Spring lawn care: where to begin?
In South East Queensland, we get those warm winter days and those cool nights. But now the winter cold is done, it's time to get your lawn ready for what's next.
Spring means new growth will be kicking in; we need to get ahead of weeds and lawn pests, plus your seasonal fertiliser is due.
The tips we're going to run through today will help your lawn transition smoothly from winter to summer.
Your Spring Lawn Care Checklist
☐ Aerate
☐ Check your soil
☐ Fertilise
☐ Get ahead of weeds
☐ Prevent lawn pests
☐ Support spring growth
First things first: aerate your lawn
Before you go throwing products at your lawn, take a look at the soil underneath it.
Aeration increases the amount of air, water and nutrients your soil receives, helping to create a healthier environment for your grass roots. It can be particularly helpful in high-traffic areas and on hard lawns.
You can do this yourself with a garden fork or some Lawn Aerator Sandals before fertilising.
Keep looking after your soil
Your lawn can only be as good as the soil supporting it.
If you have a clay base, even if you put in new soil when you laid your lawn, the clay will, over time, work its way up through the soil profile to the topsoil through a process called bioturbation. You'll need to break up the clay by aerating and applying gypsum; otherwise, your soil will be too compact, and the roots won’t be getting enough oxygen.
If your soil is sandy, you'll also want to make sure your soil can hold moisture. That's where a soil wetting agent can help.
Lawn Soaker
Lawn Soaker is a ready-to-use soil-wetting agent that improves water penetration to the roots of your turf. Using it regularly will re-wet the soil and prevent dry spots from forming. The 2L ready-to-use bottle treats up to 150m².
Next up: feed your lawn
Spring is a good time to give your lawn a feed to help speed up new growth and establish strong roots in time for summer. There are a couple of options to consider, depending on what you're after.
Exceed Liquid Fertiliser
Exceed Liquid Fertiliser is a premium, professional-grade foliar fertiliser that's absorbed directly through the leaf of the grass. Its carefully balanced NPK ratio provides essential nutrients for healthy growth and vibrant colour, while the foliar application allows for rapid nutrient absorption through the leaves.
It's available in 2.5L concentrate, which covers up to 1,250m² and a ready-to-use hose, which covers up to 150m².
ProPlus Natural Carbon Fertiliser
If you prefer an extended-release fertiliser, ProPlus Natural Carbon Fertiliser is a professional natural carbon-based fertiliser designed to minimise leaching by binding nutrients to naturally occurring carbon. A 9kg bag covers up to 400m², and it boosts soil health, water retention and root growth while reducing watering, mowing and burn risk.
Get ahead of the weeds
If the grass is growing faster, so are the weeds.
You can remove most single weeds by hand, preferably before they go to seed. And you can mow over flat weeds; a healthy lawn will choke most weed types.
Most common broadleaf weeds can be removed with a broadleaf herbicide like Estate Herbicide.
Estate Herbicide
Estate Herbicide is a triple-active herbicide for professional broadleaf weed control, and it tackles hard-to-kill weeds like bindii and white clover. Applied at 50ml per 100m², this easy-to-use, low-rate formulation reduces the need for manual hand weeding, while improving the appearance and durability of the turf it's applied to.
Prevent them with Lawn Solutions Oxafert
We're also big fans of preventative action when it comes to weeds.
Lawn Solutions Oxafert combines pre-emergent weed control with fertiliser, helping stop weeds before they appear while giving your lawn a nutrient boost. It targets weeds like Summergrass, Crowsfoot, Wintergrass and Creeping Oxalis.
For larger lawns, Oxafert Plus covers up to 660m² and also includes an insecticide component.
Now, like all lawn care, always check the product label before application to make sure OxaFert is suitable for your turf variety and lawn.
Don't forget about lawn pests
Weeds aren't the only thing worth getting ahead of.
Grub Guard Ultimate
Grub Guard Ultimate is powered by Acelepryn technology and is a ready-to-use spreadable insecticide granule. It provides long-lasting preventative control against a broad range of lawn pests, including Lawn Armyworm, Lawn Curl Grub (African Black Beetle Larvae), Argentine Stem Weevil, Billbug Larvae and Sod Webworm. A 4kg bucket will cover up to 500m².
Give your lawn a little extra support
Once you've got the basics covered, you can give your lawn some extra support as spring growth kicks in.
Lawn Kelper
Lawn Kelper is a balanced formulation containing Trace Elements, Seaweed Kelp and Fulvic Acid, designed to increase turf vigour and stimulate and strengthen roots and shoots. The 2L hose-on covers up to 150m² while the 2.5L Liquid Nutrient covers up to 1000m².
Your spring lawn care checklist
If that sounds like a lot to take in, here's the short and sweet version.
Aerate: Help air, water and nutrients get into the soil.
Look after your soil: Make sure your soil can provide what your lawn needs, including adequate water.
Feed: Give your lawn the nutrients it needs for spring growth.
Prevent weeds: Get ahead of (or treat) common annual grasses and broadleaf weeds.
Prevent pests: Consider preventative control against lawn pests.
Support growth: Consider giving your lawn a little extra help as it starts growing again.
Now, you don't need to spend every weekend with your lawn, but a little work now will pay off in the long run.
Get your lawn ready this Spring
Whether you need fertiliser, a preventative weed treatment, pest control or a wetting agent, at GoTurf, we've got the products and lawn care advice to help you get your lawn ready for summer.
Stampede Has Arrived: Everything You Need to Know About Stampede Hybrid Buffalo