Creeping Indigo can be particularly annoying to remove from your lawn due to its large tap root. So, what is the best way to tackle this weed in your lawn? Let’s find out…
Creeping Indigo’s Identifying Features
Creeping Indigo is an herbaceous weed with flexible green stems and leaves arranged on alternate sides. The Creeping Indigo will spread out from all directions from its large tap root. The large tap root, unfortunately, can make it a difficult weed to remove fully.
Creeping Indigo flowers year-round. Its flowers are pink, pink-orange in colour. This weed spreads by seed, so removing it before the plant goes to seed will help stop it from returning to your lawn.
This weed is commonly seen throughout Southeast QLD, particularly in the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, but has also been seen in northern parts of the Northern Territory.
Key Features:
Large tap root.
Grows flat on the ground.
Pink, pink-orange flowers 5-25mm long.
Tips for Stopping Creeping Indigo
As this weed spreads from its seeds, getting on top of any Creeping Indigo before it goes to seed is best. If it has gone to seed, it is recommended to ensure you are mowing with a catcher on, so the weed seeds are less likely to spread across the lawn. It is also recommended to ensure you dispose of your clippings appropriately so the seeds won’t grow back.
How to Remove Creeping Indigo from Your Lawn
If the weed is still young, you can look at removing it by hand. You will need to find the centre of the plant as this is where its tap root will be. Then, gather the stems of the weed in one hand, and in the other, use either a narrow trowel or a long knife to help loosen the soil around the long root. Then, you should be able to pull out the weed and its roots gently. If you are planning to pull this out by hand, watering the soil prior can help make it an easier task.
Creeping Indigo needs to be slowly killed otherwise if it is hit with round up for example it shuts down quickly and doesn’t absorb the herbicide down to the roots. Repeated application of Dicamba-based herbicides can be used as treatment. However, it is important to note that Dicamba-based herbicides are not safe to use on Buffalo lawns.
For more lawn care tips and advice, make sure you check out our other lawn care blogs here.
When mowing your lawn, there are a few golden rules to follow to get the best cut. In this blog, we will specifically focus on what height your lawn should be mown at and look at some helpful tools to help you measure your current height.
What are the Golden Rules?
Don’t cut your lawn too short for your variety. Measuring your lawn’s height of cut (HOC) will help you know if you are cutting either too high or too short for your turf type.
Measure how much you cut each time you mow. By doing this, it will help you stop removing too much of the leaf in one go. We recommend removing no more than one-third of the leaf with each pass.
Adjust your inputs to accommodate your HOC. The shorter you go, the more inputs your lawn will require. Measuring your HOC will help you adjust this appropriately.
How Do I Measure My Lawns Mowing Height?
There are a few different tools that you can use to help measure your lawn mowing height. Some mowers already have their mowing heights labelled for each adjustable height notch, but if your mower doesn’t have this, don’t fret!
Measuring Your Lawn Height of Cut with the Allett Grass Gauge
If you want an accurate way of measuring your lawn’s HOC, one of the best and most precise ways to do this is with the Allett Grass Gauge. This premium product provides accurate measurements while being easy to use. Push the prism firmly down onto the ground and look at the grass’s height against the scale.
The grass gauge also allows you to inspect the quality of your grass blade up close as if you were at a bug’s level on the turf. This will also help you inspect the quality of your cut and see if any your mower blades need to be sharpened or changed. The scale provides measurements up to 50mm high and has a 100mm wide viewing width.
Measure HOC on Your Lawn Mower
Another way to measure your HOC is to measure the distance between your mower’s blades and the bottom of the wheels. To do this, we first recommend disconnecting the spark plug from your mower to ensure that it won’t turn on. Then, turn the mower upside down on a flat surface. After this, use a tape measure and look at the distance from your mower’s blades to the bottom of the wheel. This will give you your lawn mowing height.
If you are using this method, we recommend taking note of all of the mower’s HOC at each notch, so you don’t need to repeat this process if you are changing your lawn’s mowing height in the future.
What Height Should I Mow My Lawn At?
Each turf type has a preferred range of mowing heights at which it can grow its best. So, let’s take a look at what height your turf type should be mown at:
Guideline for ideal mowing heights:
(General rule of thumb: shorter for summer, longer for winter)
Buffalo grass (Sir Walter DNA Certified): 30 to 50mm
Hybrid Bermuda (TifTuf): 5 to 30mm
Zoysia matrella (Sir Grange): 5 to unmown
Zoysia japonica (Zoysia Australis): 10 to ummown
Kikuyu: 30 to 50mm
Green couch: 5 to 30mm
Queensland blue couch: 5 to 30mm
Broadleaf carpet grass: 30 to 50m
Fescue: 30 to 50mm
For more lawn care and mowing tips and advice, make sure you check out our other blogs here.
Are you looking to elevate your lawn by lowering its height of cut (HOC)? Reducing your lawn’s HOC is not always essential, but it can improve the aesthetic of your home and lawn, especially if you are after a more manicured look. In this blog, we look at all you need to know about effectively bringing down your lawn’s HOC.
What Time of Year Can I Lower My Lawns HOC?
When lowering your mowing height, it is best only to do so while the lawn actively grows throughout the warmer months in spring and summer. This will ensure that the lawn can repair itself quickly. It is best to avoid doing this in autumn and spring.
Lowering HOC on Couch and Kikuyu
When giving Kikuyu and Couch grasses (like TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda) a low mow, you can take the lawn down almost back to dirt in the one mow, and the grass will be able to recover. Generally, you will only need to take the lawn down a notch or two below your preferred height and then, on your next mow, raise it back up to your preferred height. It is best to only do this in the warmer months when the grass is actively growing and should be avoided in autumn and winter.
