Sarah, Author at Lawn Solutions Australia

How to Tackle an Overgrown Lawn

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Sarah

Have you come back from a long weekend getaway to find your lawn has become overgrown? Or did you happen to miss a few mows (we all get busy) and you are now left with a lawn that is difficult to tackle?

If this is you, don’t fret we’ve got some tips and tricks up our sleeve to help get your lawn back to a more manageable height.

Mowing rule of thumb

A general rule of thumb when mowing is to only remove one third of the leaf blade with each mow. By raising the mowing height to accommodate this, you will be able to ensure that you will not be removing too much of the leaf blade at once.

When you remove more than one third of the leaf blade at one time the lawn can become scalped, and you will be cutting into the stem of the grass. This can result in a deterioration in your plants’ health and a patchy-looking lawn.

Mowing an overgrown lawn after a few days or weeks

If your lawn has gone without a mow for a few weeks, you may need to raise the mower height to ensure you are not removing too much of the leaf blade at once and badly scalping into the lawn.

To get your mowing height correct, we suggest mowing over a small area first on a high setting. This will ensure you don’t accidentally scalp it and you can bring the level down from there if required.

If the lawn does need to go lower, we recommend waiting 3 days before giving the lawn another mow to bring it down further.

On the next mow, follow the same process of adjusting your mowing height and wait another 3 days before the next mow.

You can continue with this process until you reach your desired mowing height.

While mowing your lawn back down to its original height may be tempting, it is best to be patient and slowly bring the height of the mower down, so that the plant will remain healthy. Although this process takes time, you will cause less stress to the grass and won’t undo all of your hard work that it took to get your lawn into a great shape in the first place.

Overgrown lawn above knee height

When your lawn has crept up on you and is past knee height, a different approach may be necessary. Taking the lawn down gradually will take too long and you will likely end up scalping the lawn regardless.

If the lawn is too high to use a mower, it is best to reduce the height with a whipper snipper. This should aid in getting the lawn down to a height that can then be mown.

Once the lawn is at a height that can be mown, you can bring the lawn right back down with your mower. A notch lower than your normal mowing height is best depending on your grass variety. If you have buffalo grass it is important to not go too low and damage the runners it needs to repair from. After you do this, your lawn will not be in the best shape with very little leaf and will need to recover in the following weeks. During this recovery period, it is best to keep water up to the lawn and continue to mow regularly back at your normal mowing height. This will allow the leaf to grow back at your desired level.

Once the lawn has started to recover and has some new green growth, you can fertilise. It is important to not fertilise straight after it has been mown down as this can create more stress for the grass. It is not recommended that you do this in the cooler months.

In spring and summer, the lawn should be able to recover in a few weeks as growing conditions are ideal. But in autumn and winter, the lawn will take longer to repair as the grass’s growth will slow down as the temperature drops.

How can I stop my lawn from becoming overgrown?

By consistently mowing your lawn, the turf will be more consistent in growth, healthier, less susceptible to weeds, pests and diseases and will look great.

Mowing will not only become an easier task when done frequently but will help your lawn flourish over time.

What should I do to my lawn before I go away?

If you are going away, best to mow the day before you are set to leave or close to your departure. Although it is tempting to mow your lawn nice and short, so it doesn’t get too out of hand, it is best to leave your mower height as normal. If you are planning on going away for more than a week in the growing months, it may be best to arrange someone to mow it for you.

If you are going away over the warmer months, you may want to look at using a PGR (Plant Growth Regulator) such as Primo Maxx. A PGR will help slow down the growth of your grass, requiring you to mow your lawn less frequently. You can find more information on PGR’s here.

What is an ideal mowing height?

Different turf varieties do have differing mowing heights. To see what mowing height is best for your lawn, check out our blog here.

For more information on mowing your lawn, check out more of our mowing blogs here.

Get the Jump on Winter Grass Weeds

Posted on March 31, 2021August 30, 2022 by Sarah

Winter Grass Weeds

Winter Grass & Rye Grass

An invading weed or grass species during the cooler months can be a real nuisance and undo all the hard work you put into getting your lawn looking superb during the warmer months. Here are two of the most common culprits that appear during this time and what you can do to remove them from your lawn.

