The green revolution

There’s nothing quite like contentedly gazing over a sea of healthy, emerald grass in your backyard. Besides looking great, lawns also provide a multitude of other benefits. They help clean the air and are great carbon sequesters, they keep the heat at bay, prevent soil erosion and as an added benefit, get kids off their devices and outside to play. Most lawns are pretty resilient, but even the hardiest require a bit of TLC to lift them above the ordinary lawn which is typically dry in patches, interspersed with weeds and sprinkled with the dreaded (and ouchy) bindii. All lawns benefit from the occasional aeration, either with your trusty garden fork and some elbow grease or spiked shoes to break up the hard-packed ground, to allow for water and nutrient absorption. Weeds are opportunistic and love hard packed soil, so do your lawn a favour and start aerating it. If you get green with envy every time you look at your neighbours’ luscious lawns, then here’s some tips to help you join the green revolution.   [caption id="attachment_6473" align="alignnone" width="690"] Getting our kids to swap screen time for green time is important for their physical, mental and emotional development.[/caption]  

All lawns love fertiliser

One of the best ways to beat weeds is to feed your lawn to make it thick and healthy and thus squeeze out the weeds. Spectacular lawns are the result of simple and easy maintenance and one special ingredient – fertiliser. Ideally, we should all be fertilising our lawns in early spring, mid-summer and at the start of autumn. Good quality fertilisers, like those from Scotts Australia make all the difference. Horticulturalist Adam Woodhams says that research has shown that only one in four households fertilise their lawns. “In some ways, lawns are like people – they need good nutrition and water to thrive,” says Adam. “The new environmentally friendly, slow release liquid fertilisers like Scotts Lawn Builder Buffalo and Scotts Lawn Builder + Organics simply clip onto your hose and each application lasts for two months. “Most liquid fertilisers only last for two weeks, but the secret to the Scotts Lawn Builder slow release liquid range is in its waxy consistency which binds to the soil, holding nutrients around the all-important root zone. It takes less than 10-minutes to feed the average lawn with a Scotts hose-on so it’s an easy and relaxing bit of work with some serious improvements in your lawn quality,” says Adam.   [caption id="attachment_6472" align="alignnone" width="690"] Research has shown that only one in four households fertilise their lawn.[/caption]  

Watering tips

It’s looking like we are in for a long, hot summer, so Mother Nature might need a helping hand to keep your lawn looking green and luscious. Adam says it’s important to water your lawn before 10.00am, before it gets too hot. “We may not have water restrictions any more, but water is our most valuable resource and watering in the heat of the day is just going to result in evaporation. "Conversely, don’t water at night as much of the water will evaporate from hot soil. This extra humidity overnight can also weaken the lawn by creating the right situation for fungal infections which in-turn will encourage pests." During summer, as Adam explains, watering your lawn deeply once or twice a week will encourage deep, strong roots. "A light regular sprinkling of water is detrimental to your lawn as it does the opposite and it creates shallow, weak roots that are easily damaged by hot weather,” says Adam. Finally, here are some great tips if you're looking to rid your lawn of weeds and pests.   [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtB9L7S_3-c[/embed]