WATERING:

Top Tips:

• Turf needs to be watered immediately after it is laid.
• Encourage deep root system by longer deep penetrating watering.
• Not enough watering means your new lawn will suffer and my die.

During the first four weeks your residential lawn care is very important. Your newly laid turf should be watered constantly, about 25mm per day for the first week then slowly dropping off to every second day by the second week and so on depending on the time of year. The first watering should soak through the turf & into the top layer of cultivated soil it is laid on. This is very important, as the root system binds with the soil.

For optimal residential lawn care give your lawn longer, less frequent watering, deeply penetrating irrigations that wets the soil to considerable depth encourage deep rooting & result in a more vigorous, higher quality turf.

A newly planted lawn will take up to 12 months before it has established a deep root system to achieve its maximum drought tolerance. After laying your new lawn it can lose its moisture at an alarming rate & can die quite rapidly if abused.

From the time your turf is delivered until approximately  4 weeks after it is laid in your yard there is a constant battle to keep your turf damp enough especially during the warmer months. Failure to do so means your new lawn will suffer & may die. Also you will need to avoid excessive walking and use of the turf especially at the early stages.

 

MOWING:

Top Tips:

• Be sure not to cut more than 1/3 off the leaf the first time you mow your lawn.
• Regular mowing reduces the number of weeds that grow through.
• Don’t mow your lawn when it is wet.

After approximately 4 weeks give your lawn its first cut. Insure you don’t cut it too low. Try & cut about one quarter off the length of grass during each trim. This stage, progressively taking more off as the lawn matures.

Never take off more than a third of the height of the grass, this will result in the lawn to start going a yellow colour & this is a sign that it’s not photosynthesising enough. The greater percentage of leaf removed, the greater root growth stoppage occurs. If you’ve left your lawn for a few weeks & it’s too long to get back to the desired height straight away cut off one third now & leave it for a few days before taking some more off. Regular cutting of the grass also tends to reduce the number of weeds that grow through the lawn.

Never cut the lawn too short, especially in the hot weather. If it’s short it can’t retain moisture & either you’ll have to water it more or it will start to brown. The higher you leave the grass the more water it will retain.

Don’t cut the lawn when it’s wet. It will clog up parts on your mower & you don’t realise you may be actually damaging the lawn, either through the action of the mower or through churning the ground up walking on it or driving your mower over it.

 

WEED CONTROL:

Top Tips:

• Use a chemical that is registered for your type of lawn variety.
• Hand weeding can be less expensive and safer for minor weed problems.
• Weed prevention is easier dealt with soon rather than later.

Despite your best efforts to remove all possible traces of weeds before turf laying it’s inevitable that at some point your lawn will have a weed problem. It could be a minor incursion of clover or a more painful problem, but either way you want to get rid of it.

One method is to spray a herbicide, depending on the type of lawn you have and on the type of weed you wish to remove. The herbicide sticks to the weed & is absorbed through the weed. Once absorbed the herbicide translocates through the weed & kills it completely.

There are 2 types of herbicides, “Selective” herbicides know the difference between a grass plant & a weed, and it only kills the broad leaf weeds & not the lawn itself. The other is a “non-selective” herbicide. When you use a non-selective herbicide you must understand that everything that you are going to spray will die. It is used to rid your lawn of thick bladed grass weeds, as they are part of the grass plant family & your selective herbicide will not recognise it as a weed.

Another method is to just pull out the weeds by hand. This method is ideal for minor weed problems. It may take longer, however is less expensive and safer.

 

FERTILIZATION:

Top Tips:

• Spring and autumn are the best times to fertilize.
• Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers in mid-summer.
• Use alternate fertilizers for different times of the year.

Most lawns need regular feeding 2 to 3 times a year, if they are to be lush & healthy. The optimum time to fertilize your lawn is in early spring, early summer & mid autumn. This mid autumn fertilization facilitates & sets the foundation for the grass to make a quick start in the spring. Although be prepared that fertilizing can mean additional mowing, however the result is that the grass will have a dark green colour when growth starts in early spring.

Apply fertilizer with a spreader for even distribution. Be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging. It is important to water in if required to prevent the fertilizer from burning your lawn.

A lawns greatest need is for nitrogen, so the amount of fertilizer you need will depend on the nitrogen content of the fertilizer. Lawn grass fertilizers are primarily nitrogen plus smaller amounts of phosphorous & potassium, the three numbers found on each fertilizer package (eg. 30-2-3) indicates the percentage of each of these key nutrients. The first number (usually between 12-25) indicates the percentage of nitrogen. A good medium release fertilizer is usually around 12:1:12 ratio. (N.P.K.)

The plant cannot distinguish between nutrients from natural fertilizers & nutrients from conventional fertilizers. They perform the same plant functions regardless of the source. Nitrogen promotes healthy green foliage; phosphorous develops strong roots, while potassium improves overall plant hardiness & disease resistance.

The key to maintaining a healthy, environmentally friendly lawn in feeding is just the right amount of nutrients for a healthy growth without over feeding. You can achieve this with either all natural or conventional fertilizers.

When spring comes along & you’re envious of your neighbour’s yard, don’t try to take a short cut & apply fertilizer to jump start your lawn. Ignore your seasonal urges & follow responsible soil management. Then start fresh this autumn. Then next year, you’ll be the envy of your neighbour on the other side! Hi Quality Turf for optiumum residential lawn care.