Winter Grass

The dreaded Winter Grass, also known as Poa annua. This prolific seeding grass that grows in tufts is prevalent in many lawns throughout the cooler months and can be quite a handful to eradicate. If you have an invasion of Winter Grass, you will definitely want to treat it before it germinates. If you allow it to drop its seeds, next winter it will be back, twice as badly as it was the previous year. A good plan of attack is to treat it as soon as it appears before it goes to seed, with Winter Grass Killer post emergent herbicide. Selective Winter Grass control in Blue Couch, Common Couch, Brent, Buffalo (including Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo) and Brown top Lawns. Cannot be used on kikuyu lawns.

Hand chipping the tufts out as you see them appear will also help to manage any continued emergence.

Another great way to get on top of Winter Grass weeds is through prevention. Applying a pre-emergent herbicide like Oxafert will help to stop Winter Grass before it even emerges from the soil. By acting with a combination of both pre- and post-emergent treatments you will get on top of the Winter Grass infestation a lot quicker and significantly reduce any existing Winter Grass seed bank that has developed within the soil over time.

Oxafert 3kg – Treats up to 100m2

Oxa-Pro 20kg – Treats up to 660m2

Ryegrass

Ryegrass is a cool season, seeded grass variety. In the cooler months it can appear or be oversown into warm season turf varieties, particularly in the more southern states. Some people like to embrace it during the cooler months for some added green, but it will make for a very inconsistent lawn and lead to more mowing throughout winter. Ryegrass can be difficult to control in turf as it transitions out with the weather heating up.

There are a couple of ways to transition ryegrass, one is reducing water as the weather heats up and the other is using commercially available options including Tribute, Monument and Destiny Herbicides. These herbicides should be applied by a licensed expert, so contact your local lawn maintenance contractor for application. This will also help to ensure the correct product is used that is safe for your turf variety.

Treatment for Ryegrass and Winter Grass weeds that have already appeared

Duke Herbicide

Duke is safe for use on couch, kikuyu, and most buffalo varieties. This herbicide can also be used to remove broadleaf weeds including Bindii, Black Thistle, Catsear, Cotula, Cudweed, Guildford (Onion) Grass, Medic, Mouse Ear Chickweed, Oxalis, White Clover, Onion Weed and False Onion Weeds. Duke will also remove other grass weeds including Winter Grass (Suppression), Bahia, grass (suppression and seedhead reduction).

Monument Herbicide

Monument Liquid Herbicide can be used as a post-emergent herbicide on various warm season turf species. Monument Herbicide is highly effective in controlling Poa annua, Ryegrass, Kikuyu, sedges and a wide spectrum of broadleaf weeds:

Burr Medic
Bindii
Ryegrass
Winter Grass
Catsear
Chickweed
Clover
Cotula
Creeping Oxalis
Curled Dock
Milk Thistle
Mullumbimby Couch
Nutgrass

Monument is safe to use on the following warm season grass varieties:

Common Couch
Durban Grass
Hybrid Couch
Queensland Blue Couch
Zoysia

DO NOT USE on Kikuyu, Buffalo, Fescue, Ryegrass, Bent Grass or any other grass not listed above.

Monument Herbicide is a complete couch solution for Poa annua control when used in combination with Barricade Pre-Emergent.

Application Timing and Rate Variation

Monument delivers long lasting herbicidal action with follow-up applications rarely needed, unless targeting an unwanted kikuyu infestation.

Autumn applications for Kikuyu suppression should ideally be applied around the end of March and repeated at the end of April. Applications to control
Poa annua or Ryegrass should ideally be made when these weeds are still actively growing and not towards the end of the growing cycle when plants are alive but not actively growing. Active weed growth =systemic xylem and phloem movement essential for systemic herbicide action.

Application by thoroughly covering the leaves and shoots is best, it can then be washed off the leaves and into the soil to promote root uptake for complete systemic action.

Mixing and Compatibility

Monument mixes completely with water and produces a homogenous easy to apply suspension. Be sure to observe the mixing instruction with regards to water pH and the addition of a non-ionic surfactant.

Users of this product MUST make an accurate written record of the details of each spray application within 24 hours following application and keep this record for a minimum 2 years. Make sure you thoroughly read the label before use for all other details and ensure correct application rates are applied. If you are inexperienced in the usage of these sort of products, we recommend that you contact a local licensed spraying expert for application.

