Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn We aren’t born instinctively knowing how to take care of lawns, gardens and plants. We mostly learn through trial and error. With that in mind there are probably some mistakes you are making that are hurting your lawn. Daleys Turf has collated some of the most common mistakes that are being made in backyards across Queensland and our recommendations on how to fix them. Mowing Dull lawnmower blades will actually rip or tear the grass leaves rather than provide a clean even cut. This can create a breeding ground for disease and other problems. Cutting your lawn too short is another common mistake that can create an environment that encourages weed growth, increases heat stress during dry or hot periods and makes your lawn more susceptible to insects and disease.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn Daleys Turf Recommendation: Always keep your lawnmower blades sharp. At the outset of each growing season, sharpen the blades or have your blades sharpened by a professional. In Queensland where lawn care is mostly a year-round activity, check your lawnmower blades periodically to make sure they’re sharp. Set your mower blade to a height that cuts no more than the top third of the grass plant; this will encourage stronger roots. Cutting your lawn too short not only creates an environment for both disease and weeds but it causes the lawn to lose moisture much more quickly. Read our next blog post for the next installment of mistakes you might be making that are hurting your lawn and our recommendations of what you should be doing instead.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn Watering Water is essential to all life . . . too little water and we die, too much and we drown. The same is true of the grass in our lawns. Water makes up 70% to 80% of the weight of our lawn grasses and the clippings alone are nearly 90% water. While most people are concerned about not watering their lawns enough, the fact is, more lawns are damaged or destroyed by over-watering than under-watering. Daleys Turf Recommendation: Use water wisely and practice water conservation. To establish itself, newly installed turf has very important watering needs. Proper watering immediately after installation will ensure the turf gets established, and it will also have an impact on how well the lawn continues to flourish for years to come.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn Give your new lawn at least 2.5 cms of water within ½ hour of installation. Water daily, or more often, keeping turf moist until it is firmly rooted which typically takes about 2 weeks. Then less frequent and deeper watering should begin. The amount of water required for an established lawn will be determined by its overall health, beauty and ability to withstand use and drought. 2.5 cms a week is the standard water requirement for most lawns; however, this will vary between different turf species and locations. There will also be varying water requirements for seasonal changes and still more differences brought about because of different soil types. Look at the weather forecast and your lawn to determine if it needs water. Grass in need of water will have a grey-blue look to it.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn Also, footprints will still be visible after a half hour or more on a lawn in need of water, while your footprints will completely disappear within minutes on a well-watered lawn. You can also use a soil probe, such as a screwdriver or large spike to determine how dry your lawn is. If the probe can be pushed into the soil easily, it’s probably still moist, but if it takes a lot of pressure to push in, it’s time to water. Remember too, just because your lawn turns brown during extremely dry periods doesn’t mean it is dying; grass will go dormant during such periods. Your lawn doesn’t have to be green to be healthy. Most grasses can survive 30-60 days of drought without substantial losses.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn Fertilising A few of the biggest mistakes made when it comes to using fertilisers is not only using the right mixture, but using the right quantity and applying it at the right time of the year. Often when spring comes around people feel the need to fertilise their lawns in hopes of seeing a green plush lawn as soon as possible. Too much fertiliser, especially with high levels of soluble nitrogen, tends to increase thatch problems and leaves lawns more prone to attack by insects and disease. Or, worse yet, you will literally burn your lawn. Daleys Turf Recommendation: The goal of a good fertilising program is to produce a reasonable amount of top growth, but not at the expense of root growth or carbohydrate storage. A good root system is the key factor to a healthy lawn.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K); Lawn fertilisers typically contain these three nutrients although, other nutrients may be included in small amounts. The three numbers on the fertiliser bag represent the percentages of N, P and K in that order. The back of the fertiliser bag should show the guaranteed analysis. Always follow the recommended application rates suggested by the manufacturer on the bag. The grass plant needs more nitrogen than any other nutrient. Nitrogen is part of the chlorophyll molecule and helps give the lawn its deep green colour. Nitrogen also tends to promote high leaf growth rates at the expense of root growth. Phosphorus is responsible for the energy transfer systems in the plant and is generally required in much smaller amounts than nitrogen or potassium on an established lawn.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn The exception is for newly established lawns by seeding, sodding, or sprigging, when the need of phosphorus is higher in the new plant. Potassium has a lot to do with good cell wall development and the plant’s ability to withstand stress, disease and insect damage. Look for slow-release forms of nitrogen. The two basic forms of nitrogen that can be used as a fertiliser are organic and inorganic. The most commonly used inorganic forms of nitrogen in fertilisers are ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate. Both are soluble, quickly available forms of nitrogen and both tend to produce a fast increase in leaf growth for a fairly short period of time. More and more, the slowly soluble or slow-release organic forms of nitrogen are being recommended by lawn care experts.