impossible to remove.
Nutgrass and Mullumbimby Couch Removal
Nutgrass has nuts or bulbils that grow from its roots. It is important you don’t pull it out by hand as these bulbs can spread. Digging out the entire plant, including the bulb is best.
When removing by hand you must dig down nice and deep to make sure you get all of it and the nuts don’t detach from the plant on removal, allowing it to continue to spread.
The best way to treat Nutgrass, particularly if you have a large amount of Nutgrass in your lawn, is to treat it with a selective herbicide like Lawn Solutions Sedge Control. Sedge Control is a dry flowable granule that disperses in water. It can be used for selective post-emergent control of both Nutgrass and Mullumbimby Couch.
After applying Sedge Control the foliage of the weed and the seed head gradually turns yellow until total desiccation or death occurs.
Initial symptoms should appear in 7 to 10 days, with full weed control effects appearing over 4 to 6 weeks.
Application Timing
For treatment of Nutgrass: Apply when new leaf growth is greater than 5cm. This is usually in Spring and Summer.
For treatment of Mullumbimby Couch: Apply when new leaf growth is greater than 2cm, again this is usually in Spring and Summer.
Apply when weeds are actively growing.
Apply follow-up treatments as required if sufficient new growth warrants weed control.
Growth is greatest of both weeds following rainfall events.
Drought stress after treatment may reduce control.
Application Rate
A bottle of Sedge Control will treat up to 1,900sqm. When applying Sedge Control use 1.3g mixed in water per 100 square metres, which is one spoon full of the plastic spoon supplied.
It is also recommended that Sedge Control be applied with a non-ionic surfactant at 20mL to 10L of water to help the herbicide stick to the leaf of the weed more effectively.
This summer is a bit different from what we’ve had in the past. La Niña has caused cooler day time temperatures, increased rainfall, and warmer temperatures at night, but what effect does this have on your lawn?
Sunlight
With the increased rain, we are getting less sun and more overcast cloudy days – this can cause issues as your grass is not getting the light it needs. Turfgrass needs sunlight to produce sugar. This energy is then used to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose. After glucose is created it is used throughout the turf for growth. Grass also uses sunlight to produce a pigment called Chlorophyll which in turn makes your lawn green.
Rainfall
If there is an increased amount of moisture in your lawns soil and conditions don’t allow for the area to dry, this can cause diseases to develop in your lawn. Diseases can develop in your lawn when there are damp and humid conditions, common with La Niña.
Tips for your lawn during La Niña;
Aeration
Aeration will help fracture up your soils profile to improve your soils drainage. This will help excess moisture in your soil drain away to help avoid fungal diseases from occurring. To aerate your lawn, you can either use a garden fork or tyne aerator to punch holes into your soil, allowing water to move through the soil profile. This will help stop the pooling of water on your lawn. You can find out more information on aeration here.
Soil health
During periods of extended rainfall, nutrients in your soil can leach and drain away. To help replace these nutrients you can apply a soil conditioner like Lawn Kelper to help replace these nutrients. Lawn Kelper is a natural bio stimulant that enhances nutrient efficiency and encourages beneficial micro-organisms within the soil. Along with the main ingredient Kelp, Lawn Kelper includes a balanced ratio of macronutrients including Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium, with trace elements including iron, manganese, and fulvic acid.
Gypsum and dolomite are also advantageous to be applied to improve soil health.
Mowing
During extended periods of rainfall and overcast skies, your lawn will continue to grow but may become long and straggly (mainly upright leaf growth looking for sunlight).
If the lawn has grown a bit longer than you like between mows it is best to raise your mowing height slightly to avoid scalping the lawn once the rain has finished.
Fertilising
During extended periods of rainfall where you are unable to mow, it is best to stop encouraging extra growth by fertilising your lawn. This will help your lawn grow at a slower rate when it might not be able to get frequent mows.
Plant Growth Regulator (PGR)
Plant growth regulators like Primo Maxx can be used to help slow the growth of your lawn down while you are unable to mow frequently. Please have a look at our blog on PGR’s here for more information.
Irrigation
During La Niña, in most cases you won’t need any additional irrigation to your lawn. While it is raining frequently it is best to turn off your irrigation and stop watering.
Insect and disease pressures
La Niña is also a time where insect and disease pressures are extremely high. For insects, preventative control is your best option. We recommend using a preventative insecticide like Acelepryn GR or Acelepryn Liquid every 6 months.