Monument Liquid Turf Herbicide 100ml is available on the Lawn Store here.

The Wide World of Turf

Posted on March 31, 2021May 30, 2023 by Sarah

Let’s take a look at some of the main varieties of grasses from around the world…

Did you know there are over 10,000 different types of grasses found across the world? With hundreds of thousands of variations found within these different types and genus.

Many of us know some of the main varieties of grasses that feature in Australian lawns. Buffalo Grass, Kikuyu Grass and Couch Grass being the three most common that we see in the majority of home lawns and public areas across the country. With many other native grasses that can be found across the landscape and bushland areas as well.

But what about the rest of the world? What grasses do they have for their lawns? Do they grow kikuyu in England? Do the Americans have buffalo grass?

Asia

The Asian continent covers a large area and as result experiences a vast range of climate conditions. Grasses most synonymous with Asia include the group of grasses known as Zoysia’s. These grasses thrive in hot conditions, particularly in East Asia with the temperate and tropical climate.

Common grasses of the Zoysia Grass genus include – Japonica (Korean Grass or Japanese Lawngrass), Matrella (Manila Grass) and Macrantha (prickly couch). Many of these grasses have also found their way to Australia with similar climate conditions experienced here.

Centipede Grass is another grass variety also found in Asia native to Southern China. Like many of the zoysia’s, Centipede Grass grows quite slowly and doesn’t require frequent mowing.

The USA

The USA, like Asia, experiences significant differences in climate from the north to the south, which has also led to a large variety of grasses being used for lawns. In addition to this, the USA has taken a leading role in developing and breeding new turf varieties, primarily stemming from the performance needs of their highly competitive sports industry.

Some of the common grasses you might see in USA lawns include:

Kentucky Blue Grass (KBG) is a cool season grass type that performs well in the more northern states and has an admired blue-green colour. While Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass state, KBG is actually native to northern Asia and parts of Europe.

Bermuda Grass (Couch Grass) is a warm season grass commonly used in the more southern states and performs well in over 100 countries within tropical and subtropical climates. Bermuda grass is known for its hard wearing, fine leaf and is commonly used on sports fields as well as home lawns.

St Augustine (Buffalo Grass) is a thick, broad leaf, warm season grass well known for high shade tolerance and weed resistance. St Augustine primarily grows best in the south-eastern USA states including Texas, and also in Mexico and South America.

Other grasses commonly found in US lawns include Perennial Ryegrass, Zoysia Grass, Bahia Grass, Fescue and Seashore Paspalum.

Europe

When you think of Europe you primarily think of the cold climate areas that for many months of the year experience snow and frost. These areas almost exclusively will feature lawns of the cool season grass varieties. Those that grow best in colder conditions like Fescue and Ryegrass. In fact, it’s common for a blend of these cool season varieties be used together in the same lawn.

Common cool season grasses found across Europe include:

Creeping Red Fescue, Ryegrass, Common Bentgrass, Annual Meadowgrass and Brown-top Bent Grass.

Africa

Kikuyu grass that is also found in Australia was originally from the highland regions of East Africa and named after the Kikuyu tribe. Kikuyu is still the most popular lawn variety in many African countries, with another indigenous grass known as LM grass.

LM Grass has other common names you might recognise including Durban Grass and Sweet Smother Grass. LM Grass has a creeping growth habit like kikuyu, but it grows much less invasively. Other warm season grasses like buffalo and couch are also prevalent in many African countries.

Lawn Solutions Australia researches and develops turf varieties, grasses from around the world, suitable to thrive in the Australian climate. With long-loved favourites like Sir Walter DNA Certified soft leaf buffalo and newer options like TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda (Couch grass) and Sir Grange Zoysia (Zoysia Matrella).

If you are looking to choose a new grass for your lawn, check out our helpful turf selector here.

‘Lawn-Weekend’ Fertilising Tip

Posted on March 31, 2021March 31, 2021 by Sarah

We share a helpful fertilising tip that will remind you when to fertilise your lawn!

But first, why should I fertilise my lawn?

Fertilisers contain a mix of essential nutrients that your lawn needs to stay healthy and thrive. As our soils usually don’t contain all these nutrients a fertiliser is required.