Lowering HOC on Buffalo and Zoysia
When lowering your HOC on Buffalo and Zoysia grasses (like Sir Walter DNA Certified, Zoysia Australis and Sir Grange Zoysia), you may need to do this over a few goes as they will take longer to recover. Take your mower down by 2 or 3 notches, then wait for around 50% green up. Best to only do this in spring and summer and avoid in autumn and winter.
If you are wanting to maintain your HOC above this height, raise your mower back up to your preferred mowing height and continue to mow regularly.
If you want to maintain your HOC below this height after the grass has had a 50% green up, repeat this process of lowering your HOC by 2 -3 notches.
Recovery Tips
Once this is done, we recommend applying a granular fertiliser like our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser and increase irrigation to the turf over the following days.
Once your preferred height has been achieved, to maintain your lawn at this height, ensure you are mowing the area regularly. As a general guide, you will need to mow your lawn regularly enough so that only one-third of the leaf is removed with each pass.
How to Get a Lower HOC When Cylinder Mowing?
If you want to lower your HOC when mowing shorter with a cylinder mower, it is best to use an rotary mower to do the height reset rather than using a sharp cylinder mower (this can be dependent on the height you want to achieve). This will take a couple of mows in different directions. Once the height is down, wait until there is new green leaf growth and mow again with the rotary mower. Following this, get your cylinder mower out, adjust the mower to your new HOC, and commence mowing regularly. This will help tighten the surface.
What Height Should I Mow My Lawn at?
Different lawn types have different recommended mowing heights. Knowing your lawn’s recommended height will help ensure it looks its best.
Guideline for ideal mowing heights:
(General rule of thumb: shorter for summer, longer for winter)
Green couch: 5 to 30mm
Buffalo grass (Sir Walter): 30 to 50mm
Kikuyu: 30 to 50mm
Zoysia matrella (Sir Grange): 5 to unmown
Zoysia japonica (Zoysia Australis): 10 to ummown
Queensland blue couch: 5 to 30mm
Broadleaf carpet grass: 30 to 50m
Hybrid Bermuda (TifTuf): 5 to 30mm
Fescue: 30 to 50mm
For more lawn care tips and advice, make sure you check out our other lawn care blogs here.
When enjoying your lawn on a summer’s afternoon, flies and mosquitos can be quite a nuisance! So, what is the best way to keep the bugs at bay? In this blog, we will look at various mosquito and insect repellents that will help make spending time outdoors more enjoyable.
The Thermacell E55 Rechargeable Mosquito Repellent
Thermacell has a great range of mosquito repellents, but the E55 Rechargeable Mosquito Repellent is the best overall choice. This model is easy to use, starting with the push of a single button, protecting a 28m2 zone. The Thermacell has a 12-hour repellent cartridge included, which is unscented and easy to replace. They are easy to charge and have a run time of 5 and a half hours.
The Thermacell Insect Repeller Perimeter System – 2 Pack
If you want to cover a larger area, the Thermacell Perimeter System has a larger 42m2 protection zone from mosquitoes. This model still contains the same perks as the E55 but needs fuel cartridges and is not battery-charged. The model has a great variety of mounts and can be used out on your grassed area or patio.
Bug Fans
If your primary concern is keeping flies and insects away from food, a bug fan might be the way to go. Flies, mosquitoes, and other insects don’t like flying into air currents, so if you can have a current of air near where you are entertaining or near your food, there should be fewer bugs present.
Bug fans will spin quietly and have a soft, flexible blade that stops if they come into contact with an object, making them safe around children. Bug fans will usually have a reflective pattern on the blades, which flies and bugs will steer clear of. They are odourless, portable, and chemical-free.
Candles and Repellent Coils
If you don’t mind the scent of citronella, a candle or repellent coil might be the way to go. These are generally the cheaper, longer-lasting, standard way to go. However, they might not be ideal if you are not a fan of the scent or smoke they can produce.
There is a great range of citronella candles available; some of our favourites are the Santalum Estate Citronella Sandalwood Soy Candle, as it comes in a stylish glass container and has three wicks with a 35-hour burn time. Another favourite is the Waxworks Stone Tabletop Oil Burner. The sleek and stylish oil burner provides effective protection without using chemicals.
The Bite Shield Diffuser with 10pk Coil & Stand is another natural way to help prevent mosquitoes from entering your entertaining space. Each coil will provide up to 6 hours of repellency and comes with a handy shield diffuser.
Bug-A-Salt
If you are after a fun, safe and non-toxic way to conquer bugs the Bug-A-Salt will be your weapon of choice! This uses ordinary table salt, without using any batteries to defend your turf! All you need to do is load it up with salt, then aim and take shot at any pesky flies or mosquitoes!
For more lawn care tips and advice, make sure you check out our other lawn care blogs here.
Warm-season grass varieties include Couch, Kikuyu, Buffalo, and Zoysia grasses. These are the most common varieties found across Australia and for good reason. In this blog, we explain what warm-season grasses are and why they are the best choice for Australian lawns.
What are Warm-season Grasses?
Warm-season grasses are known as C4 grasses and are suited to the hot Australian summers and relatively warm winters. The C refers to carbon and the 4 is the number of carbon atoms in the first compound produced by photosynthesis. What this results in is an adaptability to higher temperatures and light with lower requirements for moisture.
For reference, cool-season grasses have 3 carbon atoms and are known as C3 grasses. C4 grasses are considered more heat and water-stress tolerant than C3 species. This is because C4s have an evolutionary advantage for adaptation to hot and dry climates making them more efficient with conserving water.
