LAWN CARE ADVICE ADVICE ON WATERING MOWING MOWING LAWNS NEW LAWN SEEDED LAWNS MOWING UNDER TREES FERTILISERS WEEDS - DESCRIPTION TREATMENT PESTS AND DESEASES - TREATMENT SEASONSAL PROBLEMS LAWN REPAIR SOIL PETS AND YOUR LAWN WATERING YOUR LAWN ( link to watering page) MOWING YOUR LAWN Regular mowing is essential for the long term condition of your lawn and it's important to understand a few simple tips. It is important not to mow your lawn too short. This can put your lawn under extreme stress and allows weeds to establishment easily. Spring and summer mowing will be required every 7-14 days for all lawn / grass varieties. In the cooler months warm season grasses i.e. Sir Walter Buffalo, Nullarbor Couch, Santa Anna, Sapphire Buffalo and Eureka Kikuyu will require very minimal mowing. Best mowing at height shown below Variety Sir Walter buffalo RTF Fescue Nullarbor Couch Eureka kikuyu Sapphire Buffalo Santa Anna Couch Noonan fine leaf kikuyu Mow height 40-60 mm 40-60 mm 20-30 mm 20-30 mm 40-60 mm 20-30 mm 20-30 mm Mowing New Instant Lawn To give your new grass the best chance of life do not mow your lawn until the roots have fully established. Your first mow can usually take place 3-4 weeks after laying, once the lawn has taken root. Always ensure that the mower blades are sharp to prevent damage to the leaf. When mowing only remove one third of the leaf blade, no more.
Mowing Lawn Under Trees Your grass will keep in better shape if you keep it slightly longer under shaded areas. Leaving a few clippings behind can also help under trees on the odd occasion, and we recommend not to mow more than a third of the grass leaf. Mowing TIPS: Always mow with sharp blades, mow when dry to avoid tearing. Mowing seeded lawns New lawns need to be mowed about 3 weeks after planting, or when about 6cm in height, just a light tip cut on highest setting of mower, making sure the clippings are removed. Never cut the lawn too low as this will cause stress, never cut more that 1/3 of the leaf in one cut. Gradually cut the lawn down to 4cm as it matures but never any lower. In shaded areas, and when it is hot, it is best to leave longer at around 6cm. FERTILISERS ONLINE STORE Akers of Lawn offer a follow up service to call customers after a job has been completed, this is where we come out and apply our specially created fertilisers and we also check on your lawn and offer advice. there is a fee for this please ask our office staff for more information. There are a few different types of fertiliser:- Organic - organic is best for your soil and eco system and is usually slower acting with longer term benefits, but may need to be applied more often. Chemical - chemical is faster acting than the organic fertiliser, giving the "instant green" with longer lasting mixes available. Spray (foliar) - is applied as a spray (can not be done when windy raining or wet etc) We offer our own mix which we can apply called Seaweed & Gone which is seaweed based and has weed killing properties as well. (patent pending) Akers of lawn have their own organic and chemical fertilisers which you can purchase There is also a great range of fertilisers for sale from Lawn Solutions Australia which you can also purchase from Akers of Lawn or your local hardware / garden store will have a variety off different fertilisers on offer as well. SEE OUT ONLINE STORE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PRODUCTS AND PRICING When do I need to fertilise It is important to fertilise your new lawn 6-8 weeks after it has been installed and then Fertilising should be done seasonally to keep your lawn healthy. A good healthy lawn will also help keep weeds and diseases at bay. Buffalo and Couch varieties should be fertilised with an organic fertiliser in May to help them get though their dormancy and again with fertiliser in September to help recovery. Fertilising can be applied either by hand or using a walk behind spreader (more preferable for more even coverage) and it is important to follow the instructions on the product for ratios. You must water in the fertiliser over head immediately after or as soon as practical, best with a sprinkler so it helps to dissolve the fertiliser and get the nutrients down into the soil. We don t recommend fertilising in severe heat. WEEDS There are 2 main types of weeds, Annual weed- that germinates and grows to maturity and dies in one season (like sour sobs) Perennial weeds - any weed that germinates grows to maturity and sets seed and repeats this cycle. Weeds are unfortunately an act of nature and the best way to help prevent them from overtaking your lawn is ensuring a nice healthy lawn that is mowed regularly. SEE OUR ONLINE STORE FOR TREATMENTS AVAILABLE
Most Common weeds & treatments Weed Photo Description Treatment 'Sour Sob' Annual weed, is small light green clover like leaves with black spots, which then Produces a small yellow bell shed flower. As it has a main root along with small bulbs this makes it difficult to remove by weeding as the bulbs tend to drop off fairly easily creating more weeds (Commonly confused as clover before flowering) Mowing more regularly helps deplete the bulb Selective or Broadleaf Weed sprays will not work on these Can be sprayed with glyphosate (round up) but will kill all plant around it Dandelion Dandelions are perennial weeds and grow up to 30cm & 20cm wide. It has light green toothed leaves and produces a solitary double yellow daisy like flower on hollow stems Manual Weeding and application of herbicide selective broadleaf spray Onion Weed Crab grass Onion weed is upright, annual, biennial or shortlived perennial herb with flowering stem up to 80cm high. Germinates any time of year, mostly in late summer to autumn. Onion weed spreads mainly via seed, which is mostly transferred via air, water, on shoes, clothing, etc. seed can remain viable in soil for many years. Commonly confused with summer grass Annual creeping weed that crowds out the lawn. and is common in hot dry environments and turns purple later in the season before dying out. the leaves are grey-green long and coarse textured and the weed has shallow roots Manual weeding, must remove roots or will regrow. Cultivate in summer to kill old plants, redo following summer to control new seedlings. Glyphosate with wetting agent sprayed if necessary but will kill surrounding plants. Manual weeding, mowing more frequently and application of selective herbicide spray
