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Summer is the toughest season for Australian lawns, but with a little tender love and care you can get your lawn thriving in the summer heat.
Why have a lawn?
Lawns provide areas for children to play, pets to run and spaces to outdoor entertain.
Having a lawn compared to just dirt will reduce the temperatures in your garden dramatically and protect your soil from temperature extremes. Lawns will also slow rainfall down, allowing for water infiltration into the soil profile and stop erosion. Grass clippings from mowing are also a valuable resource for you composting efforts.
In saying this, during hot summer’s your lawn needs a lot more care than just mowing. Here’s what you need to know about working with lawns in the Summer:
During summer it’s all about leaving your lawn to grow longer but still mow frequently. Allowing your lawn to grow longer will help to shade the soil from the summer heat, promote root growth and reduce watering needs. Do not let it grow long then cut it super short. As this will make it more susceptible to weeds, disease and summer heat issues. There are two main tips when it comes to mowing in summer – first, check your mower blades! Sharp mower blades ensures a nice clean cut to grass, helping protect it from susceptibility to pests and disease.
Secondly, raise the cutting height. We know it can be tempting when the grass is growing thick and fast to cut it short so you can do it less often, however this leaves less protection to the soil and roots under your lawn. Raising the cutting help will help with moisture retention and protecting roots in extreme temperatures.
Applications of a wetting agent. If your lawn area has dried out, struggling to absorb and hold moisture or become water repellent (hydrophobic) apply a re-wetting agent at the recommended dose to remedy this. You can pick this up from your local independent nursery or garden centre.
Check pH. An acidic soil will be more susceptible to a variety of weeds establishing in the lawn. If your lawn soil is acidic, add dolomite or garden lime at the recommended dose and water in.
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 law.
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 your lawns roots. Aeration will remedy compacted soils.
Water.
Early morning and deep watering is key when it comes to a happy lawn in the heat and will will encourage your lawn to grow roots further down into the subsoil. With temperatures soaring, watering first thing gives your lawn (and garden) time to absorb all of the moisture you give it, before the heat hits – meaning it’s well prepared to survive hot days. This makes your lawn more drought resistant long term.
*Extra tip – As tempting as it may be to water your lawn at night when the temperature has dropped again, it’s a good idea to avoid this as it can encourage the growth of fungal diseases.
Fertilising: Early in the summer months is the best time to fertilise your lawn with OptiLawn Granular Fertiliser. As temperatures are yet to reach their peak early in the season, fertilizing during this time minimizes the chances for fertiliser burn.
Use an all-purpose balanced organic based fertiliser like Rocky Point OptiLawn, every 6-8 weeks during summer for not only blade growth but good root growth as well.
The key to keeping your lawn in top condition right through summer is a combination of the right lawn-type coupled with the appropriate amount of irrigation and care. Regular deep-watering to encourage a stronger and deeper root-system. An occasional nutrient-boost with a high-quality, lawn-fertiliser application will help to keep your lawn in top-shape for summer. The healthier the lawn, the less susceptible to weeds or disease it becomes.