The most common diseases that occur from rain, overcast conditions, and extended leaf wetness are – dollar spot, grey leaf spot, brown patch, and fusarium. These can be treated with contact and preventive fungicides. Please have a look here for more information.
For more free lawn care tips direct to your inbox, click here.
When using specialised lawn care products on your lawn, calibrating your sprayer is important to ensure the correct amount of product is applied to your lawn size. In this blog, we look at how to calibrate your sprayer and how to apply a few different commercial grade lawn care products.
Important Note Before Reading:
When applying each of these products, please ensure you are wearing the correct PPE for each product, as stated on the product label.
When using these types of products, always read the label before application.
Different types of sprayers
There is a wide range of different types of sprayers that are on the market. Backpack sprayers are better suited for larger areas as they usually hold a larger amount of water and can be easier to use when spraying for longer. Other handheld sprayers vary in size and design are better suited for medium to small lawn sizes.
As every different type of sprayer and brand of sprayer will disperse water at different rates calibrating your sprayer is important especially when applying commercial grade products.
Why is calibrating your chemical sprayer important?
When applying products to your lawn it is important to ensure you are applying the correct amount of product for your lawn size. This will help avoid either not spraying enough or too much product to your lawn.
How to calibrate your sprayer
To calibrate your sprayer, you will need to find out how much water your sprayer takes to spray 100 m2 and add the label rate of the product to that quantity of water.
To find out how much water your sprayer takes to spray 100m2, best to spray a 10m2 hard surface like concrete and multiply it by 10. From this you can determine that if it’s going to take say 5L of water for you to cover 100sqm, then that’s the required amount of water you need to mix the product with.
When calibrating your sprayer, it is also important to walk at the same speed as this will also affect your calibration.
Best to check your sprayers nozzle regularly for any blockages and wear and tear as this can also affect your sprayer.
Applying Primo Maxx (Plant Growth Regulator)
When applying Primo Maxx, firstly calibrate your sprayer.
For Buffalo, Common Couch and Hybrid Couch add 10 to 40mL of Primo Maxx per 100m2. For Kikuyu add 20 to 80mL of Primo Maxx per 100m2.
Please have a look at the Primo Maxx Label for further information.
The application rates do change for Monument depending on what weed you are wanting to target. Please have a look at the label for the correct application rates for the weed you are targeting. The below details how you can convert mL/ha to mL/100m2.
150 mL/ha (for Nutgrass and Mullumbimby Couch only)
Therefore, 150 mL per 10 000 m2
Therefore, 1.5 mL per 100 m2
Then add 1.5mL of Monument (for Nutgrass and Mullumbimby Couch only) to your calibrated sprayer to treat 100m2.
The application rates do change for Duke depending on what weed you are wanting to target. Please have a look at the label for the correct application rates for the weed you are targeting. The below details how you can convert g/ha to g/100 m2.
150g/ha (for Winter Grass and Ryegrass only)
Therefore, 150g per 10 000 m2
Therefore, 1.5g per 100 m2
It is best to mix the herbicide with a small amount of water first to ensure the product is properly dissolved and then add to your sprayer.
Then add 1.5g of Proforce Duke 100WG Herbicide to your calibrated sprayer to treat 100 m2.
The application rates do change for Battle depending on what pest you are wanting to target. Please have a look at the label for the correct application rate for the pest you are wanting to treat.
12ml/100m2 (for Lawn Armyworm).
Add 12ml of Battle to your calibrated sprayer to treat 100m2.
The application rates for Barricade do change depending on what weed you are wanting to prevent. Please have a look at the label for the correct application rate for the weed you are wanting to prevent.
1 to 2 L/ha (for Winter Grass)
Therefore 1 to 2L per 10,000 m2
Therefore 10ml to 20ml per 100 m2
Then add 10 – 20ml of Barricade to your calibrated sprayer to treat 100m2.
Please have a look at the Barricade label for further information.
Have a ColourGuard RTU and want to use it in a knapsack?
If you have a ColourGuard hose on bottle and are wanting to apply it through a sprayer, use half the 2L bottle of ColourGuard and apply with 3.5L of water. This will then be able to cover up to 100m2.
When applying each of these products, please ensure you are wearing the correct PPE for each product, as stated on the product label.
When using these types of products, always read the label before application.
