Are you wanting to know all there is to know about lawn care or need a quick lawn care knowledge refresher? In this blog, we look at the A to Z of lawns!
A – Aeration
Aeration helps the roots of your lawn grow deeply to produce a stronger and healthier lawn. Aeration helps decompact the soil base of your lawn, better allowing for nutrients and water to get to your lawn’s roots. There are a few different tools that you can use to aerate: garden fork, tyne aerator, and aerator sandals.
B – Buffalo grass
Buffalo grasses are a warm-season variety, Native to North and South America, parts of Africa, and the Caribbean. Most Buffalo varieties on the market in Australia are soft leaf buffalo.
Buffalo grass has a broadleaf and only has above-ground stems known as stolons to establish from.
One buffalo variety that has stood the test of time and become an Aussie favorite is Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo.
C – Couch grass
Couch grass (sometimes called Bermuda) is another warm-season variety. Couch is native to most of the eastern hemisphere. This grass is known for its fast growth rate, wear, and drought tolerance.
Couch as a fine leaf and grows from both above and below ground runners.
TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda (couch) has a superior drought tolerance, is tough, and has a speedy recovery if it gets damaged. TifTuf is also the only grass in Australia to be awarded the Smart Approved Water Mark for its ability to stand unto drought conditions and save you water.
D – Dogs and your lawn.
Dogs are an important member of many Aussie families, and they spend a lot of their time out on the lawn. With this a few issues like wear and tear, compaction, digging and urine burn can occur. Making sure your lawn is still a place for both you and your pets to enjoy is important. Check out our blog here for more information on how to keep your lawn looking and performing great for both you and your best friend.
E – Ergo Weed Puller
The Ergo Weed Puller is a great tool that helps you pull out weeds without straining your back. It quickly and easily digs down underneath the weed and when extracted removes the entire weed, roots, and all.
F – Fertiliser
Fertilising your grass is not only a great way to keep your lawn looking its best but will also provide the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. There are a few different fertilising products on the market from granular, liquid, slow-release, fast release, and controlled release. Some of our top picks for fertilising all lawns are the Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser and Exceed Liquid Fertiliser.
G – Grubs
If there is a large infestation of grubs or they are causing damage to your lawn, quick action may be required. When grubs damage a lawn, the grass will become dry and straw-like as it would in a drought in patterns across the lawn. If there is an infestation or damage, we recommend using a fast acting insecticide like Battle Insecticide or Grub Guard. Follow-up applications may be needed to ensure the whole lifecycle has been treated. You can also prevent grub and other pest attacks on your lawn by using a preventative product like Grub Guard Ultimate or Acelepryn GR. Please have a look here for more information.
H – HOC (height of cut)
Height of cut refers to the height that your lawn mower cuts at. If you have a cylinder mower you will be able to get a much lower and cleaner cut for your lawn compared to a rotary mower. With varieties like couch and zoysia, you can maintain a lower HOC and other varieties like buffalo prefer a higher HOC due to their above ground runners.
For more information on mowing heights and mowing tips, check out our blog here.
I – Irrigation
Watering your lawn for longer less frequently is best. This will encourage the roots of your lawn to grow deeper into the soil, helping it become more drought tolerant. Watering in the morning before the heat of the day is best. Avoid watering at night, this will help stop the lawn from being damp overnight which can encourage fungal disease.
J – Japonica
Japonica is one of the 3 main types of Zoysia grasses: Zoysia Macrantha, Zoysia Matrella, and Zoysia Japonica.
One of the common types of Zoysia Japonica that are available around Australia is Platinum Zoysia. Japonicas have a medium leaf texture, fair shade and wear tolerance and are more suited to the warmer climates of Australia.
K – Kikuyu grass
Kikuyu grass is native to the highland regions of East Africa. This grass is most well known for being a rapid grower, loving full sun areas and is a great choice for homes, larger spaces, racecourses, and parks.
Kikuyu has a medium-sized leaf and grows from both above and below ground runners.
Eureka Kikuyu is Australia’s number one Kikuyu grass. It has a bright yellow-green colour, superior disease resistance, deep root base and loves full sun.
L – Laying a new lawn
Laying a new lawn can instantly improve the appearance of your garden! When you do lay your new lawn there are a few simple steps to ensure your new lawn thrives once it is installed from choosing the right turf variety for your family and area to preparing your soil base.
