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As the temperatures start to ease and the first cool nights of autumn settle across Victoria, most of us breathe a sigh of relief. The relentless summer heat is behind us, and our lawns finally get a chance to recover. But while you're enjoying the milder weather, there's something happening beneath the surface of your lawn that's worth paying attention to. Weed seeds are gearing up to germinate, and if you don't act before they do, you could be spending the rest of winter pulling them out by hand.
That's where Lawn Solutions OxaFert comes in. It's one of those products that makes lawn care genuinely easier, combining a pre-emergent herbicide and a quality slow-release fertiliser in a single application. Here at Coolabah Turf, it's one of the products we recommend most heading into autumn, and for good reason.
What Is OxaFert and How Does It Work
OxaFert is a granular product that does two jobs at once. A multi-tasker! The herbicide component works as a pre-emergent, which means it targets weed seedlings as they begin to germinate, stopping them before they ever break through the soil surface. It doesn't kill existing weeds that are already growing, so the timing of your application is important. The idea is to get it down before the weeds start, creating a protective barrier in the soil that catches them on the way up.
The fertiliser component is a balanced 16-2-6 formulation with trace elements, delivering a healthy dose of nitrogen along with phosphorus and potassium to feed your lawn through the cooler months. The nitrogen is slow-release, which means it won't dump everything at once and cause a flush of soft growth. Instead, it feeds steadily over roughly eight weeks, keeping your lawn nourished and green as it heads into winter.
One of the things that makes OxaFert so popular with homeowners is that it won't harm healthy turf. It won't interfere with root growth or recovery from wear and tear, which is particularly reassuring if you've recently laid new turf or carried out any renovation work over summer.
Why Autumn Is the Time to Apply
Timing is everything with a pre-emergent product like OxaFert, and autumn is the critical window for Victorian lawns. The two weeds that cause the most grief through winter are Winter Grass (Poa annua) and Creeping Oxalis, and both of them germinate as soil temperatures begin to drop in late March and April.
If you've ever noticed fine, light-green tufts popping up through your lawn during winter, that's almost certainly Winter Grass. It's one of the most common lawn weeds in Victoria, and once it's established, it's difficult to remove without damaging the surrounding turf. Creeping Oxalis is another persistent offender, spreading low across the ground with its small clover-like leaves and becoming increasingly hard to manage once it takes hold.
The key to beating both of these weeds is getting your OxaFert application down before they start germinating. In most parts of Victoria, that means applying somewhere between mid-March and mid-April, depending on how quickly the season turns. If you wait until you can see the weeds, you've missed the window, because the pre-emergent barrier needs to be in the soil before the seeds begin their journey upward. Here at Coolabah, we always say prevention is better than cure!
How to Apply OxaFert in Autumn
Applying OxaFert is straightforward, and you don't need any specialist equipment beyond a basic granular fertiliser spreader. If you don't have one, they're inexpensive and well worth the investment for even, consistent coverage across your lawn.
Before you start, make sure your lawn is dry. The granules need to sit on the surface briefly before being watered in, and applying to wet grass can cause them to stick to the leaf blades rather than falling through to the soil where they're needed.
For the control of Winter Grass and Creeping Oxalis, apply at a rate of 40 grams per square metre. If you're primarily targeting summer weeds like Summer Grass and Crowsfoot ahead of the warmer months, the rate drops to 30 grams per square metre, but for autumn applications in Victoria, the higher rate is what you'll want.
Once you've spread the product evenly across your lawn, water it in with around 10 millimetres of irrigation. This is roughly equivalent to leaving a sprinkler running for about 20 to 30 minutes depending on your system, or you can simply time your application ahead of forecast rain and let nature do the work. Watering in is essential because it activates the herbicide and moves it into the soil profile where it forms that all-important barrier against germinating seeds.
Getting the Most From Your Application
If you want extended protection through the cooler months, a second application seven to ten weeks after the first will top up the pre-emergent barrier and keep your lawn covered well into winter. This follow-up application also delivers another round of slow-release fertiliser, which is a welcome boost at a time when many lawns start to lose colour and vigour.
It's worth noting that OxaFert is designed for use on established lawns only. If you've just laid new turf, give it time to fully root down and establish before applying. For lawns that have been down for a full growing season or longer, you're good to go.
One of the best things about using OxaFert in autumn is that it simplifies your seasonal lawn care routine considerably. Instead of applying a separate fertiliser and then trying to source and apply a pre-emergent herbicide on top of that, you're covering both bases in one pass. For busy families, that kind of efficiency makes a real difference.
A Cleaner Lawn Come Winter
There's something deeply satisfying about looking out at your lawn in the middle of winter and seeing a clean, even surface free of weedy intrusions. While the neighbours are out on their hands and knees pulling Winter Grass, your lawn is sitting quietly, well-fed and well-protected, thanks to ten minutes of work you did back in autumn.
That's the real beauty of a pre-emergent approach. It's proactive rather than reactive, and it saves you far more time and effort than trying to deal with weeds after they've already moved in.
Where to Get OxaFert
OxaFert is available through Coolabah Turf's online store in a convenient 3kg bag, which is enough to cover approximately 75 square metres at the autumn application rate. If you're not sure how much you need or you'd like advice on the best time to apply for your particular part of Victoria, our team is always happy to help. Give us a call on 1800 055 515 or pop into one of our local suppliers and we'll make sure you've got everything you need for a weed-free winter lawn.
