Spring is finally here! And just in case you haven’t already, now is the time to show your lawn some love with a simple spring renovation to ensure your patch serves you well through the warmer months. The days are starting to linger longer, and air and soil temps are heating up to help lawns bounce back from a long, cold winter. The science behind a great looking lawn is simple – food and water, as well as a few handy tips to get you through the changing seasons.
Do I Need A Lawn Renovation?
A lawn renovation may be necessary if your lawn has developed a combination of thatch and compaction. It can also be a good time to do so when your lawn is looking unhealthy and specific soil improvements are required to improve the lawn's foundation.
The quality of any lawn is only ever as good as its management and how much love it gets! And, while all our Coolabah Turf lawns require low-water and low-fertiliser regimes, they still need some level of love to help them thrive and perform well - all year round.
Over recent weeks we’ve been sharing tips on how to get your backyard ready for spring, including a good tidy-up and clearing of leaves, mowing, sorting and repairing equipment and furniture and watering - basically a general spruce of your outdoor space.
However, if you’re keen to properly spring renovate your green patch and help boost your lawn's post-winter recovery, read on!
The Lawn Renovation Process:
Weed Removal
Have winter weeds taken over your green space? If you can remove most single weeds by hand to do before they go to seed, or mow over flat weeds as a healthy lawn will choke most weed types out once the growing season starts again. For all the intel on the best products to combat a big weed issue visit our online shop here. And check out the following video, courtesy of our friends at Lawn Solutions Australia, for tips on getting on top of your weed problem this spring:
Dethatching
Thatch is a build up of the layer of dead organic matter within your lawn profile that will make your lawn spongy. The end of spring is the best time to de-thatch and the following video provides a full run-down on the process:
Aerating
If your lawn is looking waterlogged after you water, you might need to aerate and help get some oxygen to the root system. One of the healthiest things you can do for a spring lawn is aerate, as it helps increase the amount of air, water and nutrients getting to the soil. To check if your soil is compacted, grab a long screwdriver and plunge it into the ground, being mindful of any irrigation or electrical cabling. You should be able to easily push it in for up to 100 to 150mm (4-6 inches) without too much resistance and if not, you need to aerate. For the full low-down on the process , check out the following video:
Fertilise, fertilise, fertilise!
We've been banging on about this a lot lately, but right now it is the critical time to fertilise your lawn to help restore that soft and luscious leaf. The following video provides all the intel on fertilising your lawn, as well as important information about top dressing. Don't forget to visit our online shop for quality products our expert Coolabah team recommend here.
Top Dressing
Applying a top dressing to your lawn is appropriate when it needs a boost of nutrients, is uneven or contains holes. You should undertake top dressing to repair holes or uneven lawn just prior to the growing season, usually the beginning of spring; not when the lawn plants are in their dormant phase or you run the risk of damaging or even killing the lawn entirely. Top dressing for nutrients can be applied at any time. Do not top dress on an annual basis regardless of popular belief as this will just accelerate the build-up of thatch. Avoid top dressing if rain is predicted as the wet weather will make the dressing difficult to deal with and make levelling troublesome.
Watering
During spring, your lawn may still have a lot of water retention from winter so it’s best to water only as needed to avoid drowning your grass. In the first few weeks of spring, soil and air temperatures can sometimes continue to remain quite cool. Therefore, you’ll only need to apply minimal additional top-up watering over and above any naturally occurring spring rainfall. A deep soaking once a week is usually sufficient, depending on your location and climate. To check if your lawn needs watering, burrow your finger into the soil. If it’s damp, then you don’t need to add water.
Lawn Renovation Equipment
Here is what you need:
- Knapsack/Pressure sprayer
- Herbicides for weeds treatment
- Dethatching rake/machine (or hired machine)
- Manual aerating device, like a garden fork or manual corer (or hired machine)
- Fertiliser
- Top dressing soil/sand
- Soil spreader
- pH test kit
- Soil amendments if required (gypsum, lime, sulphate of ammonia etc)
- Irrigation or sprinkler
So, there you have it... the full Spring Lawn Renovation Series to get your backyard space ready for spring entertaining and in the best position to combat a long, hot summer!
For more spring lawn care info visit our Coolabah Turf Seasonal Lawn Care page on our website here.