Geographically, we have a limited true cool season area compared to North America and Europe. To apply the US terminology, in Australia, the north is the warm season zone, and the rest is a transition zone with some isolated cool season pockets.
Benefits of Warm-season Grasses
There are some significant benefits to warm-season grasses in such a climate.
Less watering requirements.
Higher resilience during warmer months.
Higher heat tolerance.
Better soil stability due to generally having more robust root systems.
Better capacity for self-repair and lateral growth.
Higher suitability broadly to the Australian climate.
Warm Season Grasses in Winter
Warm season grasses can hold their colour well throughout the warmer months. But when the temperatures start to cool, photosynthesis is limited to conserve energy and they can lose some of their green colour during dormancy.
As mentioned earlier, most areas of Australia only experience a limited cool season, so warm-season grasses can hold up quite well in the Australian winter. Once the temperatures begin to warm up the grass will be able to produce chlorophyll again and return in colour.
A solution to this discolouration of warm-season grasses in winter is to apply a pigment product like ColourGuard Plus. ColourGuard Plus will improve the colour of your lawn instantly.
Watering Warm-season Grasses
Most warm-season varieties once established will be able to thrive on mostly rainfall with additional watering when required. On the other hand, cool-season varieties will need a substantial amount of water to survive compared to warm-season varieties.
If you have a warm season grass, make sure you raise the mowing height a little to help it retain nutrients during the cooler months.
Choosing the Best Grass for You
Climate consideration is an important factor when deciding on a turf variety for your home.
For this reason, we always recommend warm-season grasses and in particular improved varieties with superior drought tolerances like the Smart Approved WaterMark awarded TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda.
If shade is a factor, then buffalo grasses like Sir Walter DNA Certified may be the perfect solution for you.
Native plants make sense in our hot climate, the drought resilience, adaptability to thrive in the poor soils and ability to help bring in native wildlife makes them the obvious choice for easy gardening at home. I love adding in native plants to my garden simply because they look good and come with beautiful flowers!
Combining Native Plants and Lawns
Combining lawns and native plants can be a harmonious combination but there are a few things you need to consider ensuring both thrive together. There are the obvious concerns about sufficient light on the lawn, you don’t want to plant anything too close to the perimeter that will shade out the lawn and think about the flowers as well as the fine stamens and berries that can clog and blunt cylinder mowers. Try to grade the height of your plants having the tallest at the back of the bed and the smallest around the lawn to maximise light.
Native plants in the Proteaceae family such as Grevilleas, Banksia and Hakea have Proteaoide roots just under the surface of the soil that help the plants absorb phosphorus. This makes them sensitive to fertilisers that are high in this element so it’s a good idea to group them together away from exotic plants and be wary when fertilising your lawn so that you do not overdo it as it can kill these sensitive native plants.
Planting Hedges
Hedging is often thought of as a European element in the garden, using exotic species of plants, but hedging doesn’t always have to be in a formal garden or exclusively exotic either. There are many native species of plants that work well in our climate for hedging and can work in many styles of garden, be tightly clipped or looser for a natural appearance. They help to separate garden zones and remove unsightly views as well as create structure to a space by defining boundaries and garden beds.
Endemic Plants
Endemic plants, those that evolved in the area you will be planting them into require little soil preparation, they are used to the conditions and will thrive with minimal interference, just loosen the soil in a wide planting hole to help the first emerging roots. Those that are still native but from a different area will appreciate some help with the ground, dig through some compost and a native fertiliser but steer clear of manures as these can have adverse effects on the root system. Once planted mulch with a coarse bark.
Callistemons
One of the best loose hedges and screening plants, perfect for the back of a garden bed is the callistemon, its fool proof and can tolerate drought, coastal conditions and frost as well as being adaptable to both clay and sandy soils. Callistemons come in a range of sizes too, from the lower growing (up to a metre) ‘Green John’, perfect for a low hedge, the medium sized ‘Macarthur’ will cover a fence to 1.8 metres, but not block out light and the taller ‘Slim’ to 3 metres.
Whatever variety you go for I like to leave them a little loose as this promotes more flowers, perfect for attracting birds. Once flowering has finished you can trim the plant to keep it tidy, sometimes it’s hard to find the right time as they bloom so prolifically but if this is a problem early spring is a good time, if you time it with your lawn renovation your garden will sing.
Coastal Areas
If you have salty coastal conditions and nothing will grow, try the Adenanthos or woolly bush, this native is very hardy to salt-laden winds thanks to its incredibly tactile foliage. Almost silvery in colour this plant looks exactly as the common name makes it sound and it works perfectly as a windbreak to help you grow more sensitive plants behind. Having still air in the garden will also allow you to relax more especially sprawling out on your lawn. If the foliage of this hedging plant isn’t enough for you it also gets a small red flower that is great for native wildlife too.
Attracting Wildlife
Having your plants double up as a wildlife and bird-attracting element to the garden as well as a screen or a feature can only be a benefit and Grevilleas are a great way to have your cake and eat it. Much like the Callistemon, they are incredibly versatile coping with heat, frost, salt and a range of soil types too. New modern varieties of grevillea also open up the rainbow as to what colour you can have in your garden, from subtle greens to flamboyant salmons and reds, as well as everything in-between. I like a variety called ‘Moonlight’ as it has bright creamy white flowers that illuminate a planting scheme, another fail-safe is ‘Robyn Gordon’ and ‘Superb’.