The summer of cricket is here! Get your family and friends ready for the ultimate backyard cricket game! In this blog, we run through a few tips on how to make your own backyard cricket pitch.
Preparing your pitch
Preparing a pitch is best done in spring or summer when your grass is actively growing. It is best to avoid mowing low in winter when the turf isn’t actively growing. A pitch is best made on couch varieties, like TifTuf where it can be mown low and will still recover when they are actively growing. Kikuyu and buffalo are also good options. However, on buffalo don’t mow too low as it doesn’t have any rhizomes, which are root-like stems beneath the ground that can produce grass shoots, and growing it back can be a problem.
Choosing your location
The best spot for a pitch is preferably in front of the garage, a fence, or a wall, so you can have an automatic wicketkeeper for one-on-one games. Keep in mind where four runs or six and out will be and where is it best to bowl from.
Once you’ve picked a spot, mark the length of your pitch. If you have older kids, make the pitch longer as your yard allows. For younger kids, you may want to make your pitch a bit shorter.
Mowing your pitch
Now we are on to the next step, mowing your pitch. When mowing your pitch drop the height of your blades on your mower. You need to mow the pitch into the existing lawn nice and short, so you’ll get more bounce. Plus, it will look more like the pitches you see on TV, with a nice contrast to the rest of the yard. Remember though, don’t mow down to dirt or you’ll have a sticky wicket: dead grass!
You may have to mow a few times, depending on how thick your grass is to make your wicket. When mowing it is also best to keep your catcher on to remove your clippings so there is nothing left on the surface.
Setting up your stumps
Once you’ve removed your clippings, it’s time to set up stumps! If you have wooden stumps and bails, knock ‘em into the ground. If you have metal stumps place them in position.
If you want to get more creative, go for the good old council bin, Esky, stack of buckets, or even tape a set of stumps onto the wall or fence.
To make the crease, grab some marking paint and mark the crease at either end. You can make the crease the length of your bat plus its handle.
Aftercare
Once you call stumps for the day, give the pitch an aerate and a deep soak. If there’s excessive wear, you may need to lay off it for a few days for it to recover.
Bonus Tip
Wrap some electrical tape around a tennis ball (half of the ball is covered in tape). This will cause the ball to swing a lot in the air and will really keep the batsman guessing!
Are you ready for Santa? It’s time to bring out the Christmas stockings and start getting ready for Santa and his reindeers! In this blog, we take a look at how you can get ready this Christmas for a very special visitor!
Feeling hungry?
On Santa’s big trip around the world, he and his reindeers can work up quite the appetite! We’ve heard from Santa himself that some of his favourite snacks are cookies and cake! Rudolph and the other reindeers love chopped up carrots, apples, and other fresh green veggies. Mum and Dad can help you find some fruit and veggies and get them ready!
Don’t forget the drinks! Santa loves milk with his cookies and won’t say no to beer! The reindeers will also love when water is left out for them to have a drink from on their stop.
Get Santa and the reindeer’s snacks and drinks prepared with Mum and Dad’s help on Christmas eve and leave them out for them to enjoy!
Set up your Christmas stockings
Christmas stockings help Santa know where to put each of our presents! With your Christmas stockings you can add your name, favourite reindeers, or even your favourite Christmas movie characters!
If you have a fireplace, your parents can help you hang your stockings up or you can place them underneath your Christmas tree ready for Santa’s arrival!
Santa Stop Here sign
Put a Santa Stop Here sign out the front of your house, this will help make sure Santa knows exactly where your house is! Mum and Dad should be able to pick one up at your local shops or you can even make one by decorating a cardboard sign and attaching it to a stake! With the helpful hand if an adult you can put your sign out the front of your house ready for Santa’s arrival.
Wrap up any final Christmas presents
Now is the time for any last-minute Christmas gifts to be wrapped up and placed underneath the Christmas tree!
Getting in the Christmas spirit
Pop on your favourite Christmas music, Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé Christmas albums are some of our favourites! Watching some of your favourite Christmas movies with the family is bound to give you the Christmas feels.
Track Santa to see when he is near
With new GPS technology, you are now able to track Santa on Christmas Eve and see where in the world he is! One of our favourite apps to use is Santa Tracker app by Dualverse available in the App Store and Google Play. Ask an adult and they can help you download a Santa Tracking app for you.
You can even track Santa by asking google “where is Santa?” on a Google Assistant device or by the Santa Tracker website.
From all the Lawn Solutions team, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!