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn These include sulphur-coated urea, urea formaldehyde, I.B.D.U., methylene urea, natural organics, and resin-coated urea. These tend to produce a lawn with good colour without excessive leaf growth. They are designed to dole out the nitrogen over a longer period of time. The slow-release forms of nitrogen do not have to be applied as often. What fertiliser should I use? Most lawn care experts recommend that a lawn fertiliser should have at least one-half of its nitrogen in one of the slow-release forms mentioned above. Most lawns will do well when a 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 ratio of N-P-K is used on an established lawn.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn How much fertiliser should I use? Fertiliser application rates should be as low as possible and still produce a high quality lawn. Over-fertilisation weakens your lawn and causes excess leaf growth. Always follow the manufacturers recommended application rate. When should I fertilise? The best time to fertilise a lawn is when it is actively growing. In Queensland it is best to concentrate a larger amount of nitrogen during the early-late spring applications and a lesser amount in the cooler months. Frequency of fertiliser applications depends primarily on the amount and form of nitrogen used. The slow-release type fertilisers can adequately feed your lawn from 6 to 10 weeks. If the lawn still looks good and is growing well after 6 to 8 weeks, wait longer for the next application.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn IMPORTANT: By leaving your grass clippings on the lawn you are adding nitrogen almost continually, which can reduce the need for fertilisation by as much as 25%. And, leaving the clipping on the lawn helps the environment by keeping clippings out of landfill. Dethatching Thatch is that tightly packed layer of dead and living shoots, stems, and roots that develops between turf or grass and the soil surface. Dethatching takes a little time and effort and using the wrong dethatching equipment can make it a huge effort when it needn’t be. Some dethatching machines have flexible, leaf rake-type tines that are ineffective in removing thatch. Spring tines that attach to a rotary mower blade aren’t good for dethatching and can damage your mower.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn It’s important that you use the right equipment if you are going to dethatch. Don’t attempt to remove the entire thatch layer in one treatment and do not dethatch when soil is wet; only dethatch your lawn when it is needed rather than on a routine basis. Daleys Turf Recommendation: A little thatch is desirable, since it helps moderate temperature extremes at the soil surface and provides a cushion effect on the surface but too much thatch can present some negative consequences. To determine if your lawn has a thatch problem, remove a small, plug of turf several inches deep. Note the spongy layer of material between the turf and the soil. If this layer is more than 2.5 cms thick when you compress it, you should consider having your lawn dethatched or begin a program which will encourage thatch decomposition.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn If you need to dethatch your lawn there are garden centres and equipment rental outlets that rent dethatchers. These machines are known as vertical mowers, verticutters, dethatchers or power rakes and they have vertically spinning blades which pull some of the material to the surface as they slice the thatch layer. Mechanical dethatching should be done in either late summer or when cool weather prevails. As is the rule when operating any equipment, follow the manufacturers or rental store’s operating procedures. The organic material dislodged by the dethatching machine should be removed and composted. It’s also important to note that grass clippings do not cause thatch and they are good for your lawn.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn Aeration Aerating a lawn is usually recommended when the soil becomes compacted and water and nutrients can’t get to the roots of the plant. Lawn aeration equipment will pull cores or plugs of soil out of the ground, letting air in. These plugs should be 5-7cms in depth. Such a plug should be pulled out of the lawn at about every 7cms. The plug-removal process is facilitated by watering the lawn the day before, but don’t water to the point of muddying the soil. One of the most frequently made mistakes is the lack of sufficient cores or plugs removed from the lawn. If the tines of the aerator are set more than 7cm,s apart, and only one pass is taken on the lawn, the effort may not have been sufficient to solve the problem. Two passes may be required to ensure that air, water and nutrients can get down to the roots. Take care to mark all sprinkler heads so that they can be avoided with the aerator.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn This will save on costly repairs to the irrigation system. Daleys Turf Recommendation: Core aeration, a process where plugs of soil and grass are removed at regular intervals, can be done either by renting equipment or hiring a professional. A cool, dry day is the perfect time for this lawn care chore. Core aeration reduces compaction in heavy clay soils, permits a more rapid exchange of oxygen and water with grass roots and reduces the thatch layer on lawns. The soil and grass plugs can remain on the lawn since they will gradually decompose and return all their nutrients to the soil. Often times, two passes in the form of a criss-cross pattern are recommended to make sure aeration is sufficient. The type of grass in your yard will determine whether to aerate in the cooler months or in the summer.
Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Lawn Most turf varieties found in Queensland can be aerated in late spring and summer. Allow at least four weeks of good growing weather to help the plants recover. Choose a day when temperatures are mild and soil is moderately moist, which makes the soil easier to penetrate. Avoid aerating wet soil, as it is messy and leads to further compaction of the soil as well. If the soil sticks to your shoes or if the core samples you take stick to your probe, you should wait until it dries out some before restarting the job. For more information on lawn care mistakes you might be making and how to avoid them just contact the team at Daleys Turf today – with you for the life of your lawn.