As soon as spring pokes its head around the corner it’s time to get the lawn ready for that burst of spring growth.

With the arrival of spring, dormant lawns wake up from a winter slumber just in time for the onset of family entertainment, birthday parties and fun activities such as outdoor cricket, running races and games with family pets.

Follow our easy steps to get your lawn ready for healthy, lush, spring growth and family fun.

Maintenance

• Weeds Many lawn varieties are dormant during winter but weeds aren’t. Remove weeds now to give the lawn room to grow as the spring warmth returns. Broadleaf weeds such as clover, dandelions, capeweed and thistles can be easily removed, with a trowel or weeding tool. After it has rained is a great time to weed, as the soil is wet and weeds and their roots are easy to pull out. For a larger lawn area look at using an organic, non-selective herbicide such as EarthCare Organic WeedKiller. Spray in the early morning on a day when rain is not forecast for at least the next 24-36 hours and there is no wind. Keep children and pets away while spraying and only spray the weed, not the lawn.

• Aeration Lawns may have become compacted over winter especially where they’ve been impacted with heavy foot traffic. Aerate lawns in early spring to allow oxygen, water and nutrients into the soil. When the lawn roots get enough of these elements the lawn grows deep and becomes more resilient. To aerate the lawn, use a fork for smaller areas by inserting it deep within the soil. Either go up and down the lawn or across it, space the holes about 10-15cm apart. For larger areas, hire an aerator from the local equipment hire business. Mechanical aerators can be hired for an afternoon, a day or a weekend. Once aerated, apply Seasol Lawn Top Dresser Mix over the lawn to help stressed lawns to recover, revitalise dead patches and save water. It is safe on all lawn types including buffalo.
• Lawn Repair During early spring warm season lawns such as buffalo, couch and kikuyu can look bare and forlorn due to winter conditions. Cool season lawns such as perennial rye and fescue are generally green through winter but still benefit from extra care in spring. Get your lawn looking better quickly by raking up fallen leaves and removing debris such as fallen twigs or branches, along with rocks and stones. Fill in holes for example left by foraging bandicoots that often come into feed in backyards that are located near bushland. This clean up lets light and warmth reach the emerging leaf blades and also readies the lawn for when mowing resumes. For small areas where there is little or no healthy growth, repair the lawn either by over sowing the area with lawn seed once the weather and soil temperatures warm up or by using rooted pieces from elsewhere to cover the bare space. Lawn edges can often provide runners to replant elsewhere in the lawn. Check horticulture experts at hardware and garden centres for local advice. For new areas of lawn or where there are large areas of poor growth, either sow seed or lay turf. Lawn seed is cheap but takes time to grow and establish while lawn turf, is more expensive than seed but gives an instant effect. Before sowing or laying turf, prepare the soil by applying Seasol Lawn + Soil Booster and Seasol Lawn Top Dress Mix to create a good base for sowing seed or rolling out turf. These products help improve soil structure along with moisture and nutrient uptake. Once seed is sown or turf is laid, water it in with Seasol Lawn + Turf Starter. It’s a health treatment and root booster with all the benefits of a high concentration of Seasol plus liquid compost, which helps improve lawn seed germination and reduces transplant shock for newly laid lawn turf. Continue to regularly water an establishing or re-establishing lawn and avoid walking on it until it is growing strongly.

Irrigation

This is one of the hardest seasons to get watering right as the soil and night temperatures may still be cool meaning the lawn isn’t losing water. However, if spring is warm, dry and or windy, it may need supplementary watering. To test for soil moisture, put your finger through the lawn thatch into the soil below to see if it’s moist or dry. If it’s moist, hold off watering and check again the next day. If it’s dry, then water deeply and for long enough to wet the soil to the root level of the lawn.

Where water runs off the lawn or pools on top, the soil may be water repellent. Adding a soil wetter such as Seasol Super Soil Wetter & Conditioner allows the soil to absorb water. As day and soil temperatures get warmer, check soil moisture levels more frequently and water accordingly. Spring is also the perfect time to check irrigation systems to ensure they are working correctly and getting water to where it’s needed.

Feeding

Spring is the critical season to feed most lawns as they wake from winter dormancy and respond to warmer temperatures. If you only feed your lawn once a year, do it in spring. Following our spring lawn tips before feeding can help to improve lawns and get them ready to take up the nutrients provided by fertilisers and put on healthy, lush, green growth. Apply a balanced slow-release fertiliser such as PowerFeed LawnFeed or PowerFeed Buffalo LawnFeed for Buffalo lawns. It is specifically formulated to revitalise soil health, boost lawn growth and prepare it for the stresses of summer. Apply once per season and remember to water it in thoroughly after application.

Supplement this feeding with liquid Seasol for Lush Green Lawns or Seasol for Buffalo Lawns, every month during the growing season. These fast-acting fertilisers and soil improvers get to work quickly to improve soil and lawn health. Plus, as they contain a wetting agent, they ensure water easily gets to the lawn’s root system.

Mowing

If the lawn mower has been in the shed over winter, now is the time to do some lawn mower maintenance to get it ready for its spring workout. Check if the blades need changing or sharpening. For a thorough check-up, take it to the local lawn mower specialist in your area.

As lawn growth is still slow, it is important to mow higher and less frequently to prevent damage that can result in scalping and browning. If you have had the catcher on over winter, now is a great time to remove it and allow the grass clippings to breakdown and return nutrients to the soil. Let the grass grow longer and mow every two to three weeks over early spring. As the lawn growth starts to take off, consider shortening the time between mowing.

In early spring do not cut the grass any lower than around 2.5cm or so depending on the variety. As the weather warms up slowly lower the mower blades to shorten the length of the cut grass but if the lawn is heat or water stressed allow it to stay longer. As the lawn slowly starts to take off, give it a boost with Seasol for Lush Green Lawns or Seasol for Buffalo Lawns. These fast acting liquids go to work immediately to help you cultivate the best lawn in the street.