Lilly Pilly
If you are after a more formal look the Lilly Pilly is the plant for you, but you will need to add compost to the soil to aid in the water retention. Naturally a rainforest tree but highly adaptable to the home garden it’s popular as the small leaves knit together to give a dense hedge. There are many varieties from different species including Syzygium, Waterhousia and Acmena. My favourite is the weeping Lilly Pilly as it has a beautiful lime green new growth and a pendulous habit to the foliage. If you are looking for a hedge in a narrow space the Syzygium ‘Pinnacle’ is a good option as it grows up to 6 metres in height but only takes up a metre in garden bed to do so.
Westringia
For lower-growing shrubs the coastal rosemary Westringia is hard to beat. Grey, silver foliage highlights lower parts of the garden and being versatile to clipping you can leave it loose and sprawling or tight and topiarised just make sure you have good drainage as it doesn’t like wet feet or humid air, making it the perfect plant to surround a lawn. This plant is so good in 2015 the variety ‘Grey Box’ was awarded the plant of the year. Ornamental star-like flowers in whites, pinks and even purples can be seen throughout the year.
Ornamental Grasses Around Lawns
Another great type of plant to surround a lawn is the ornamental grasses such as Dianella and Lomandra. These help to soften the edges of a lawn and blend the boundary between lower soft lawn and ornamental planting pockets. Like your lawn ornamental grasses will love free-draining soil and similar water requirements so if there is any spill over from your irrigation it will only benefit the garden.
Australian natives make for a perfect pairing with functional outdoor lawn spaces. For more garden and lawn care tips and advice, check out the Lawn Solutions Australia blog here.
Around 30 years ago I was a junior playing golf at Cairns GC. Along the left side of the 16th hole in the rough was a roped-off area with a couple of signs that mentioned ‘Primo’ which was sprayed in strips between untreated areas. The difference was amazing and as an apprentice greenkeeper I couldn’t believe you could apply a product to rapidly growing turf and it slows the growth – in FNQ of all places. Usually, if you stand in one spot long enough up there the turf tries to mate with your shoelaces given its growth habit.
Primo®250EC was eventually registered in 1995, followed by Primo® Maxx in 2002 and now by the next generation Primo Maxx® II in 2022. When we consider almost 30 years of use in turf situations, and the learnings we are still making today, has the introduction of PGR’s such as Primo Maxx® II been the turf industry’s greatest achievement?
If I think back to the plots at Cairns GC, it was the reduction in vertical growth that really stood out initially. And that’s the first impression that turf managers have when using a PGR like Primo Maxx® II. Inside the plant, a biosynthesis pathway is converting photosynthate (energy produced in part by photosynthesis) into the growth hormone gibberellic acid (GA) – required by plant cells to elongate. When a plant cell elongates, the leaf grows longer. Primo Maxx® II is targeting the final stage of conversion of this pathway, when GA20 converts to the plant available form GA1. By inhibiting this conversion at the final step, vertical growth is minimised.
But what happens when vertical growth is minimised? Does everything just stop? As time went on, the more we learned about the associated benefits of PGR applications. One learning was a reduction in internode length, a tightening of the sward and an improvement in colour.
Imagine a football field that has solar panels placed across the surface and in between each panel is a space to move between each row. The total energy output of the panels would be consistent day to day in full sun but would vary in shade. This is consistent with a turf surface without any PGR applied to it. Now imagine that same field where the space between each panel is removed and the panels are side by side. More panels could fit and as a result, more energy is produced. This is consistent with a turf surface with PGR applied to it. The tightening of internode length means more leaf blades per given area. More leaf blades in a given area means more chlorophyll and an associated improvement in colour. More leaf blades and more chlorophyll means more energy is harnessed through photosynthesis.
As vertical growth is minimized, the energy produced is transferred to other parts of the plant. When excess energy is produced by the plant it stores it in the roots and as a result, root mass is increased. This is one of the major growth responses of turf in full sun compared to shade. In shaded environments, turf stands usually can’t produce the required energy as photosynthesis is reduced. As such, the plant draws on stored energy in the roots and the result is a shortening and thinning of the roots in shaded locations. Shaded locations are where light rates of PGR’s are effective. The increase in chlorophyll content means the plant is able to harness more available light, convert to sugars and help drive enzyme processes.
Root Enhancement with Primo Maxx® II
As root growth and mass increases when PGR’s are applied, nutrient uptake is enhanced – further supporting overall plant health. The roots are able to access improved levels of moisture within the profile and when coupled with less transpiration due to less vertical growth, a reduction in water requirement through irrigation is realized. It was one of the main plant performance outcomes I noticed as a Superintendent by being able to move from around 3 times per week irrigating fairways to 2 times or less in summer. When you consider not just the less water applied, but also less power to run pumps, less strain on the irrigation system – there is a case for considerable savings in water alone particularly as we enter the next El Nino phase.
Primo Maxx® II Plant Health Benefits
More research work has been undertaken as to how to time applications of PGR’s to continue and enhance the plant health benefits through repeat applications. This is known as Growing Degree Days (GDD) with GDD a measure of heat accumulation. Research has shown the optimal value for warm-season turf types treated with Primo Maxx® II to be around 200GDD. Calculators, such as the free version on the www.syngentaturf.com.au website, monitor your minimum and maximum temperatures and then apply a base temperature value to the average – either 10C for warm season grass or 0C for cool season grass, as the temperature above these values initiates growth in each respective group.
By working within a 200GDD value, the plant stays with the suppression phase enabling it to enjoy the health benefits and for you to enjoy less cutting. If however you move beyond the suppression phase and the PGR wears off, then the plant enters the rebound phase where the flush of energy being transferred to other parts of the plant like the roots, is directed back into leaf cell elongation. The result is a significant amount of top growth and an increase in mowing activity again. This can lead to scalping and incursion of weeds and pathogens in these areas as the turf is weakened or if subjected to a sports field situation, a loss of surface durability and performance.
