Author: Sarah

Do you want to know the industry tips and tricks to help get the most out of your lawn? We catch up with turf guru Simon Adermann, a well-known turf industry insider from a greenkeeping background, to gain some insight into how we can better care for our lawns, plus tips on how to take your lawn to the next level.

What are the three most important aspects of caring for a lawn?

There are many aspects, but the three most important ones are – fertility, mowing, and regular watering.

1. Fertility – It is important to ensure that correct nutrition is provided to your turf. If you want to get specific with your fertiliser regime, soil tests are highly recommended and based on these results, a fertiliser program can be put in place. If you want a basic plan, I recommend fertiliser applications four times a year – September, December, March, and June. This can be done by a straight fertiliser-only application like Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser or with a combination product like Oxafert or Oxafert Plus. Oxafert and Oxafert Plus offer the fertiliser component as well as pre-emergent herbicide for weed prevention.

2. Mowing – It’s important during the active growing season to mow your lawn regularly. For most regions this might be twice per week and as the growth slows down you can back off to once a week and once per fortnight. If you don’t mow regularly, the lawn will tend to build up thatch, which can also lead to scalping. Ensure the mower has new and sharp blades will help you get a cleaner cut and will help avoid bruising to the leaf tip for best results.

3. Watering– Watering is an essential part of a healthy and even coloured lawn. The amount of water needed is based on your soil profile and weather conditions. Generally, a sandy profile will require more water than heavy/clay profile.

How can you get the best cut when mowing?

Another lawn tip to help you get the best cut possible, if you have time, cut your lawn twice in different directions during the growing season. This will give a better cut, remove extra excess leaf, and help to tighten your lawn surface, which can help prevent weed germination. Sharp mower blades are essential at all times. Again, this will help with a cleaner and better cut without damage or bruising to the leaf tip.

How can you keep a weed free lawn?

The healthier your lawn is and the tighter the surface is the less chance you have of getting a weed infestation. Other options are to apply pre-emergent herbicides like Oxafert and Oxafert Plus to prevent weeds from germinating. Pre-emergent herbicides are best applied at times prior to seasonal germination, usually around March and September. Or you can use selective contact herbicides to control weeds that have already germinated in your lawn.

If you are unsure of which weed you have growing in your lawn or are unsure of how to remove it, check out our Ultimate Weed Guide here for more information.

What 2 top lawncare products you would recommend for someone who is new to caring for a lawn?

If you are new to lawn care and want to improve your lawn and want a simple option – I would use Oxafert Plus in September, December, March & June. This covers fertiliser, pre-emergent herbicide, and insecticide prevention, all in one simple granular application. Then the only other product to use is a wetting agent like Lawn Soaker during the long hot summer months – applied monthly.

What are the pros and cons of using a cylinder mower?

The pros of using a cylinder mower are that they can turn an average lawn into a good lawn. They can obtain a cleaner cut, while also having the advantage of a roller attached to help create patterns and stripes.

The cons are that you need a yard that suits a cylinder mower. Areas with too many corner and small areas to turn around can be difficult to use a cylinder. Another con to using a cylinder is knowing how to keep the bed knife sharp and adjusting the cutting cylinder and ensuring the cylinder mower goes in for an annual service and sharpen.

Knowledge is power – understanding how to adjust the cutting cylinder and sharpen bed knife before you start using it. Also walk the yard first to ensure there are no stones, rocks and things that will damage the cutting cylinder and bed knife.

How can someone take their lawn to the next level?

In spring, I suggest scarifying your lawn. Then remove all the build-up of dead thatch, fertilise and allow to grow back. This will give new leaf and you can reset your cutting height. Again, perfect timing to allow even water movement into the soil profile, less suspectable to disease and with regular mowing and fertiliser your lawn will improve massively.

How should I maintain my home lawn?

Firstly, regular fertiliser applications and mowing are your number one priority. Then, manage timing to apply curative treatments for weed and insect seasons. I like the simple and effective approach. There is a saying, don’t kill your lawn with kindness…

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

Are you looking for better results with minimal effort when it comes to caring for your lawn? This blog looks at a few different lawn care hacks to help get the best out of your lawn.