For more information on how to install a new lawn, click here.
M – Mowing
Mowing regularly will help your lawn stay healthy and look great! As a rule of thumb, it is best to remove no more one-third of the leaf blade with each mow (except when dethatching).
For more mowing tips, click here.
N – Nitrogen
Nitrogen is one of the key components that your lawn needs to stay healthy. When adding nitrogen to your lawn, it is key to ensure the amount used concedes with the lawns growth rates. Spring and summer are the primary seasons when your lawn will be growing the fastest and searching for a bit more nitrogen. In autumn, little nitrogen is required and in winter not much at all is needed.
O – Oxygen
Oxygen is absorbed through transpiration points on the grass’s roots and leaves. Aeration helps your lawn better absorb oxygen by fracturing up the soil profile, letting air, nutrients and water penetrate to the roots of your lawn.
P – Pigments
Lawn pigment products like ColourGuard Plus are a great way to give your lawn an instant green up! ColourGuard is easy to apply and can be used at any time of the year!
You can find out more information on ColourGuard Plus here.
Q – Quality
All Lawn Solutions Australia Turf Suppliers are committed to supplying our customers with a high-quality turf product. All Lawn Solutions Australia Turf Suppliers are AusGAP Certified; AusGAP helps throughout the entire production process to ensure the turf you receive is a high-quality product, free from weeds, pests, and diseases.
R – Renovation
Lawn Renovations are a great way to help bring your grass to the next level. A typical spring renovation will include getting on top of any weeds that are growing, dethatching, aerating, fertilizing, and top dressing.
For more information on how to renovate your lawn, check out our video series here.
S – Stripes
Lawn Stripes are one of many ways to bring your lawn to the next level. Stripes are made when mowing either with a rotary mower with a roller attachment or with a cylinder mower. When the roller bends the grass towards you, the grass will look dark and when bent in the opposite direction it will appear lighter.
Looking to stripe your lawn? check out our lawn care blog here.
T – Traffic
If a lawn has regular traffic, the soil base underneath your turf can become compacted, impacting your grass. One of the best ways to help alleviate soil compaction caused by traffic is to aerate.
U – Urine burn
Urine burn is often one of the main causes of dead patches on our lawns. As dogs’ urine contains a concentrated amount of nitrogen, grass can become burnt and die off.
For more information on how to help prevent urine burn from occurring, check out our blog on urine burn here.
V – Varieties of grass’s
There are many different varieties of grasses available on the market. From cool season grasses like Fescue and Ryegrass to more common warm season grasses like Buffalo, Couch Kikuyu and Zoysia.
Lawn Solutions Australia has a great range of specialty grasses. You can view our range of turf varieties here.
W – Weeds
Most lawn weeds are simple and easy to remove. For common broadleaf weeds like clover, bindii, cudweed, oxalis, and catsear a broadleaf herbicide All Purpose Weed Control will be able to remove this quite quickly. Other weeds may require a specific herbicide.
For more information on how to remove weeds from your lawn, check out our lawn care blogs here.
X – Xylem and phloem in grass
Xylem (plant vascular tissue) and Phloem work closely together, Xylem is responsible for the transport of water from the roots of the grass to its stems and leaves. Phloem is used mostly to transport food created from photosynthesis from leaves to roots and stems.
Y – Young grass
After installing your lawn there are a few simple lawn care activities you can do to ensure your grass thrives.
• Keep traffic to a minimum for the first few weeks of laying your lawn will help it establish down into the soil profile faster.
• Water regularly, ensure the roots are staying damp and not drying out.
• To see if your lawn is ready for its first mow, try to lift a corner of the turf roll. If the roll lifts it isn’t ready. If the roll does not move and is rooted down into the soil it is ready to mow.
Z – Zoysia
Zoysia is a warm-season grass native to Southeast Asia and the Pacific region. There are 3 main types of zoysia’s, Zoysia Macrantha, Zoysia Japonica, and Zoysia Matrella.
Zoysia’s have a relatively fine lead of up to 5mm wide and are spread by both above and below ground rhizomes and stolons.
Sir Grange Zoysia is a Zoysia Matrella that has a stunning fine leaf that has a beautiful dark green color. Sir Grange has a slow growth habit, can be mown short or left unmown, loves full sun and when once established has an excellent shade tolerance.
You can find more lawn care tips and advice here.