Suppression v Rebound Phase
Now is the time to apply to your turf to realise the health benefits and cost savings that are real. From a PGR programme using Primo Maxx® II, you will:
Mow less: meaning less labour; less fuel; less R&M.
Water less: meaning less labour if manual; less power to run pumps; less R&M on the system; and less water if you are paying per unit.
Have a healthier plant: with enhanced uptake of nutrients; higher relative water content of the leaf improving heat stress management; and higher chlorophyll content for improved health in low light situations.
Have less overall stress.
The more we have learnt about PGR’s the more benefits are realized and we will continue to learn more as time goes on. So, are PGR’s such as Primo Maxx® II the turf industry’s greatest achievement? For adaptability and benefits across a wide range of turf types in a wide range of growing conditions under a wide range of end usage – I firmly believe they are.
From the golf course to Marvel Stadium, to Papua New Guinea and now the most prestigious sports field in Queensland, Matthew Oliver, the current Suncorp Stadium Grounds Manager has had an incredible turf journey.
We recently caught up with Matthew, to discuss his turf career so far and talk all things turf.
Q: Where did it all start for you when it comes to working in the turf industry?
I started off as an 18 year old cricketer playing in the UK. In my spare time, I was helping the local groundsman there, preparing the wickets, and by the end of the season I was actually looking after the first-team pitches. Which was, I guess, my first foray into sports turf. When I came back to Melbourne after the summer of playing cricket in England, I was looking at an apprenticeship in wicket curating, but unfortunately there wasn’t anything out there. So I ended up going down the golf course route and spent four years doing an apprenticeship on a golf course in Southeast Melbourne at the Sandhurst Club. I then made my first move to a stadium with Marvel Stadium offering me a role as a qualified turf manager straight out of my apprenticeship. So that was pretty much my first move into sports fields.
Q: How did your career in sports turf management develop from there?
My development and experience grew as I was working my way up through different roles. Marvel Stadium was obviously huge in terms of exposure. Exposure to a huge number of events of varying types, and different sports codes, all with specific requirements for each. I was still learning my craft and going from a golf course which there are some similarities, but everything’s just magnified in terms of the exposure, the expectation, and the pressure.
Q: Where did you go from Marvel? Where was your career path to where you end up today?
I spent five years in my first stint at Marvel and then decided to look sideways to get some more managerial experience. I went to Melbourne Grammar School where I worked under a man by the name of John Shannon, an industry legend in Victoria. I spent two years underneath him as the Assistant Grounds Manager at Melbourne Grammar. Essentially there I was the Head Curator of the wickets, looking after the first team sports fields and just really broadened my skill set not only for cricket wickets, but also people management skills and that side of things. After I had spent two years at Melbourne Grammar, an opportunity from left field came up, which was in Papua New Guinea for a fly-in, fly-out role project managing the new national football stadium of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby. I spent the best part of twelve months in that role before the contract with the company I was working for expired and unfortunately wasn’t extended. I then returned to Melbourne where I helped project manage the reconstruction of Icon Park, Carlton Football Club’s training ground. I spent two years there at Carlton before my wife pressured me, I guess, into looking at moving somewhere warmer. A role came up at the Queensland Sport and Athletic Centre in Brisbane where I worked for four years before I accepted the incredible opportunity to over as Grounds Manager at Suncorp Stadium.
Q: How is Suncorp Stadium managed and what is a normal week like for you and your team?
Obviously, 2023 has been a huge year for us here. It’s been an unprecedented year of events. By the end of 2023, we’ll have hosted 65 events on the field, which is huge for here, or huge in any stadium, really, and that’s across the three sporting codes, rugby league, soccer and rugby union, plus concerts and everything else in between. All the training sessions that we host, captains run and the like. I guess a normal week here is generally a changeover from one event to another. Last Sunday, we had four games of soccer and then we washed out those lines, removed the goals that night and then prepared for an NRL preliminary final. A recovery spray on the Monday clean-up, mow Monday, then a recovery spray, then a training session on Tuesday for the Broncos, and then another spray in midweek to start preparing for the weekend and really dialling in our mowing patterns. We aerated the worn areas for the touchline sidelines areas of the field. I guess as we get closer to the end of the week, we’re starting to dry the field out, so no water for 48 hours prior to the fixture.
That Friday we had a captain’s run for the Warriors, Saturday we mowed and line-marked and did all those presentation jobs for the preliminary final between the Broncos and the Warriors.
Q: What teams train out of Suncorp Stadium?
There are four main tenants. You’ve got the Brisbane Broncos and the Dolphins, who play in the NRL. The Broncos play all their home games here and the Dolphins play the vast majority. They’ll play eight home games here out of their allotted home fixtures. We’ve got the Queensland Reds, who play seven home games here in the Super Rugby Competition. We’ll also host a handful of their women’s fixtures as well. And the Brisbane Roar have recently moved back to the stadium full-time. We’ll host twelve out of their thirteen home matches from October 27th. It’s a very busy place here!
Q: What other events are featured at the Stadium?
Up until last year, we were only approved to host six concerts in a calendar year. Now we can host up to twelve. Our concert season generally runs from October through to March. What’s different about that this year is we’ve got the Roar here for soccer, so we’re going to have to be on our toes to replace the turf at the drop of a hat and have a real tight turnaround prior to the Roar having a fixture for the A-League. We’re going to do between 6000-8000 square metres of turf, four different replacements over the summer. Then, obviously, we hit the ground running in February for the Super Rugby competition with the soccer competition still running, and the NRL starting in the first weekend of March. All three codes operate concurrently. March and April are going to be more difficult again.