Paspalum Usually a perennial weed That has grey-green grass like leaves and produces spikelet flowers on stems. the roots are very strong and difficult to manually remove when mature Manual weeding and application of herbicide spray May take several sprays Nutgrass Clover Long slender grass like leaves at ground level, usually about 10, emerging in 3 rows at ground level. Dark to bright green, shiny, smooth, touch and fibrous 50-200mm long x 3-6mm wide tapering to fine point. Dormant tubers can remain viable for up to 10 years in soil. Rated one of world's worst weeds. Clover like shaped green leaves with white circular markings on thin stems. which produce small white ball shaped flowers Difficult to control once established. Manual weeding not advisable as can break off tubers (bulbs) to create more. Needs moisture to survive so can die if deprived of water, also susceptible to shade. Herbicides available to spray, may need several sprays. Application of Herbicide spray, selective spray, or granular "clover kill" fertiliser Bindi Winter grass Possible one of the most annoying weeds, due to the prickles produced. The weed had small light green fern like leaves and produces small brown seeds with sharp spines Fine leaf grass that emerges in the winter season, and naturally dies when the weather warms up. Application of Bindi herbicide Best treated in early autumn before the plant sets in May take several sprays Pre emergent(kills the weed at the seed stage must be done in Autumn) Suggested to be done If you have suffered in past years. Can be treated with special winter grass killer
Creeping Oxalis Perennial weed light fleshy taproot, slender stems that creep horizontally rooting at intervals with leaves along the stem and small yellow flowers in clusters of one to six. Flowers in Spring and summer. but expensive and may take several sprays Selective herbicide treatment may take several sprays. Summer grass Thin grey-green grass like leaves that emerges in summer, produces spiky seed heads on upright stems Pre emergent(kills the weed at the seed stage must be done in Spring) Suggested to be done If you have suffered in past years. PESTS & DISEASES There are many varieties of pests and diseases, as with anything, prevention is better than a cure but in some cases, Mother Nature wins out and no matter what, it happens anyway. A healthy lawn that is looked after can give us many years of pleasure but we must put work into it as nothing worthwhile comes without a price. The origins of many lawn diseases are naturally dormant, many living happily in our soils without us being aware until the right conditions such as very cold, wet winters, humid autumn, hot dry summers, leaving the lawn too long, watering too much or not enough, leaving clippings or leaves on the lawn too long. The number one cause of lawn fungus is build up of moisture and humidity around the stolen or base of the plant, this can be caused naturally in autumn or by us watering late in the day on a steamy day, especially if there is a build up of thatch in the lawn and or the soil is compacted, not allowing the moisture to drain away. Regular mowing, removal of clippings and thatch by Scarifying and coring can help prevent most disease and fungus. Some we may need to apply chemicals as well. Ph Levels in soil can contribute if the soil is too acidic and the wrong type of fertiliser applied too often can be a problem too. Pests such as Black Beetle, Cockchafer, Army Worm, etc cannot be prevented but can be treated. Below are the most common we encounter SEE OUR ONLINE STORE FOR TREATMENTS AVAILABLE
Pest / Diseases Photo Description removal Black beetle and Cockchafer Black / brown beetle approx 25-30mm adults appear at the end of April-may and live for 5-7 weeks The grubs / larvae hatch after 4-6 weeks and they feed on the plant growth in the earth mature to beetle to a size of approx 3-4 cm long Must be treated before the beetles can lay eggs. using a pesticide, black beetle treatment comes in a puffer powder pack or sprays, both available from hardware stores and garden centres Best retreated after 2 weeks to kill any larvae that may have matured. Black beetle/cockchafer Larvae Spring Dead Spot Moss, algae Symptoms The mature grub does the most damage and the damaged turf can be rolled back like carpet, a common sign that you may have black beetle is birds pecking at your lawn a lot, especially early morning and dry patches where roots have be eaten and the turf comes away like hair from a hair brush. Unique to couch grass, most noticeable by often round dead spots from10-15 cm up to 1 metre. Begins in Autumn, goes dormant over winter and often not noticed until Spring. Moss usually grows where bare patches are, such as thin areas in damp conditions, in shaded areas, compacted soils that moisture cannot drain away. Ph level usually acidic If larvae is present when preparing for lawn installation an insecticide should be applied at this point Difficult to control, needs both fungicide and cultural treatment. Spraying is usually done first, may take more than one application. Then Scarifying, Coring, good 2 monthly fertilising during growing season. Reduce any shade, water only in morning adjust ph levels. Core to open up the soil, add gypsum, check ph and apply lime if necessary. Treat with Moss Killer product. Remove dead moss and disturb the soil, over sow and top dress over seed.
