Looking after your lawn this Summer...
Is your lawn looking like this?
...Did you know that about 90% of lawn problems at this time of the year are water related?
...This means that what you may think is a disease or pest, may just be your lawn letting you know it is stressed from lack of water or nutrients. This is especially the case if your lawn is between 1 and 12 months old. Generally speaking, newly established lawn (i.e. lawn that is younger than 12 months old) should not get diseased. Therefore, if your lawn is looking the 'worse for wear', it is more than likely water related.
The information available to you below will point you in the right direction to achieving a healthy lawn, right through the year.
You see - our information is based on science and not on any promotional gimmick intended to cost you money.
We always recommend speaking to one of our friendly and professional staff for the best advice; or even send some photos to quotes@greenacresturffarm.com.au so that we can have a look at it for you!
Whether you're lawn's still young...or not so young...
...It needs nurturing...
Contrary to public voice, in the height of summer 2 days of watering per week is simply not enough.
Research conducted by the University of Western Australia has concluded that 3 days of watering is required as a minimum.
Most soil types in WA simply don't have the sustainability for your lawn to be able to handle constantly dry conditions.
Take, for example, a building - if a building has weak foundations, it's likely to topple over at the slightest nudge. It's the same with your lawn. If your soil doesn't have the right nutrients and stability for your lawn, the lawn will simply die if nothing is done about it.
Just like working in the sun every day means you apply sunscreen every day - not twice a week - to prevent yourself from getting sunburnt, so lawn needs watering to prevent it from drying out, or worse, dying.
If your lawn is looking the worse for wear:
Then here's what we recommend...
You need to work on giving your lawn about 12mm of water per day. If your lawn is suffering from any type of water stress, we recommend following a 4-week program.
Week 1 - Water your lawn 4 times per day, at a rate of 3mm each time you water.
Week 2 - Water your lawn 3 times per day, at a rate of 4mm each time you water.
Week 3 - Water your lawn 2 times per day, at a rate of 6mm each time you water.
Week 4 - Water your lawn daily at a rate of 12mm each time you water.
The best way to measure this, is to either place catch cups or icecream containers over different areas of your lawn to make sure each area is getting about 12mm. If the amounts are varying, you may need to adjust your sprinklers.
Once the 4-week program is complete, work on a watering of a daily rate of 10mm, at least 3 times per week.
Wetting Agents
Greenacres Turf Farm recommends the use of a wetting agent to ensure maximum water retention - especially during the warmer and drier conditions.
If you have an established lawn (i.e. more than 12 months old), you should apply a wetting agent approximately 3-4 times per year.
If your lawn is still establishing (i.e. less than 12 months old), you should apply wetting agent approximately 6 times per year at 1/2 rates.