Q: The Women’s World Cup hosted games at the Stadium this year, what was involved in the preparation for this and fulfilling FIFA requirements?
It was a huge tournament and I’d go as far as saying that the Australia v France Quarter Final was my career highlight to date. An unbelievable event to be a part of a full stadium, essentially all supporting one team. Obviously the dramatic penalty shootout at the end was incredible. We hosted eight matches, which was the most of any Australian stadium during the tournament, which was pretty cool, but I guess we take a step back. One of the requirements for FIFA was we needed to have a hybrid playing surface for the tournament, so it meant that we had to adopt one of their methods. Either a carpet-based system or a stitched surface. We opted for the SISGrass stitched surface and that was installed in late May prior to the State of Origin game. This certainly held us in good stead for those matches. The Women’s World Cup, we had a stable playing surface that stood the test of time and performed really well. But some of the things we needed to do were daily testing. We were testing for hardness, traction, shear strength and moisture on almost a daily basis throughout the tournament, making sure we’re meeting those parameters. Hand mowing the field with pedestrian walk behind mowers was a specific requirement, and obviously line marking to the specific standards that they want. Making sure that there’s no mistakes and the dimensions are 100% correct. The goal line technology can tell you if the lines are out, so we have to make sure we were millimetre perfect.
Q: From your personal point of view, you’ve got to deliver or produce a first-class stadium which is a lot of pressure. How do you handle it personally? Your achievements, stress levels, how do you handle it all?
I guess you try not to dwell on things when things aren’t going your way. Certainly at the start of the season, on a brand new playing surface in March and April, we were under the pump. We had a fair bit of media criticism come our way. That was just because we were hosting those three codes on a field that was very immature. It hadn’t really had a chance to knit in and bed down. The ryegrass was quite reluctant to establish given the heavy traffic load. I guess from my perspective, it’s trying not to dwell on it too much. Things are never as bad as what they may seem. You try and think of all the positives, that you’re in this position for a reason and you draw on your strengths to get you out of those situations. I think I look back now and I go, well, those hard yards are pretty tough at the time, but we’re not going to sit there on the weekend and look at the NRL preliminary Final that we had and the surface that we were able to produce, which I’d say, is as good as anywhere.
Q: What part of managing turf do you really enjoy the most?
I get a real kick out of seeing professional athletes at the top of their game, playing on my surface, and we often don’t get a lot of feedback from players and clubs when things are going well. It’s generally only when things aren’t going so well. But to be fair, we’ve had a lot of really positive feedback, particularly from the NRL clubs at the back end of this year and through the Women’s World Cup. That’s not just for myself, but my team that has been incredibly dedicated and put their best foot forward for the stadium for this year. I’m really proud of everyone’s efforts there.
Q: What do you still want to achieve in your career? Where would you like to be?
If I was being completely honest, I think when I was younger before children, I would often see myself looking after a world-class Premier League stadium in England or in Europe somewhere. I guess now I am a family man, I am really grateful for where I am right now. As a younger person, it’s hard not to keep looking at that next opportunity, but I’m just really happy being here where I am, and I’ve got a lot of things I want to achieve at Suncorp. I don’t really have any ambition to up and leave anytime soon. It’s a great place to work. It’s the pinnacle of stadiums in this part of the world and I am very lucky to work here and hopefully, I’ll be here for a lot longer yet.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you have for anyone looking into the sports turf industry or looking to grow their careers in turf?
Always ask questions of people. A lot of young people come through our trade, if that is the right word, but can be quite timid and don’t want to impose on someone. Try to ask questions of your sales reps, introduce yourself, and get friendly, there are no dumb questions. Your sales reps are really well connected, ask your peers, your colleagues at other venues or golf courses or whatever your facility is, what are they doing in certain situations and what products to use in these situations. You can broaden your skill set that way and don’t be scared to keep an updated CV. Our industry can be quite tight to get into certain roles, sometimes you must bide your time or move sideways. But don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
Caine James, Operations Manager – Recreation Works
Infrastructure & Works | Maitland City Council
My interest in the turf industry, particularly golf course maintenance was something I had a passion for from the age of around 10 years old. This is the age I started attending a golf clinic on Sunday mornings at Belmont Golf Club in the Lake Macquarie area south of Newcastle. I remember playing 9 holes on a Sunday morning and thinking how good it would be to be a greenkeeper. When an opportunity came in year 10 whilst attending Swansea High School to complete 2 weeks of work experience, I wasn’t going anywhere other than Belmont Golf Club to work on the golf course. This experience convinced me that this was the career I wanted.
I received a phone call from the Superintendent in December 1992 to ask if I was interested in a six-week casual position to join the green staff for the preparation of the Lake Macquarie Amateur Open, which at the time was the biggest amateur tournament in the Southern Hemisphere. Six weeks turned into two years full-time at Belmont Golf Club, which gave me a great start to my career working with an awesome crew.
Council Apprenticeship
I was looking for an opportunity to complete an apprenticeship as I wanted to become a qualified turf tradesperson, which Belmont Golf Club couldn’t offer at the time. I was lucky enough to apply and successfully gain an apprenticeship with Newcastle City Council (City of Newcastle) in 1994. Newcastle Council owned and maintained an 11-hole public golf course (Beresfield Golf Course) as well as maintaining regional and district-level sports facilities.
My time during my apprenticeship was spent mostly working on the council’s golf course, which consisted of Bent/Poa Greens, a blend of Kikuyu/Couch/Carpet Grass fairways and Kikuyu tees.
