Time to cut the grass
With the warmer temperatures and, in many parts of Australia, good rainfall, lawns around the country are no doubt growing at a rapid rate of knots. In conjunction with the leading authority on lawns, Victa, we bring you some key tips to keep your lawn in tip top shape.
The benefits of mowing
Mowers that can mulch are most beneficial for your lawn. That's because they recycle grass clipping back into the lawn, providing valuable nutrients for sustained growth. What's more, the blades on mulching mowers are designed to break down the cut grass into very small pieces, then distribute them evenly over the lawn where they quickly break down without leaving a trace.
Mower cutting heights
Grass grows fastest and is at its healthiest, in the warmer months, so decreasing your cutting height down to 2.5cm won't affect it too much. During cooler months, grass grows much slower, so it's a good idea to raise your cutting height a little so as not to damage it. As a general rule, it's wise not to cut your grass lower than 2.5cm. The big risk of mowing low is 'scalping', which browns your grass. Scalp your lawn repeatedly and you risk weakening it, allowing more weeds and diseases to take hold.
How often to mow
As a guide, you should mow once a week or at the very least, once a fortnight during summer, and approximately once every three or four weeks in winter. At other times, you'll probably vary between these extremes depending on how fast your own individual lawn is growing. During other seasons, infrequent mowing can cause a lawn to become ‘stalky’ and less attractive. This is especially the case with popular grasses such as Couch and Kikuyu. So it is advisable to mow regularly, with sharp blades, to keep your lawn looking its best.
What kind of mower
The most popular types of rotary-action lawnmowers today are cut & catch models and -, mulch or catch models. Mulch or catch models are ideal on larger lawns where it becomes less practical to remove the clippings. Also be sure to choose a mower that is powerful enough to handle the job. For small to medium-sized areas, it could be more beneficial to choose a mower that offers a mix of solid performance and low maintenance.
Watering advice
As most of us learned at school, Australia is the driest populated continent on Earth. But did you know that around 40 to 50% of annual residential water consumption in Australia goes in watering gardens and lawns. And unfortunately we use about twice as much water as we need. To reduce your water bill and still get the job done, consider these important points:
- For sandy soil, mulch regularly to improve its water-holding ability
- Water in the early morning or late afternoon / evening - depending on local water restrictions and regulations - to maximise nourishment and reduce evaporation
- As soon as the water starts to run off the surface, it's time to stop because you're beginning to waste water!
- Check your nozzle and sprinkler regularly to ensure they work well & don't leak
- Install an approved rainwater system and tank
Fertilising tips
Every time you mow the lawn and remove the grass clippings you're depriving the remaining lawn of rich nutrients it has extracted from the soil. That's why mulching is such a good idea. For those who don't mulch regularly, your lawn could benefit considerably from fertilising during spring and summer. Try to seek out fertilisers which supply the correct balance of the three major nutrients required for a healthy lawn with uniform growth.
TOP MOWING TIPS 
If there’s one thing we learnt from the drought it’s don’t cut grass too short! The length of the roots of grass (and therefore the depth they can penetrate the soil in their search for water) is directly related to the length of the blades of grass above the soil.
Lawns that are kept extra short will have short roots which can only reach down into the top few centimetres of soil. And that’s the soil that dries out first, so short-mown grass needs lots of water to stay green.
So let the grass grow longer; up to 4cm from soil surface to the tip of each grass blade is good. And when you do cut, only remove a small proportion of the leaf mass. It’s better for grass to cut it more often than to cut it ultra-short.
- On hot days, mow in the late afternoon, not in the morning
- Never cut wet or dewy grass
- Don’t water newly mown grass for at least 24 hours
- Never ‘scalp’ the grass by having the mower so low it removes all leaves and even cuts into the runners. This particularly damaging to buffalo grass, but certainly not helpful for any variety
- Don’t mow too low: keep grass height above 2.5cm from the soil
- Keep the lawn mower blades sharp
- Use a grass catcher during the cooler months
- Alternate the direction in which you mow each time you mow
- Conduct regular fertilising, irrigation and yearly renovations
- Water in the early morning rather than in the late afternoon or evening
- Consider doing a soil test once a year to test the pH of the soil
- Early Spring is the ideal time to replace oil, blades, spark plugs and air filter.
|
Weeds... the biggest pest of all!
As the old saying goes, 'prevention is better than cure' and that means ensuring your lawn remains in good condition. However, even the most pristine lawn can be targeted by weeds once in a while. If there are too many to hand-weed, apply herbicides - but always follow pack label directions.
To be most effective, you need to get them while they're young and growing. Otherwise, they'll rebirth the following year. The five most common problem weeds for lawns are listed on the weed control chart below.
Name of weed
| What they look like
| How to get rid of them
|
Bindii
| A common broadleaf weed with 12 or so tiny delicate leaves per cluster. Bindi's have multiple prickly seed heads that are painful when stepped on.
| Kill off young seedlings just before Spring using a herbicide with active ingredient 'Bromoxynil'.
|
Clover
| A prolific broadleaf weed, clover has three leaves and creamy white flowers. Its leaves are soft and usually dark green and its very common in spring and summer.
| There is a wide range of natural & chemical sprays available at nurseries and hardware stores.
|
Onion Weed
| Grows rapidly upwards with from 3 to 6 long thin leaves coming from the one weed. It has pinky-white flowers and a deep bulbous root system that is extremely hard to kill.
| Check the labels on weed killer sprays to see if it is formulated for this weed.
|
Paspalum
| It is a tall coarse-leafed grass with distinctive sticky seed heads. It establishes itself in thinned areas of lawn in spring and summer.
| Herbicides with DSMA are ideal. Hand-weeding of established plants is also an easy, effective option.
|
Wintergrass
| This grass weed is light yellow-green in colour germinates in the colder months and then emerges in spring. It usually dies out in the heat of summer but its prolific seeding ensures its return if not treated.
| If you have a Wintergrass problem, use a catcher on your mower to collect seed heads. Herbicides such Endothal are effective.
|
*Please refer to your local Garden Centre or product packaging to ensure compatibility of your grass species. For example, Buffalo is not compatible with some Herbicides. Lawn maintenance information courtesy of Victa. For more top tips on lawns, go to www.victa.com.au