By giving your lawn a boost of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the lawn will be able to grow faster, will improve in colour, have better root establishment, and improve the health of your lawn.

Fertilising your lawn at specific times of the year will allow you to see the full benefit and nutrient uptake. We recommend fertilising your lawn 3 to 4 times a year.

Fertilising Tip for Autumn

A fertilise in autumn will help your lawn repair from stresses over summer and repair itself faster. Fertilising now will also help prepare your lawn for the cooler months by extending your lawns colouring and encouraging growth.

In most areas you can use the Easter long weekend as a guide as to when to fertilise your lawn enters the cooler months in its best health.

If you didn’t get the chance to fertilise your lawn this Easter, don’t fret it’s not too late to do it now!

Fertilising Tip for Spring

Spring is another important time to fertilise as the grass will start to grow faster as the weather begins to warm up. When fertilising in spring, timing is key! Apply too early and you won’t get the full benefit of the nutrient uptake of an actively growing lawn. Your lawn will start to actively grow when soil temperatures rise above 14 degrees Celsius. However, it is not until the soil temperature is consistently this for it to be actively growing.

We recommend using the October long weekend as a guide for when this is most likely to happen. For Western Australia, Victoria, Northern Territory and Tasmania who celebrate Labour Day earlier in the year, use early October as a guide.

Fertilising in Summer

Fertilising in summer will help your lawn maintain an even growth pattern. Summer fertilising will help your lawn improve its colour and will help reduce stress caused to your lawn over the hotter months.

We recommend using the Australia Day long weekend as a guide to fertilising your lawn in summer.

What should I fertilise with?

When fertilising we suggest using a slow-release granular fertiliser such as Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser. A slow-release fertiliser will release a small amount of nutrients over a longer period for a more consistent nutrient uptake.

We also suggest using a granular fertiliser as they are easy to apply to the lawn either by hand or using a fertiliser spreader.

When using granular fertiliser, it is important to make sure that you water the granules in really well into the soil profile to help avoid leaf burn.

How to apply a granular fertiliser

When using a granular fertiliser, it is important to avoid over fertilising your lawn and spread the granules evenly throughout.

To ensure you are not over fertilising your lawn, read and follow the application rate on the product you are using. Then you will need to measure out how much of the product you will need for your lawn size.

To you spread fertiliser evenly, we recommend using a fertiliser spreader. This will help stop over fertilising areas which can result in uneven growth and colouring. It is best to use a systematic approach of walking back and forth to cover the area evenly.

Do I need to fertilise in winter?

When choosing a fertiliser for winter, you need to look at what your lawn needs to stay healthy in the cooler months. The key components to look out for when fertilising in winter are Potassium and Iron. Potassium will aid in the plants’ cell function and strength. Iron will help improve leaf colour and strength.

If you have fertilised in autumn and prepared your lawn well for the cooler months, your lawn can go without a fertilise till spring. However, if you haven’t, you can fertilise in winter.

ColourGuard Plus

ColourGuard Plus is a natural grass pigment that contains a liquid fertiliser component. This will instantly improve your lawns colour for up to 3 months, while giving the lawn a fertilise at the same time.

For more information, check out our other fertilising blogs here.

Gardening projects for this Easter long weekend

Posted on March 31, 2021March 31, 2021 by Sarah

Are you looking for some gardening projects to tackle this long weekend? Whether it be a quick tidy of your outdoor spaces, creating a veggie patch, garden bed, or helping your existing plants flourish, we have put together a few project ideas that you and your family can create to make your garden an oasis.

Veggie garden

If you are a up for a bit of gardening this weekend, have a look at creating a veggie garden.

When looking to choose what to plant, look for seasonal winter veggies such as lettuce, spinach and beans. For more seasonal specific vegetable ideas for your climate, have a chat to your local garden centre to see what will grow best in your area.

The vegepod is a great option to consider when looking at installing a vegetable garden. These handy pods are designed to create an environment where your plants will thrive but are also waist height, so no need for bending over or having to get down on your knees to care for your veggies.

What if I don’t have enough space for a vegetable garden in my yard? Most veggies don’t have a large root system, they can be planted in smaller contained areas like pots and tubs.

Wall planters

If you are up for a bit more of a project, vertical gardens create the perfect place to grow smaller flowers, succulents, vegetables and herbs.

