Tips for a Green Lawn this Spring
Posted on Sunday 24th June 2018
Spring has sprung, and in no time your lawn and garden will come back to life after the brief, but chilly winter we’ve had here in south-east Queensland. Although the lovely weather itself will help bring back a lot of the vibrancy to your lawn, here are a few tips to ensure it is as green and lush as possible.
Aerate your lawn
Lawns start growing in spring, but they can be in Struggle Street after the winter months. So the first thing you may need to do is aerate your lawn. Soil becomes compacted over winter, because of rain and a lack of growth. New roots will struggle in compacted soil, so this is not good news for your lawn.
Weed
Everything grows in spring, including everyone’s good friend, weeds. Not to mention you’ll be sure to have some left over from winter. So as the weather starts to warm and you’re out in your garden more, look for weeds and remove them early, before they spread.
If you only have a few weeds pushing up, then a uproot herbicide will do the job. However, if your yard has been fully invaded by weeds, break out the heavy-duty weed killer, turn the top layer soil over, and sift out the plant matter.
At Farmcraft we have a range of herbicides, visit one of our stores and speak to one of our knowledgeable sales staff about what would suit your lawn best.
Mulch
After you’ve weeded your, spread mulch. Munching discourages weeds from growing, not to mention it helps the soil retain water in the sunny Queensland months and releases much needed nutrients into the soil. A well-mulched garden is a healthy garden, so don’t overlook this important spring job.
Reseeding
Early spring is a good time to reseed bald spots in your lawn – to ensure they get the best chance of being thick and lush thanks to the warmer weather in the coming months.
Here at Farmcraft we sell the ever-durable couch seed for your household lawn. Couch grass creates a soft, fine leaf lawn when carefully mowed and regularly fertilised. Also, thanks to its strong underground runners, it repairs itself quickly. These are ideal for any year, as they are affordable and low-maintenance.
Fertilise
Applying the right fall fertilizer will help your lawn grow stronger, resist disease and return healthier in the spring. Winter tends to leech the soil of nutrients; so give your lawn some life again by spreading some fertiliser over your lawn.
The place to start is finding the right fertiliser for your lawn – you can do this by decoding the fertilizer formula. A fertilizer’s formula blend is printed on the bag in a three-number format, such as 5-15-5. These numbers indicate how much Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) are present in that blend of fertilizer. For your lawn, it is best to go for a high- nitrogen formula. The nitrogen will help green up the lawn by promoting blade growth and repair damage caused by the hot sun.
It is also important to pay attention to the release type. Fertilizers will often be labelled as slow-release or fast-release. The type you use will make a difference in how your lawn reacts to the application.
Once you’ve picked out a suitable fertiliser, it’s time to apply it to your lawn. It’s important that you dig or water immediately after application, this means the fertiliser will sink into the earth – and that’s when it will really start to work its magic.
Maintenance
Maintaining a lovely lawn mostly involves watering and mowing.
Check the water restrictions in your area so you’re not doing the wrong thing when it comes to watering your lawn. But best practice is to water in the morning to provide deep, thorough and occasional soakings rather than a lot of quick sprays that don’t reach the roots.
As for mowing, many people cut their grass way to short, completely scalping the leaf blades that are essential to the health of the plant. The rule for a healthy lawn is to mow frequently and not too deeply.
Like everything in life, your lawn requires a certain amount of attention to keep it ticking along and looking beautiful. At Farmcraft, we know our customers want to have the best looking lawns in the street.
This is why we have a huge range of fertilisers, herbicides, mulch and other gardening essentials – to give your lawn a helping hand. Get in contact or visit your local store for more advice and to checkout our range.