There was a staff of 3 consisting of a Superintendent, a groundsman, and an Apprentice (me). When I arrived, greens were being cut with Scott Bonnar petrol walk-behind mowers, tees were cut with an old Jacobsen Tri king and fairways were cut with an old set of gang mowers. It was a great opportunity to work in this environment as I was exposed to everything from spraying greens to machinery maintenance and course set-up for weekends from day one. During the 3 years I worked on the Council golf course we upgraded machinery to introduce a John Deere fairway mower, Toro surrounds mower and a Toro greens mower. These changes in machinery improved the surfaces immediately. Then we started applying fertiliser on fairways, constructing new tee boxes, reshaping fairways, and extending irrigation. All this work was completed by our team of 3 which gave me great exposure to all aspects of turf maintenance early in my career.
During my apprenticeship I had the opportunity to spend 6 months working at Newcastle Councils No.1 and No.2 Sportsgrounds, this gave me exposure to turf wicket preparation, maintenance, and renovation. This experience gave me an insight into turf maintenance from another perspective, especially cricket wicket preparation. This goes against everything you learn about growing healthy turf – grow grass in clay, water it, roll it with moisture in it to compact it, then dry it out, now roll it some more, mow it and it’s ready! Cricket wicket preparation made me open my mind to the turf industry and I realised there is so much to learn in this industry, and I knew I wanted to make a successful career of it.
Once I completed my apprenticeship, I was employed full-time at Newcastle Council as a Senior field worker at Newcastle No.1 Sportsground, working alongside Supervisor Peter Terry, who is still currently in this position. During my 6 years working at this facility, we prepared surfaces for first-class cricket matches including Sheffield Shield matches, ING One Day Matches and a One Day International Women’s Match Australia v England. I was also lucky enough to prepare the No.2 Sportsground Wicket for the Australia U/19s National Championships in 2008/09, this turned out to be a great tournament with the likes of Shaun Marsh, Cameron White, and Sean Tait to name a few going on to first-class careers. We also hosted numerous AFL Pre-season matches featuring the Swans against numerous AFL opponents.
I also had the opportunity to play a significant role in rebuilding the wicket square during the 2000 season. This project was delivered by our team, including the planning, construction and grow in, with the result being a quality first-class wicket.
2007 I was offered the opportunity to move into an office-based role as a Recreation Project Officer at Newcastle Council. Whilst in this position I designed and managed the installation of numerous irrigation projects, the reconstruction of turf wicket squares and the delivery of several playground and floodlight projects.
Nuturf Australia
In 2008 I was offered an opportunity to become a Territory Manager at Nuturf Australia, supplying products, services and agronomic advice to the turf industry. My territory was the Central Coast, Hunter Region, Mid North Coast and New England servicing Councils, Golf Clubs, Turf farms and any other turf facility along my travels. This was my dream job as I got to talk turf all day every day. During my time at Nuturf, I received the best education you could possibly ask for, we had great people in the business who shared the same passion for the turf industry as I have. Nuturf was acquired by C.K.Lifesciences who also owned Amgrow, this provided me with the opportunity to move into the wholesale market managing the sales, custom fertiliser development and distribution of specialty products into the turf market in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
I worked in the wholesale business for 3 years before moving back into the retail market with Nuturf. I spent over 14 years in the Nuturf/Amgrow business before moving to TurfCare Australia for an 8-month period as Business Manager.
Maitland City Council
In January 2019 I moved back into Local Government to take up the position of Operations Manager Recreation at Maitland City Council where I remain today. This is a very diverse role as I manage a department of 60+ staff with 4 direct reports and 13 Team Leaders, each with a crew of 3-4 staff who maintain trees, gardens, parks, playgrounds, landscape construction, open space, roadside mowing, weeds & Biosecurity. I have a very supportive management team above me who value my knowledge and experience which allows me to provide the resources required to achieve continual improvement in all areas of the Recreation space in Maitland LGA.
“We are lucky to have such a leader in the turf industry at Maitland City Council. When Caine joined us nearly 5 years ago, I believed (noting I am an engineer with absolutely no turf background) we had the makings of a good sports turf management crew, however, Caine has implemented significant change, training, and polish to all of our staff working in this area to ensure we have a great turf management team. This has resulted in not only significant improvements and outcomes at our regional facilities, but the improved work practices of our teams are making a huge difference to all our sports turf facilities across the LGA.” Ashley Kavanagh, Works Manager Maitland City Council.
I also have 2 specialised Turf Management Crews who maintain our sports turf surfaces. A team of 4 are full-time at Maitland Regional Sports Complex and a team of 6 who maintain over 60 hectares of sports grounds, of which 30 hectares are irrigated.
The Regional Sports complex consists of the Regional Sportsground, a 1.6 hectare multi-use facility with a grandstand capacity of 1100 which was rebuilt in 2017. The ground is currently the training base for the Newcastle Jets Men’s A-League team and the Maitland Pickers Rugby League Club. The surface was initially turfed with Grand Prix Couch in 2017, with sand slit drainage, sand grooving and irrigation installed.
In 2020 an IAAF standard synthetic athletics track with all supporting athletics infrastructure was constructed on the old outer fields. I was asked to provide input into the development of the specification for the construction of the 8,000m2 infield. The profile is 300mm deep local dune sand amended with organics. Irrigation and drainage were installed during construction and the surface has a 1% fall from the centre in an East/West direction. The grass type selected was TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. The decision was made to use this grass after reviewing the data from several trials, it’s also the only turf variety with the Smart Approved Water Mark.