These gardens can be upcycled from an old pallet and can be filled in with plants. Before you start, give the pallet a quick clean and remove or hammer in any nails that may be sticking out. Depending on the pallet you find, additional wood may be required to help create the pockets for the plants to go in.

After the pockets have been created, line with a thick layer of plastic or another waterproof material. This will help protect the surface that the planter will be up against.

You can then go ahead filling up the pallet with a good quality potting soil and add in your plants!

Gardening for the kids

If the kids are wanting to have their own little garden project, why not make a fairy or gnome garden!

For these little gardens you will need a garden pot, potting mix, small birds house to paint, collection of gems or rocks and little plants such as succulents or flowers.

The first step is to fill the pots up with soil and put in your plants. The bird houses can then be painted and placed in their new garden followed by decorating the garden with rocks, gems or any other small toys.

Fertilise

The Easter long weekend is the perfect time to give your lawn some much needed TLC. After facing some unusual conditions this summer, your lawn may be in need of a boost.

Fertilising now will give your lawn will get the nutrients it needs to help repair itself from damage caused over summer and give it the best start heading into the cooler months.

We recommend using a slow-release granular fertiliser such as our Lawn Solutions Premium Lawn Food. This is a slow-release granular product that will provide your lawn with nutrients for up to 12 weeks after the initial application. This product has been designed to not only improve the appearance of your lawn but provide the essential trace elements for a healthy lawn.

Aerate

Fertilising your lawn is not the only way to help your lawns health improve. Aerating your lawn now will allow for better root growth and further thickening before winter.

As we have seen a lot of rainfall in the last few weeks, the soil base will be softer making aerating a less labour-intensive task.

When aerating the lawn, you can either use a garden fork, tyne aerator or hire a specialised aerator if you have a large lawn.

Add lighting to your garden

Garden lights not only hold practical benefits of illuminating your garden and outdoor areas but can add a stylish touch to help create a relaxed atmosphere.

For pathways, we recommend using solar garden lights that are on a spike. It is best to choose a stand-alone light that doesn’t have any above ground wires that can easily be damaged or mown over.

Decorative solar lanterns are a great feature piece for creating an ambient mood for after dark dinners. Or, if you are after a ‘brighter’ solution, there are lights available that can be mounted up high to light up an entire area.

After you have created your backyard haven, there is one thing left to do! Get out in the garden and enjoy your hard work!

For more lawn project ideas, see more of our blogs here.

You might not want ants in your pants, but what about your lawn?

Posted on March 31, 2021March 7, 2024 by Sarah

Why Ants Play an Important Role in your lawn

Ants and other insects play an important part in our lawns and our gardens ecosystem. In small numbers they can assist in creating a healthy soil by aerating the ground through underground tunnels. However, when large infestations of these critters start to appear, they can cause both cosmetic and root damage to your lawn.

Why are there ants in my lawn?

Ants help create a balanced ecosystem in our gardens as they help break down plants and help get rid of dead insects.

Ants will feed on the dead bugs, beetles, leaves and other organic material that can be left sitting in our gardens. This will then be brought down into the ant nest which is commonly located underneath the soil. As this material decomposes it can act as a natural fertiliser for your soil.

What ants make up an ant colony?

All ants within a colony play an important role in bringing in food, protecting the nest and ensuing the colony is populated enough to last into the future.

In every colony there is a queen ant. She is responsible for laying all eggs for the colony, so that they will continue to survive and thrive into the future. The queen is located deep within the ant colony so that she is protected from any predators who try to get into the nest.

Male ants, also known as Drone ants, only have one job. This is to mate with the queen ant to ensure that the nest will continue to grow.

Female ants in the colony are responsible for building and maintaining underground tunnels and the nest itself. Other female ants will go beyond the nest to look for food, while others will protect the colony from other ant colonies.

Why are we sometimes anti-ants?

Ants are territorial insects who will protect their nest. When ants become territorial, they can often bite and sting the person or thing they become threatened by. This can often lead to painful bites.

Ant’s nests produce mounds above the ground, which can be of annoyance to some when mowing as they can cause damage to your mower blades. These nests also create an unpleasant appearance when you are trying to relax and enjoy your lawn.