Hack 1 – Get Green Grass Fast with ColourGuard Plus

Have you ever heard of lawn pigments? Sounds a bit crazy, right? They are the same idea as hair dye but for lawns! You can spray them onto your lawn, giving it a quick and easy green-up. As the lawn grows, the pigment will grow out and will be removed when mown. So, if you apply in winter your results will last longer as the grass will be slower in growth.

Lawn pigments like ColourGuard Plus are great to use if you are preparing for a party, house inspection, or if you are just wanting to help improve your curb appeal!

Hack 2 – Prevent Weeds with a Pre-Emergent

Pre-emergent herbicides like Oxafert and Oxafert Plus can help stop seasonal weeds, like Winter Grass, Summer Grass, Creeping Oxalis and Crabgrass before they even start to appear in your lawn! These styles of herbicides are especially great for use if you have previously or are facing these seasonal weeds types growing in your lawn.

Oxafert works by targeting weed seedlings during germination before they start to appear in your lawn. So, getting your applications down just before they are set to germinate will provide you with effective control.

For targeting winter weeds like Winter Grass, it is best to apply your application around mid- to late Autumn or when the temperatures are set to start to cool in your region. To prevent summer weeds like Summer Grass, apply just before temperatures warm back up in your region. Usually around mid-spring for most regions.

Hack 3 – Prevent Armyworm and Lawn Grub with Grub Guard Ultimate

Has your lawn, or a friend or neighbour’s lawn ever been attacked by lawn grub or armyworm? If so, then you will know that they can cause lots of damage to the lawn almost overnight. So why not get the upper hand and prevent before they become an issue.

To help prevent damage causing Lawn Grub and Armyworm, we recommend using Acelepryn powered Grub Guard Ultimate. With just one application, you can protect your lawn for up to 6 months, so 2 applications a year will provide your lawn with seasonal protection!

Hack 4 – Use Your Whipper Snipper at Full Speed For Best Results

When using a whipper snipper to edge your lawn, it will work its best when at full speed. So, keeping your trimmer line away from the edge and working your way in, is key to maintaining speed. Avoid starting the line trimmer already in the grass you’re cutting for the quickest, cleanest cuts. It’s the tip of the line that is cutting, so keeping most of the line clear will result in a cleaner cut.

The best edges are ones that are kept on top of and not allowed to get out of control. So, the more you do it, the more likely your edges will stay uniform, the easier they will be to tidy up, and the better you will get at it.

Hack 5 – Weeding Your Lawn with a Weed Wand

Weed wands are handy to use when treating weeds, especially if you are only wanting to treat a small amount. Weed wands are a stick that disperses herbicides to a small, selected area of your lawn. These sticks are usually around 1 metre tall, eliminating the need for you to bend or kneel to treat weeds.

Weed wands are used to precisely apply herbicides. They are mostly used in situations where there are no herbicides that will selectively treat the weed or grass without harming your lawn, like invasive grasses and hard-to-remove weeds like onion weed. Non-selective herbicides like roundup are poured into the wand and is dispersed by an applicator on the end of the wand.

Hack 6 – Use the Long Weekends as a Guide on When to Apply Granular Fertilisers to Your Lawn

Generally, your lawn will only need 2-3 applications of a granular fertiliser per year to provide your lawn with the nutrients it needs to thrive. If you are unsure of when to apply a fertiliser to your lawn, we recommend using the long weekends as a guide. The October long weekend, Australia Day, and the Easter long weekend.

For granular fertilisers, we recommend using our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser.

Hack 7 – Use Plant Growth Regulators to Reduce Mowing

Plant growth regulators, otherwise known as PGR’s, are great products to use throughout the warmer months to help reduce the number of times you need to mow. They work by slowing down the vertical growth of the grass. The lateral and below-ground growth of rhizomes, stolons and roots are stimulated.

