If you want to be the envy of your neighbours with a superior thick green lawn then read on for all the insider secrets. 

Are you struggling to replicate that perfect green lawn you see in magazines?  

Is your grass constantly full of weeds? 

Are you finding that certain areas of your lawn are not looking their best?

Most humans take multivitamins, supplements, or medications and it’s the same for your grass. Your lawn needs the right nutrients and vitamins in order to be in full health and look a million bucks. In this blog, I’ll be sharing how to maximise the warm spring sunshine to bring out the best in your lawn.

Spring Mowing Tips

Now that we are into Spring it’s time to get back on a frequent and regular mowing schedule.  During the winter months some lawn varieties will barely grow, only needing mowing every 4-6 weeks.  

As the weather warms up and nighttime temperatures increase, the soil temperatures will begin to rise and kick-start the root systems and leaf growth of your lawn.  If you love your lawn and pride yourself on keeping it in top-notch condition then it’s always recommended to mow the lawn on a weekly basis through this growing season.  Regular mowing will keep the lawn healthy which in turn makes life so much harder for those annoying weeds to establish, saving you time on other weed control practices.  If this all sounds like too much to fit into your busy life we can help you out with a regular mowing service.

Watering Your Lawn

Warmer weather will increase water evaporation so it’s best to turn up the watering system.  Add to this the increased growth thanks to spring and your lawn will need more water to provide energy for the extra leaf production.  Unfortunately, there is never a 1 size fits all answer for irrigation timing, the amount of water your garden will need will depend on the heat and humidity of the day, natural rainfall, soil drainage and pressure and flow of the irrigation system.  However, as a basic guide, we generally will increase the system around late September to 3 waterings per week.  Need a quick refresher on irrigation, check out our irrigation blog here.

Spring clean your lawn

Over the cooler winter months, lawn growth slows and you don’t mow as regularly, this gives weeds an opportunity to grow.  Before we begin, enhancing the lawn with fertilisers it is imperative that we remove all the weeds.

Weed Control

A selective weed control treatment spray should do the job or you can pull the weeds out manually depending on the variety of weeds.  Some lawn varieties have a greater capacity for fighting off weeds, such as Sir Walter Buffalo, generally mowing at a close and lower height will clean up the winter weeds.

Supercharge your lawn

Core aeration simply put is where hollow tines are used to puncture holes in the lawn’s surface which then pull out plugs of soil.  You are now left with lots of small holes in the lawn spaced 100mm apart.  Now this has created a pathway and space for air and water to penetrate into the soil and turf root system.

Core Aeration Benefits

Your grass, just like us, needs to breathe, and when you use core aeration it’s like giving it a long, deep breath.  Aeration promotes stronger, deeper, and more vigorous root growth as it brings more oxygen down into the soil.  It alleviates compaction which reduces the amount of nutrients and water that can penetrate the soil.  This process is one of the best ways to improve the quality and lushness of your turf.

Dethatch your lawn

Some lawn species can build up a thick spongy layer beneath the turf called thatch. It consists of dead grass leaves, stolons, and rhizomes which can leave the lawn looking unappealing after a mow.

Thatch is easily treated by 2 common options:  

• Option 1 is to give the lawn a very close mow.  To do this you will need to take 2 or 3 passes at the lawn in order to get an even and very low cut.  The lawn will be cut to a low setting in that you will be scalping your lawn.  Be sure to use the catcher in order to collect all of the dead grass clippings in order to ensure an even and vigorous regrowth of the lawn.  
• Option 2 is to use a scarifying machine.  This is suitable and very helpful for larger lawns.  This machine is specifically designed to cut out all the thatch as you push it across the lawn’s surface.  Older varieties of lawns such as couch may need the scarifying machine however buffalo lawns will only need a close mow.

Between the varieties of lawn there are slight differences to the depth of scalping required.  Kikuyu and couch lawns can be scalped as low to the ground as possible, whereas buffalo turf should allow for some grass and leaf to remain.

Dethatching Benefits

This process will maximise nutrient uptake for your lawn.  Build up of thatch creates a thick layer of dead grass and plant materials which can act as a barrier for beneficial nutrients reaching the soil and lawn roots.

Fertiliser

Lawns need nutrients just like all plants.  To stay in a healthy shape and look in its best condition, the lawn needs a regular fertilising program.  There are a large array of different fertilisers to choose from and certain times of the season when it is best to apply, and other times when it’s best not to fertilise and let the lawn rest.

Best Times to Fertilise Your Melbourne Lawn

In the Melbourne climate, the best times of the year to fertilise are in early October, late November, and late February.  When fertilising it’s best not to do it during very hot weather as fertiliser usually needs to be watered in. 

Choosing a Liquid or Pellet Fertiliser

You’ll often have a choice between liquid fertiliser and pelletised fertilisers.  Liquid fertilisers are generally more fast acting and the pelletised fertilisers tend to be more slow release over a longer period of time.

  
Our recommendation is to use Lawn Solutions Premium Lawn Food Fertiliser which has a great balance between fast-acting and slow-release granules packed with essential nutrients and trace elements.  The slow-release granules will deliver a small amount of nutrients to the lawn each day over a 12-week period following the fertilisation treatment.

Want a helping hand?

Our Lawn Care Packages are designed to create thick, healthy lawns with deep roots that keep out weeds and moss. Choose between our entry-level or premium packages which include core aeration, weed control and spring and Autumn fertilising. Enquire about our spring lawn packages here.