How to spot an ant infestation

You can identify an ant infestation by looking at 2 factors:

A significant number of ant mounds
Dead and dry patches in the lawn with small holes usually nearby

Mounds are made up of dirt and sand. The ants will dig and build underground tunnels and nests within the soil. The material that is dug out by the ants is then left on top of the ground as mounds. These can appear in various spots across your lawn.

Dry patches caused by ants will only occur when there is an infestation present. These patches will occur when ants tunnel through the lawn and will eat through the root of the plant. This causes the green grass to turn yellow and start to die off.

When should I treat ants in my lawn?

When deciding whether to treat insects in your lawn, it is important to consider the impact you will be making to the ecosystem in your backyard. While ants can be annoying, they do play an important part in keeping your lawns ecosystem in balance.

Ants not only help control the number of small insects in your lawn, but they are also eaten by other animals in the garden, these include spiders, frogs and lizards. This means that when there is a balanced number of ants in your lawn, removing them will create a loss of food source for other animals living in your yard.

However, when there is a large infestation of ants, a pesticide may be required.

How to stop an ant infestation

There are a few different options that you can choose from when treating ants in your lawn. 2 Popular options are:

Battle Insecticide
SureFire Fipronil

When using these products, always use as per the label instructions.

If you are in need of advice to identify and treat issues with your lawn, get in touch with your local Lawn Solutions Australia expert.

Charlie Albone shares his favourite gardening products

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Sarah

There are a lot of gardening products on the market, some are great…. Others not so much and I have been lucky to try a lot of them out. When it comes to keeping a perfect lawn here’s what I recommend.

Auto Mower

My number one favourite landscaping product has to be my robotic auto mower. Mine is a Husqvarna but Gardena and other companies also make them. I was dubious of the robot I now know as “Nigel” as I thought it might take the romanticism out of the garden, but it has in fact changed my life for the better. I spend a lot less time on lawn maintenance and much more time on garden maintenance and lawn health.

There are guide wires that sit under the lawn that keep the mower contained and it is programmed to come out, cut the lawn and return to base when low on battery or the allotted time is up.

The benefits of an auto mower are twofold, firstly the time it saves you. This extra time can then be spent focusing on other plants or overall health of the lawn…. Or dare I say sitting and relaxing in the space. You also always have a well-maintained lawn, so you’re not embarrassed if somebody just pops in unexpectedly.

Secondly, an auto mower is much better for the health of the lawn it cuts. By taking off only a small amount you never risk scalping and the cut the blades make are clean and rarely fray the end of the grass. You also allow the clippings to return to the soil so you’re not draining the soil of its nutrients as fast as if you took the clippings away.

Secateurs and edging shears

Clean cuts are vital in all garden pruning as frayed ends increase the surface area pathogens and diseases can get into the plant. To get a clean cut you need sharp tools, when it comes to pruning shrubs and perennials, I love my Felco secateurs and I keep them sharp by running a sharpening stone over them before and after I’ve used them. For a lawn, if its small I like to use long handles edging shears on my edges for a professional crisp finish. I started using these whilst I was in England, partly as my boss at the time hated the noise of petrol-powered edger’s and partly due to the health of the lawn, you never risk scalping a section of edging. Keep these sharp with a stone sharpening tool like you would secateurs or hedging shears.

Whipper snipper

If you have a larger lawn and edging shears simply are not practical, you’ll need a whipper snipper to tidy up the perimeter (even with the robot mower working). I love battery powered as they are clean, low noise and give a great finish. When selecting a whipper snipper get one with a reversible head, like mine, so you can throw the clippings back onto the lawn rather than into the garden or on the path the lawn boarders as this will make clean up a breeze.

I think good edges really take a good lawn to great lawn status so why not define them and show them off. I love sandstone banding around the edge as it gives a sense of formality and restraint but for a modern look corten or weathering steel gives a crisp modern finish too.

Watering and irrigation systems

All good lawns require water and irrigation systems have come a long way. Modern systems have weather stations communicating via Apps with the Bureau of meteorology to predict rainfall and adjusting the water usage accordingly.

However, I’m old school, I still love my hose and old galvanised watering can I have however fitted a water usage gauge to tell me how much water I have put on my lawn, this allows me to know how much is just enough and then I don’t waste excessive water.