PGRs like Primo Maxx are best to only be used throughout the warmer months when your lawn is actively growing. They shouldn’t be used in late Autumn, Winter and early Spring.

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

As a lover of gardens, picking the right plants for a space is one of my favourite things to do. When you get it right and you can watch a plant mature into the space, filling it perfectly adding character and layers to your garden. Get it wrong and you only add to the compost pile! I’ve been lucky enough to be picking plants for over 25 years and here are a few of the tips I use to help me get it right.

Picking Your New Plants

First up, you need to study where your new plant baby is going to go. This will stop you from buying things you like the look of but won’t grow in the spot you want them to grow in. Work out how much sun the spot gets, if it’s full sun, semi-shade or full shade. Then dig a hole and pour a big bucket of water into it and see how quickly it drains away, this will tell you a lot about your soil and how it drains.

When you’re at the nursery don’t be scared to ask for advice, plant people love to share their knowledge and now you know your sun requirements and how the soil drains you stand a good chance of getting the right plant for your spot.

Finding the Right Place for Your New Plants

The leaf of a plant will tell you so much about it, as a rule of thumb small leaves can take lots of sun and large leaves need more shade. If they are hairy, silver, or succulent, chances are they like baking in hot sun too.

Research the plant and find its mature height so you can plan your planting scheme, these are often given in perfect growing conditions in a natural habitat, so for your personal garden you can plan for it to get to 75 per cent of this height. If you are adding plants to an existing scheme, buy them at large as your budget will allow, as the existing plants will compete and can out-shade your new plants before they are established.

Planting in New Garden Beds

If you are planting a new garden bed buy slow growing plants as larger specimens and fast growers in smaller sizes. This will make your dollar go further and fast-growing plants establish quicker when planted in smaller sizes – as long as the soil preparation is done correctly.

Improving Your Soil

Improve your soil with compost, known as black gold, it helps to bind sandy soil together and break up clay by bringing in worms. (Heavy clay can also do with a handful of gypsum to improve the structure). If you are planting into full sand, it’s a good idea to treat the soil for hydrophobia, this is where the soil cannot absorb water and adding compost will only exacerbate the issue if used by itself.

Planting Your Garden

When planting, soak your plant in its pot in a large bucket of water before placing it into the hole to ensure it’s completely hydrated; leave it in there until all the air bubbles have stopped to maximise hydration. You can add some seaweed tonic or some half-strength liquid fertiliser if you want to help settle it in quicker. Remember, your plant is used to living like a king at the nursery, so keep this up and establish it with plenty of water, as this will ensure good root growth.

Choosing the Right Lawn Type

All these points stand true for your lawns too, you need to make sure your future variety can handle the amount of sun you have and the drainage. Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo has a large leaf so can handle more shade than a finer leaf couch such as TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. If you are unsure your local Lawn Solutions Australia member will be more than happy to advise on the best turf for your aspect and soil type.

Soil for New Turf

Most turf varieties like good drainage but adding some compost to sand will be of benefit to help in nutrient and water holding capacity of the soil. For heavy clay consider raising your soil with a new layer of sandy mix, but it’s important to combine a layer of the clay and sand before this top layer otherwise you can create a perched water table where the water doesn’t drain through and not many plants will tolerate that!

Establishment is key to the ongoing success of your lawns too, try to stay off them until roots have bedded in and water appropriately for your weather conditions and time of year.

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

From the picturesque lawns at the Chateau De Versailles to the crisp striped tennis courts at Wimbledon, many acclaimed lawns from across the world help bring beauty to their surroundings. In this article, we look at some of the world’s most famous lawns and delve into what makes each one unique.

Wimbledon Grass Courts

If you are a tennis fan, you most likely have taken awe of the grass courts at Wimbledon. These grass courts are meticulously maintained throughout the year to ensure they look their best and perform well. The grass courts play from May to September (excluding courts used for the championships). One aspect that makes this a truly unique lawn is that the soil base of the courts must be hard and dry to allow the ball to bounce correctly. The courts are rolled and kept covered throughout competitions to ensure they are kept dry and firm for play.

