A green lawn in summer is the one thing everybody loves. Traditionally most lawns in our local area are Kikuyu with evergreen lawns such as Shade-Over and All Seasons Evergreen as options for small spaces and problem areas. LM Grass as a runner lawn in semi-shade has also become popular as it establishes fast and is water wise. August through September is sorting out the lawn after winter time. 

Spring treatment for Kikuyu and LM Grass:

• Scarify to remove the dead mat. This can be done with a rotary lawnmower set low. Rake with a metal rake or hand broom to remove any long shoots and mow again. By removing the dead mat you will find that the lawn is generally healthier and easier to mow.
• Aerate with a spiked roller or garden fork especially in compacted high traffic areas.
• Top dress with Lawn Dressing and rake level. This will help the condition of the soil under the lawn and help with moisture retention in early summer. One bag of Lawn Dressing will cover around 4m2.

Feeding:

• Our recomendatoon is to feed with BioLawn Organic fertiliser every four to six weeks. Organic fertiliser is slow release and can be used safely with any irrigation methods. Watering a lawn daily or only once a week means you have to consider which fertiliser to use. BioLawn removes the guess work and gives you a tough and durable green lawn.
• Not everyone likes and organic fertiliser but for Lawns that are watered less regularly can also be fed with the slow release fertiliser Wonder All Purpose 3:2:1 SR until the rainy season starts then we recommend changing to a quick release fertiliser, Wonder Lawn and Foilage 7:1:3.

Planting and filling in patches:

The most economical way to establish a new lawn or to patch an existing lawn is to plant it from seed. Dig the area over lightly, not too deeply as this will only encourage dormant weeds to germinate. Add BioRock planting fertiliser to the area and rake level. This will encourage strong root growth as the seed germinates. Sow at the recommended rate and as evenly as possible raking the area again to lightly cover the seed.

You should still be able to see some of the seed afterwards. Lawn seed needs light to germinate so don’t bury them too deeply. Use a gentle sprinkler to water the area daily, making sure that you do not let it dry out as the seed germinates and becomes established. Feed six weeks after planting. Depending on the variety, the new lawn should be lightly mowed for the first time about six to eight weeks after germination.

Choose the right Lawn:

Different lawns need different sun requirements and have different growth habits. Kikuyu or Bermuda for sun and LM Berea Grass for semi-shade are runner grasses that will spread and also grow back over areas that have been damaged. Shade-Over and All Seasons Evergreen are tufted grasses that blend in with other lawns to grow in patches that don’t get as much sun or are in total shade. Treatments in spring to rejuvenate after the winter and to get them looking the best for the coming summer also vary. Evergreen lawns such as Shade-Over and All Seasons Evergreen must not be cut to short only just tipped and then fertilised. They also do not need Lawn dressing as they are evergreen and can die back if the tufts are covered.

What can go wrong:

Die-back often occurs in areas where the lawn does not have the correct growing conditions most commonly too much shade. Plant a more suitable lawn such as Shade-Over to cover bare patches.

Lawn caterpillar is prevalent during summer and is identified when lawn dies or yellows in irregular patches. It is easily rectified with an application of Efekto Plant Protector. Similar damage occurs in summer when mole crickets are the culprits. Use Plant Protector, a systemic insecticide as a drench to successfully get rid of them.

Weeds can be a constant problem if not sorted out early in the season. Broad leafed weeds are the biggest problem particularly the clover types and the wonder lawn, all brought in by birds. Hormoban from Efekto as the Lawn vs Weeds are two of the best broadleaf weed killers. That means it will kill all plants that do not have blade leaves ie: lawn. Starting early in spring apply to the first batch of weeds before they spread and compound your problem. The lawn needs to stay dry for at least five hours after you spray so best is to do it early in the morning before you water in the afternoon.