As the days lengthen and the temperatures rise it’s time to look to your lawns and give them the TLC they need after the dormancy of the winter months and before the shock of the heat hits.
Mowing. Lawn mower maintenance will be on the top of the to-do list, due to its inactivity and use over winter.
Clean, check and possibly sharpen blades, check and replace if needed; spark plugs, filters, oil and fuel.
Aerate. Compacted lawn areas can be aerated by using a garden fork or lawn aerator. This will create airholes that help air, water and nutrients reach the roots of your lawn. Aeration will remedy compacted soils.
Applications of a wetting agent. If your lawn area has dried out and become water-repellent (hydrophobic) apply a re-wetting agent at the recommended dose to remedy this.
Weeds: If the weeds have gotten a foothold over winter either remove by hand or use a registered selective lawn weeder if they’ve gotten out of hand.
Fertilise. Use an all-purpose balanced organic based fertiliser like Rocky Point OptiLawn Fertiliser every 6-8 weeks as we head into spring and towards summer for not only blade growth but good root growth as well.
Check pH. An acidic soil will be more susceptible to a variety of weeds establishing in the lawn. If your lawn soil is too acidic (under 6.5pH), add dolomite or garden lime at the recommended dose and water in.
Top dressing: Patch up and even out your lawn by top dressing with Rocky Point OptiLawn Top Dress. This will help to improve the soil, feed your lawn and even out uneven ground areas within your lawn.
Watering. Long deep watering is better because it will encourage your lawn to grow roots further down into the subsoil. This makes your lawn more drought-resistant long-term.