Opera House – Bennelong Lawn

The Bennelong Lawn in the Royal Botanical Gardens overlooking Sydney Harbour, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge showcases Australia’s most iconic skylines. This area is used for some of Australia’s largest events, including the New Year’s Eve fireworks and Vivid, while regularly utilised for corporate events, gala dinners, and weddings. TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda was the chosen turf type for this area due to its high wear tolerance and fast repairing nature, all while being aesthetically pleasing.

Chateau de Versailles

The Chateau de Versailles, located in France, boasts beautiful gardens and meticulously manicured and unique lawns. Although the Main Lawn is the biggest grassed area throughout the garden, it is the four grass sections located at The Orangerie that are the showstopper. Each section is carefully manicured into unique circular shapes, creating a picturesque landscape.

Buckingham Palace

An iconic building known throughout the commonwealth is Buckingham Palace. It has beautiful gardens with 325 wild plant species, 1,000 trees, and 30 species of breeding birds. One of the standout lawns at the palace is the Main Lawn, which consists of mixed grasses and chamomile, which is always beautifully striped. This space is used for annual garden parties and official events for the Royal Family.

The White House

The world’s most iconic building is The White House, which has not only one but two spectacular lawns, the South Lawn and the North Lawn. The South Lawn boasts two ceremonial gardens (the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden and the Rose Garden), a tennis and basketball court, a swimming pool, a putting green, a running track and even a helicopter landing area. The North Lawn, often described as the front lawn, is commonly used as the backdrop for news broadcasters bringing the latest US political news across the globe.

Scott Morrison Told to “Get Off My Lawn”

Here’s a throwback to 2020, when we saw the Australian Prime Minister told to “get off my lawn” mid-press conference! During the press conference, which was held in Googong, NSW, media teams set up in a new housing development on the front lawn of a recently seeded lawn. Once the man told off the Prime Minister and press crews, they retreated to the nature strip.

Check out the scenes from the press conference here…

Are you looking for lawn and garden products?

We have a great range of products to help you get the most out of your outdoor space! Shop on our online lawn care store here.

Science is all around us and when we use it, we can better understand how plants grow and how we can provide them with their optimal growing conditions. In this blog, we delve into soil pH, soil health, nutrients that your lawn needs and the important role of photosynthesis and how they all affect plant health and growth.

What Should My Soil pH Be?

If your lawn is not performing at its best, or is struggling to absorb nutrients, you may need to do a soil pH test. pH measures the acidity on a scale ranging from 0 – 14, 7 being neutral, below 7 acidic and above 7 alkaline. The ideal pH range for turf is 6 – 7.5. When your soil is outside this range it can make it either difficult or almost impossible to absorb nutrients.

The process of measuring your soils pH might be easier than you think. Some pH tests are as easy as putting a probe into the soil and others require you to collect a sample of soil and mix it with a solution to give a reading. Soil pH test kits are readily available to nurseries and hardware stores, or can be purchased on our online Lawn Care Store.

If your soil pH is out of range, please check out our blog on how to correct your soils pH here for more information.

Why is Soil Health Important for My Lawn?

In combination to looking at pH, there are a range of other factors to consider when looking at the health of your soil. The soils’ ability to hold water is one. If your soil has become hydrophobic and repels water, the roots of the plant in the soil won’t be able to absorb water effectively. One way to tell that your soil is hydrophobic is if water runs off or pools on the surface, without being absorbed into the ground. If your soil has become hydrophobic, apply a wetting agent like our Lawn Soaker and aerate the soil.

Another factor to investigate when examining soil health is compaction. When soil is hard and compacted, it can make it difficult for water, air, and nutrients to go within the profile. To help assist with this, you can aerate the soil to help alleviate compaction.

Importance of Sunlight to Your Lawn

Like other plants, grass will convert energy from sunlight into a sugar called glucose through the process of photosynthesis. Without getting sunlight your lawn won’t be able to produce glucose, causing the grass to thin out and die. Grass also uses light to produce a pigment called Chlorophyll and when there is less light available to the grass throughout the cooler months, this can cause the lawn to lose some colour.