Mushrooms. fungus Dollar Spot Brown Patch Fairy Ring Needs moisture and food such as thatch, leaves or roots of trees to feed from. Usually in shaded thick, thatched and compacted areas of lawn. Dollar spot is identified by small circular brown or yellow spots on lawn surface, usually around the size of a dollar coin. Most often caused by lack of nutrients in soil, which can be aggravated by other lawn conditions such as compaction, excessive thatch, shade, etc Rounded dying areas, most often circled by a perimeter which is darker in colour, most often light to dark brown. Mostly more evident in spring it starts around 20cm can increase up to 1 metre. Usually transferred from outside source via shoes from another lawn or mower or pets. Fairy ring are circle shaped from 30cm in diameter to large areas that may spread over lawn area, bright green ring in lawn or mushrooms present in circle Cultural- use catcher on mower, reduce moisture, Coring to reduce compaction, Scarify to reduce thatch and fertilise to increase nitrogen levels to help break down of organic matter in soil. Cultural management is coring, scarifying, not watering at night, decreasing shade, good all year round 2 monthly fertilising Cultural management start with pruning trees and bushed around to minimise shade, water only in morning, establish 2 monthly fertiliser program, Scarify and Core the lawn AFTER fungicide. Treat with proper lawn fungicide or it can sit in the lawn for years and be transferred to other areas or lawns or emerge in own lawn when not in peak condition. Cultural management. Dig out area, replace with new soil & turf. Allow ring to grow to outside of lawn, Scarify remove excess thatch, core lawn, apply regular water well.
LAWN REPAIR Existing lawns that are in fair condition sometimes can be "renovated" using your existing soil and lawn as a base, which can be quite a bit cheaper than replacement if you have the time and patience to do your part in looking after it. Usually starts with weed spraying to reduce the weeds in the lawn, Scarifying to remove thatch, Coring to open up the soil to allow nutrients, moisture and oxygen into the root zones. Then the addition of nutrients and soil conditioners followed by over sow of a seed blend suited to your particular lawn and top dress of good quality soil. TOP DRESSING Topdressing is a term used when filling low and uneven areas that can occur in your lawn occur for a numerous different reasons, e.g., wear and tear, settling of soil beneath your lawn, uneven turf thickness, parking cars on lawn, etc. This is usually done to established lawns after Coring and Scarifying, followed by fertilising. SOIL CARE (link general advice on how to prepare soil and lay new lawn) When planting a new lawn, like building a new home, the foundation is most important so starting out with the right soil is an advantage. (see link above) If you have already planted your lawn then some steps can be taken to improve your existing soil. Start with PH testing, simple kits can be purchased from hardware shops or nurseries and the optimum PH level for lawns is between 6-7.
DOGS & LAWNS Its important to select a lawn that suits both you and your dog as well as the shade/sun aspect. Common lawn pet issues that can affect your lawn are, wear and tear, digging, urine burn and faeces. Wear and tear If your pet constantly uses the same lines to run back and forth this can wear out the lawn area, placing an obstacle in that spot to make them use a different track can allow the lawn area to repair its self. This can also be a common for this to occur in winter when the lawn has gone dormant and/or not growing and repairing its self as quickly. Also in shady areas where the lawn may be and more fragile, usually it is best to leave the lawn longer there. Digging Newly laid lawns need time to establish so keeping pets off the lawn as much as possible is ideal. Dogs digging is often a sign of boredom so giving them toys top play to keep them amused. You can also train the dog to dig in an area where you want them to dig, for example burying treats in that area encourages them to dig there instead of in your lawn. For habitual diggers you can try putting chicken wire over the lawn area, or under the lawn when preparing to stop the dog from digging below the soil. Urine & Faeces It is important to clean up faeces on a regular basis as this can damage your lawns health. Dogs urine can often create burnt patches on your lawn especially with female dogs, a way to stop this is using DOG Rocks its specially created rocks which you place in the dogs water bowl which changes the ph of the water in turn stops the burnt patches in your lawn( available from pet stores) or its said that giving your dog natural yoghurt can also help. Fertilising It is important to keep dog off the lawn while fertilising and leave them off until the fertiliser had been watered in well. Some dogs may find the odour appealing and roll around in the fertiliser. Once it has been watered in, this appeal usually diminishes.