Autumn Care Tips For Your Perth Lawn

The days are getting shorter, the mercury is dropping and soon winter will be here. It is easy for you to get your lawn ready for the change in seasons by following a few simple tips.

Autumn can be a mixed bag with the weather and rainfall so be mindful and respond to the needs of your lawn and garden.

Water loss by evaporation is generally lower in autumn. Check your lawn regularly to determine if watering is required. If the top 100mm of your lawn is wet do not water. Remember to check areas under heavy canopied trees and eaves that block the rain.

Fertilise your lawn now with a slow release product containing Potassium to help your lawn withstand the cold stress of winter and Phosphorous to strengthen the root system. This will help your lawn retain colour and health throughout winter. We recommend Eco-Growth’s Eco-Prime Purple for lawns over six months old.

Fertilising prior to winter is particularly important for Empire Zoysia.  We recommend applying Eco-Growth’s Eco-Prime Purple and if your grass starts to fade or shows any discolouration give it another dose or contact us.

Lawn growth slows in cooler months and lawn is more vulnerable to weed infestations. Weeds rob your grass of valuable nutrients, can attract pests and diseases and can reduce the visual appeal of your lawn. Manually remove weeds as they appear ensuring you remove any seeds, the root system and any underground bulbs to prevent regrowth.  For hard to manage weed problems please contact us for further advice.

Sunlight is vital to all lawns. In the cooler months when we have more cloud cover and less direct sunlight lawn owners will find that their lawn may show signs of stress. This may be in the form of discolouration, sparse growth patterns, slow repair and weed infestations. We recommend the following;

• Set your mower to cut higher than you would in summer to increase the amount of leaf area available to absorb the sunlight.
• Never take more than one third of the total leaf length off. Always retain some green leaf.
• Remove sun blocking objects from the lawn surface and surroundings to increase the amount of sunlight available to your lawn.