Different turf types can survive with different amounts of light. Buffalo grasses like Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo can grow with as little as 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight. While other grasses like kikuyu require full sunlight all day to thrive.

What Nutrients Does My Lawn Need?

When looking at nutrients and your lawn, you can break it down into two different sections, Macronutrients and Micronutrients. Macronutrients are the primary nutrients for the health of your lawn. These are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K). Micro nutrients are needed in smaller quantities, but still help contribute to a healthy lawn. These include Calcium, Iron, Manganese, and Zinc just to name a few.

When it comes to giving your lawn nutrients that it needs to thrive, we recommend using a balanced NPK and Micronutrient fertiliser, like our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser, or our Exceed Liquid Fertiliser. Granular fertilisers will generally release nutrients to the lawn over a slower period, resulting in a longer and more sustained boost over a couple of weeks. Liquid fertilisers are better used for providing your lawn with a quick boost.

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

Growing, Maintaining and Harvesting Turf

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind-the-scenes of a working turf farm. It’s a lot more than just watching grass grow, it takes years of experience and dedication to develop the skills required to grow and harvest quality turf.

Toolbox Meeting

Every day is different, but on a normal day on a turf farm generally at the start of the week, staff will get together for a toolbox meeting. Workers gather to discuss the tasks and goals for the day, ensuring everyone is aligned and aware of their responsibilities. This coordination is crucial for smooth operations and efficient workflow.

Field Inspection

One of the first tasks of the day is field inspection. Skilled workers walk through the turf fields, carefully observing the health and condition of the grass. They look for signs of pests, diseases, or any other issues that may require attention as this can dictate some of the tasks required for the day.

How Grass is Planted on a Turf Farm

Most turf varieties in Australia will be planted by sprigs, which are small sections of mature grass stems. These sprigs are carefully placed and pressed into the soil, allowing them to take root and establish themselves.

Water is essential for the growth and establishment of sprigged planted turf. Workers operate irrigation systems to water the fields, ensuring the grass receives the necessary hydration. They monitor the water distribution, adjusting as needed to prevent overwatering or under-watering.

Workers regularly inspect and repair any issues with the irrigation infrastructure, such as broken sprinkler heads or damaged pipes.

Application of Fertilisers, Herbicides and Pesticides

Another essential task on a turf farm is the application of fertilisers. Workers carefully measure and apply the appropriate fertiliser blends to provide the grass with essential nutrients. This step contributes to the vibrant colour and overall health of the turf.

Pest and weed control are also a crucial aspect of turf farm management. Workers monitor the fields for any signs of pests or insects and implement targeted control measures.

Mowing of Turf Paddocks

Mowing the turf paddocks is a big task that is undertaken in some cases a few times a week to maintain the desired height and uniform appearance. Skilled workers operate tractors with large cutting decks to carefully trim the grass, promoting denser growth and a neat, manicured finish.

How Do You Harvest Turf?

Daily turf harvesting is an integral part of a turf farm’s activities and is usually started very early in the morning. When the turf reaches its ideal maturity, it’s time for a paddock to be opened for harvesting.

Skilled workers use advanced turf harvesting machines featuring robotics. These machines carefully cut the mature grass into turf rolls or slabs and stack it on a pallet. This task requires precision and attention to ensure the turf is harvested in optimal condition before loading onto trucks for delivery.

Machinery Cleaning and Maintenance

The day concludes with equipment maintenance. Workers clean and inspect the machinery, ensuring they are in optimal condition for the next day’s tasks. Regular equipment maintenance prolongs its lifespan and guarantees smooth operations.

We this gives you a good idea of how extensive turf farming can be and what goes into supplying premium quality turf. If you are in need of some turf, get in touch with your local Lawn Solutions Australia Accredited turf suppliers here.

You can find more lawn care tips and advice on our website here.