Turf producer Musturf completed the project for us supplying and installing the turf which was of exceptional quality. The establishment period was amazing with root development greater than 50mm in a 4 week period.
The surface has performed extremely well over the past 3 seasons. We have shaved the surface twice to soil surface using a topmaker, with full coverage back again within 4 weeks. Topdressing happens 2 weeks after the topmaker and the surface is cut at 12-15mm.
Due to the performance of the TifTuf on the athletics infield, I made the decision to change the turf variety of the Regional Sportsground from Grand Prix to TifTuf. We were having issues with the lateral growth of Grand Prix couch which was impacting the recovery from wear and transitioning from the ryegrass oversowing program back to the couch. With the support from my Manager Ashley Kavanagh who backed my reasoning for the change in turf species, “Caine’s technical knowledge and ability to demonstrate the reasoning for Council to invest in changing the grass variety that had only been down for 5 years over to TifTuf was a decision that was well worth the investment. The positive feedback from user groups, our community and most importantly our staff who maintain the facility is amazing. The results are speaking for themselves”. In October 2022 we sprayed out the surface and then removed 70mm from the surface of the Sportsground.
TifTuf vegetive material was supplied, which was spread and grooved rolled and then solid rolled into the surface. 12 weeks later we had a 100% cover of TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda which looked fantastic. We have oversowed ryegrass into the surface this season and the surface has been rated as one of the best surfaces played on by a number of visiting A League clubs as well as the Newcastle Jets. Adam Nial (Team Leader of the Turf Maintenance crew) is very happy with the amount of TifTuf he is seeing below the rye and in recovering divots.
The feedback from the users of both surfaces has been amazing, with the quality of the surfaces always a topic of conversation amongst them. We have several sports ground projects coming up in the next couple of years and the decision is to replicate the specification of the Athletics infield into these new fields including surfacing with TifTuf.
I feel blessed to have had the career I’ve had, and I feel privileged that Maitland City Council have given me an opportunity to bring my passion, knowledge, and experience to take their existing fields to the next level and develop new standards in the development of new fields.
Nestled between the bustling streets of Brisbane and the cruisy coastal towns of the Sunshine Coast lies the Go Turf farm.
With a sprawling 130 hectares of top-quality turf in the Glasshouse Mountains region, Go Turf is the largest turf farm on the Sunshine Coast. They proudly supply high-quality drought-tolerant turf to Queensland-based developers, builders, landscapers, and homeowners. The Beerburrum-based farm is owned and operated by the Heilig Family, with four generations of farming expertise under their belts; this is a family endeavour.
From mums and dads to large commercial projects and everyone in between, each turf order that comes their way will see the turf being harvested and delivered on the same day. It’s an early start for the Go Turf team as they harvest and deliver their premium turf in a tight timeframe across Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Logan, the Gold Coast, the Fraser Coast, Ipswich, and Toowoomba.
While high-quality turf is their bread and butter now, if you visited the Go Turf farm over 15 years ago, you would have found sugar cane and small crops growing there instead. Over the years, spearheaded by Anthony Heilig, the family has come to specialise solely in producing turf and coined the saying, “Great things happen on grass.”
The team knows that great family moments happen on grass, and they love helping Queensland families find the best turf variety for their yards. Priding themselves on their exceptional customer service, the team work hard to help people pick the perfect turf for their outdoor space, prepare, deliver and install it on-site, and love to provide expert advice on keeping the grass thriving. All in the hopes that everyone can continue to make those special memories with the ones they love.
Having such a large farm allows the team to grow all of the turf themselves, meaning they don’t have to source it from anywhere else and can keep a close eye on it and attend to it all year round. Customers can have peace of mind knowing that their grass has come straight from the Go Turf farm to their yard and nowhere in between.
Meeting their quality assurance and closely overseeing every order from paddock to yard may sound challenging when managing hundreds of acres of turf, running two offices, preparing yards, and delivering and installing turf across a substantial pocket of southeast Queensland. However, thanks to the business undergoing a digital transformation, the team have accurate information and real-time updates at their fingertips with their fully digital order management system.
From the office to the operations teams, all turf orders, including the delivery and installation requirements, can be placed, invoiced, paid, harvested, scheduled, delivered, fulfilled, and signed off online through the GoTurf platform. Whether on the Go Turf web app or iPad and iPhone applications, the business operations offer the team a 360 view of the business at any time from one spot. From harvesting quantities to delivery routes, the team can easily verify order information and stay updated with real-time updates from one place. While there’s no denying hard work is involved, it’s all carried out with a smile, a strong sense of pride and gratitude and the unified belief that there’s nowhere else they’d rather be than 434 Mekins Rd.
While using technology to improve their workflow and processes has been a game-changer, the team understands the importance of consultations and conversations when ordering turf. The Beerburrum farm doors have always been open, with Karlie and Denieka on hand to help with any questions or orders that come through the door, over the phone or online.
Nevertheless, this year marked the opening of their new Brendale office to provide a local service to North Brisbane, where turf is front and centre. The family is hopeful this will give more people a way to see, touch, and learn all about turf whilst benefiting from direct consultation with the preparation team to get the right advice and product. Turf is the store hero, and the team looks forward to sharing their knowledge of grass near and far to help Brisbane and beyond transform their green spaces.
Despite expanding down the coast, you’ll still find the same familiar faces on the Beerburrum farm. With the backdrop of the Glasshouse Mountains, the endless sunshine the region promises, and their genuine love for the outdoors, it’s safe to say the Go Turf farm is a great place to be. A visit to 434 Mekins Road will leave you with no doubt that this close-knit team is passionate about what they do and all things grass.
