Welcome to Episode 1 of our new Autumn Lawn Care series. In this series we will be looking at different lawn care activities to help your lawn through the cooler months.
Let’s start off with an overview of the key areas we recommend taking a look at… Most grasses here in Australia are warm-season turf varieties. These varieties include buffalo, couch, zoysia, and kikuyu. When the temperature starts to drop, warm-season varieties will slow down in growth and enter into a level of dormancy.
There are a few things you can do though to help prepare your lawn before this happens.
Raking
You know when autumn is in full swing when the temperature drops and trees begin to lose their leaves. When this happens, it is best to rake these leaves up as they can stop your lawn from receiving the sunlight that it needs.
Removing shade
As we head into the cooler months, where possible try and minimise shade to allow for your lawn to receive better sunlight. If there are gazebos, shade cloths, outdoor furniture out on the lawn restricting sunlight, then now is the time to bring them in while they are not being used.
Keep in mind that many trees and shrubs are best pruned in late winter or spring though to prevent damage from the cold.
Weeding
As the temperatures start to cool down, warm-season turf varieties will slow down in growth. However, this is not the case for many weeds, so it is important to try and get on top of them now and continue to be proactive over the coming months.
When removing weeds, it is best to either remove by hand, or apply an appropriate post-emergent herbicide for the weed you are wanting to treat.
Autumn is also a great time to prevent seasonal weeds with the use of a pre-emergent herbicide. A pre-emergent such as Oxafert will prevent weeds such as crab grass, winter grass, oxalis and crowsfoot. Winter grass in particular, is a weed to be wary of during the cooler months and a combination of both pre and post-emergent treatments will provide great results. Buy here - https://lawnsolutionsaustralia.com.au/shop/default/lawn-solutions-oxafert.html
The best time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide is just before the soil temperature drops below 14 degrees. This usually happens in mid-autumn, but application can be required earlier in some colder regions.
Mowing
While your lawn has started to slow down in growth, it is important to not forget about mowing completely!
As the temperatures start to cool, raising the height of your mower by one notch or keeping it at a healthy consistent height will help your lawn remain thicker, blocking out weeds and allowing it to better absorb the reduced sunlight that is available.
Aeration
Over summer, we spend a lot more time out enjoying our lawns. This can often leave our soil bases compacted.
Why is this a problem? Well, a compacted soil reduces the amount of water your lawn receives and prevents the roots of your grass from growing deeper into the soil profile.
To help treat this compaction we recommend using a garden fork or similar aerating device that can create space within the ground for the nutrients, water and oxygen to penetrate.
Fertilising
Giving your lawn a fertilise in autumn will help prepare your lawn by providing essential nutrients for overall plant health that is so important during the cooler months. This will encourage strong roots; help extend colour heading into winter and will aid in recovery from summer stresses.
When choosing a fertiliser, we recommend using a slow-release granular product, such as our Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser.
A slow-release fertiliser will give an initial boost and will slowly release nutrients for up to 12 weeks after the initial application.
Watering
As we have already had a rainy summer, it is important to only water your lawn when it needs it. With watering in autumn likely to be very minimal if necessary, at all for most warm-season varieties. If your lawn does need a water, best to only water early in the morning.
By giving your lawn some love now, the healthier it will be heading into the cooler months and the better it will look as it flourishes again in spring.
In Episode 2 of our Autumn Lawn Care series, we’ll take a closer look at the nutrient requirements of your lawn during the autumn period and how to address these needs in more detail.
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