If you haven’t begun preparing your lawn for the warmer months, now is the time to start. Prepping your lawn now will make sure, come spring and summer, your grass will always be greener
Australia’s iconic lawn care company Victa have produced some handy tips to make sure your lawn is looking its best coming into spring.
1. Do a good scan of your yard and remove any sticks. Rake up any leftover autumn leaves so that your lawn is receiving maximum sunlight and oxygen.
2. It is a good idea to make sure all of your lawn care equipment is in good working order. Check that your mower blades are sharp and that all of your equipment is serviced with fresh spark plugs, new oil, clean air filters and fresh fuel. If you look after your equipment, they should in turn look after you and your yard throughout the warmer months.
3. Aerating your lawn will reduce soil compaction and increase air circulation. You can hire a lawn aerator from your local equipment hire outlet. A well aerated lawn will become more efficient in catching rain and irrigation water instead of it just running off.
4. Testing your lawns pH levels will establish how acidic or alkaline your soil is. This will help you to determine the condition of your soil, and what your soil may require to nourish and sustain a healthy lawn. Purchase a pH kit from your local garden or hardware store. Speak to your local nursery or garden suppliers to find out the recommend pH levels for your area.
5. If your lawn is suffering from any dead patches or is a bit sparse in some areas, this is the perfect time to sow some new seed for spring. Remove dead grass and fill with loose soil, then sow your seed. Make sure you use the same seed as the rest of your lawn too!
6. You’ll probably find that coming into the warmer months your lawn may be a bit patchy and growing better in some spots than others. Until spring really starts to kick in, keep your cutting height high and begin evening the length out. Make sure that you don’t cut your lawn more than one third of its height, as this may expose your lawn to disease and the lingering weather extremes of winter.
7. If you are using a mower with a catcher, consider investing in a mower that has the ability of mulching as well as catching the lawn clippings such as the Victa Corvette 500. Grass clippings are a form of organic fertiliser and are a great way to keep your lawn healthy all by themselves. By using a mulching mower and returning the grass clippings to your lawn you are essentially retuning 15% more nutrients back into your soil just by mowing your lawn!
Green and Home can help you with all of your lawn mowing and lawn care needs. www.greenandhome.com.au