Whether you’ve just installed new turf or you’ve had your lawn for years, if you’re wondering how to keep it in great condition, you’ve come to the right place.
We’re taking you through the five key steps to maintaining your lawn for grass that looks great all year long.
Five important steps to keep your lawn looking and feeling great
Water
Like all living things, the most important ingredient in maintaining a lush lawn is water.
The term “drought-tolerant” is used to describe many turf varieties , but this never means your lawn will be at its best without proper watering.
A deep water of 15 minutes in the morning once or twice a week in dry months is necessary to keep a lawn healthy.
We always recommend watering in the morning in Queensland. This way, the lawn will soak up the water before the hot sun starts evaporating it, but the lawn will dry out throughout the day — drying is key to avoiding diseases and fungus.
Watering to this plan promotes a deep root system, which will give your lawn every chance to survive through drier spells and remain lush year-round.
A lawn lacking in water will become thin and weak and be susceptible to weed invasion.
Fertiliser
A good quality and well-balanced slow-release turf fertiliser is the second step in promoting the health of your lawn.
You can get liquid fertilisers, granular slow-releasing fertilisers, or organic fertilisers. We recommend fertilising early spring, early summer, and mid to late autumn.
If a lawn is well-fed, it will not only be lush and vibrant in colour but able to hold out weeds with its vigorous root system. You can learn more about fertilisers on our blog.
Mowing
Use the one-third rule. The lawn’s leaves play an important role in protecting the plant, so only one-third of the leaf should come off each time you mow. A lawn that has been “let go” and has become too long will stress if it is scalped down to stalk.
Before you mow, make sure your mower blades are nice and sharp — your lawn will thank you for it. Blunt mower blades will damage your grass, leaving you with a poor, messy cut, and a lawn vulnerable to disease.
How often should you mow? In growth season, fast-growing varieties like couches and Sir Walter will need a mow every week. Slower growing varieties like Soft Leaf Buffalo and Zoysia only require a mow every 10 days to even a fortnight.
Use your discretion in the cooler months when growth is slower. Aim to mow your lawn after the morning dew is gone, and it is dry. Wet grass is much harder to cut and will leave clumpy clippings behind.
Control the pests
A well-known enemy of your lawn in South East Queensland between September and March is the lawn grub .
These relentless pests are looking for the lushest lawn on the street to feast on. Luckily, if they find their way to your place, they are easy to treat with insecticides, but prevention is the best defence.
Acelepryn is a barrier-type insecticide that will not only treat existing grubs, but also provide a forcefield against them for approximately three months. Even better, it has a very low odour. See our blog on Lawn Grubs.
Aerating
The main reason for aerating your lawn is to relieve soil compaction. It is inevitable that the soil in your yard will compact with time and traffic.
Aerating is exactly what it sounds like: getting more air into your lawn.
Some form of aeration once a year will allow water and nutrients from fertiliser to penetrate the root system of your lawn.
At the farm, we utilise big machines for this job, but your local hardware or landscape store will sell simple methods or hire out machines for a similar effect.
You can get manual aerating tools or boots with spikes, but for larger lawns, we recommend hiring a machine.
Have a question about caring for your lawn? Our team is happy to answer any of your turf questions. Just give us a call.
