Attack of the Armyworms (Spodoptera mauritia).

Posted on 14/12/2011 by admin2

Be on the lookout for the assault of the Armyworm, Australian lawns are most susceptible to grub attack during the months of December through to March .

Also know as Lawn Army Grub, it’s appearance may vary depending on your area and the worms maturity. Juvenile worms will be a bright transparent green and as it matures Armyworm become a brownish green colour sometimes with dark and light markings down its sides or back.

Armyworms feed on your lawn in large masses and once their food source has been exhausted they will move on to another area.

This common pest will eat your lawn almost down to bare soil, however the first signs of Armyworm infestations can be noticed when small patches of lawn seem to be cut down near to the ground, almost as if it has been mowed.

If unsure you can check, first prepare a bucket of warm water and add a small amount of liquid soap, something like hand wash or dishwashing liquid will work fine. Pour this soapy solution onto the area, soon any living organism i.e. earth worms, beetles, bugs will come to the surface including Armyworms if present.

Immediate treatment of your lawn with a pesticide will prevent the infestation getting out of hand. Although the damage is unsightly, your lawns roots should be still intact and it will only be a matter of applying a organic repair fertilizer and with a little TLC your lawn will be back to lush in no time

This is the time to Fertilize your lawn

Posted on 30/11/2011 by admin2

Is your lawn not looking as good as your neighbour’s lawn? Maybe it’s time to give it some lawn food.

This a great time of year to fertilize your lawn. Use a slow release fertilizer with a blend of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium at an approximate analysis of N:12 P:1.5 K:5. Lawn fertilizer can be purchased from your local nursery or garden centre. Be sure to always follow the application instructions on the packaging.

Apply fertilizer evenly with a fertilizer spreader or by hand using a wide sweeping motion, then remember to water it in immediately after application to avoid burning your lawn. Why not take advantage of the wet weather and when it starts raining get out there and fertilize your lawn.

With regular fertilization you will find your lawn will be a more efficient water user, harder wearing and less susceptible to weed invasion as well as having a deeper darker appearance. One disadvantage is that your mowing frequency will increase for the first month then will normalize thereafter.

All lawns other than turf that has been laid for less than 3 months, will benefit from a good feed. With little effort the results are well worth it.

How to prepare your lawn for while you are away

Posted on 25/11/2011 by admin2

Going away for Christmas?

In the coming weeks most of us will be packing up the car and setting off for a well deserved break over the Christmas holidays.

Here are a few tips to keep your lawn looking good while you are away and how to avoid coming home to an overgrown jungle lawn or a dried barren back yard.

Meteorologists’ are currently predicting a damp December. This will be an advantage for you, as you won’t need to worry about long dry periods of heat that have the potential to severely damage your lawn especially those older varieties of lawns that don’t have the drought tolerance that the new varieties have.

Other lawns also at risk of heat damage are new lawns that have been down for less than 12 months. These lawns are not fully established so too is its drought tolerance not being fully developed. Having your lawn mowed a little higher will help it retain moisture in the younger lawns.

In the weeks leading up to your holiday remember not to over fertilize your turf as mowing is another predicament you will need to consider. If you plan to be away for more than 10-14 days you should perhaps organising a friend or a mowing contractor to maintain your lawn for you.

If you do come home to a overgrown lawn the best way to restore it is to mow your lawn a couple of times at various heights to prevent scalping your grass. Start with the highest mowing height than work your way down slowly adjusting the mowing height accordingly. This is best done over a few days.

In view of that, enjoy your break and keep in mind our holiday tips to keep your lawn looking good over this Christmas break

Natural vs Synthetic Turf

Posted on 23/06/2011 by admin

Laying on a lush green lawn, feeling the cool blades of lawn in between your toes. Something a unnatural Synthetic surface just can’t offer. Both Natural Grass and Synthetic turf have their good and bad points, however this information is to inform you of the significant differences and the countless benefits natural grass offers over synthetic turf.

Enjoy natural lawn

Weeds growing through synthetic turf

Toxic rubber used in synthetic turf

COST: to install and maintain Synthetic Turf is a lot more than it is to lay and establish Natural Grass.

Damage caused by wear and pets chewing or scratching at the Synthetic Turf would be costly to fix or replace where Natural Grass will regenerate and grow to fill bare patches costing nothing or for bigger areas, Natural grass is easily excess able and can be DIY installed with minimal effort.

Disposal cost for the removal and discarding of Artificial turf surface could also result costly, as well as the issue of adding to non-biodegradable landfill. Continue reading →