Lawn growth is really starting to slow now so there are a few key changes to make to your lawn management to keep it happy, healthy and economical through the cooler months.
Shorter days and increased cloud cover reduce the amount of sunlight lawn leaf is able to absorb reducing photosynthesis and growth. Mowing frequency will reduce from now until the weather warms again so we encourage lawn owners to use this time to address other maintenance issues.
Inspect your lawn regularly. Reduced growth means reduced recovery from damage and/or deficiencies. Prevention is best and early intervention particularly important.
Although growth slows lawn still needs fertilising. Lawns under 6 months should be fed Ecogrowth Red regularly and over 6 months Ecogrowth Purple.
For added colour and in highly shaded areas foliar fertilisers can provide a better response. Applying Ecohumate or Unleash now can also be very beneficial to make the most of applied fertilisers.
Keep mower blades sharp (as always) and don’t scalp/cut your lawn too low. At this time kikuyu and ki-couchi will probably recover but other varieties have slowed and are not likely to recover. With the exception of coring when required keep your lawn intact with a dense sward to compete out winter weeds and maximise wear tolerance.
If you think your lawn would benefit from dethatching consider hollow tyne coring and keeping up with Ecowet applications. If you are unsure, talk to us. We have a camcore coring machine and Trident hand corers available for hire and can advise if this is the right treatment for your lawn.
Weed control is particilarly important through winter. Winter weeds thrive in the colder weather. Able to grow fast in the colder temperatures winter weeds can outcompete lawns stealing the lawns nutrients and sunlight. One thing that allows them to thrive is the reduced mowing frequency. If your lawn is infested with weeds a quick mow can knock them back and remove seed heads.
Pre-emergent herbicides like Spartan and Oxa-max can prevent some weeds from appearing and post emergents like Turf Control can treat broadleaf weeds once they appear. All herbicides can have an impact on your lawn so correct weed identification is important to ensure you apply the right herbicide and at the right time.
Some weeds can be an indication of underlying issues so we encourage you to discuss your weed issue with us for the best advice.
Evaporation is much lower now and we will be receiving more rain. Monitor lawn under eaves and large trees etc to ensure the lawn is receiving adequate water when retic is turned off.
Lawn under large trees can often suffer in the colder months not only because sunlight and warmth is further reduced but because the rain is blocked and tree leaf fall (particularly gums and box trees) can further contribute to the soil being water repellant or hydrophobic, trees compete for the water and the large tree roots can cause the soil to become compact. In these situations we strongly encourage regular applications of Ecowet or Refresh and deep handwatering if required. Core the area if required and if the tree roots are large and problematic root prune if necessary.
If this is the first winter for your lawn or you are laying a new lawn leaf growth will be slow but with good nutrition and adequate water excellent root growth can be achieved. There are certain products we don’t recommend for new lawns so if you need advice please contact us.
We have a range of fertilisers, amendments and herbicides at our Wattle Grove turf farm plus hire equipment and can advise how to keep your lawn thriving through the cooler months.