Spring is a great time to do some outdoor activities. And, of course, if you’re reading this, we bet we know what you love to do best: gardening and working on your lawn!
If you’re a certified lawnie like many of us, you know that this season is a wonderful time for some landscaping and to perfect your landscaping skills. Although, it may be a tricky job—given the many varieties of turf, soils, plants, and other important considerations—for newbies and even for those who have been doing it for a while now.
Like you, we’re very curious how the lawn masters with luscious lawns take care of theirs. We’ve had awesome conversations with two finalists from last year’s Brisbane’s Best Lawn competition, Michael Cole and Andrew Egan, and they shared their tips and tricks for a green and lush lawn.
If you’re looking to get the best-looking lawn on the street, or even enter it into Brisbane’s Best Lawn competition for 2021, pay attention to these epic lawn tips.
What lawn species do you have and why did you choose them?
When it comes to lawn species, these two chose the same thing. They both have a Wintergreen couch. Michael specifically chose this because it’s hardy and old, and can take a thrashing. While Adam’s reason was that it was cheap and can take a beating.
What equipment do you use for care and maintenance?
Michael uses a Supaswift 17 inch with a 17 inch Scott Bonner that he uses as a groomer. Andrew also uses cylinder mowers but also a rotary mower for scalping and general cleanups. He also has a large EarthWay spreader for a granular fertiliser treatment and Silvan Pro Battery Backpack sprayer for liquids.
Do you follow a care regime or feed it when it needs it?
Michael does a full-detail soil test yearly and works out a plan of attack to keep everything healthy. He also builds his program around what his soil, turf, and plants need at any given time throughout the year. Andrew follows a plan and keeps track of when products were applied to ensure he doesn’t overapply, but maintains consistency throughout the year, never neglecting the lawn or garden.
What component of your care regime could you not live without?
Michael said he definitely can’t live without his groomer. It helps clean out thatch, opens the plant canopy, and helps keep it cut super low. Andrew, on the other hand, said he couldn’t live without granular fertiliser. “A decent fert can make or break a lawn,” he said.
If you could give an aspirational home greenskeeper some advice on keeping a great lawn, what would it be?
Michael said understanding the components of the products you are using has a lot more to do with improving your turf than focusing on NPK values and communication with the companies you get your stock from to help build a program.
For Andrew, it is helpful to try different products to see what works and what doesn’t. He said it is also great to ask for help and connect with like-minded people who can help out with any questions or queries you may have.
If someone was keen to enter their lawn into Brisbane’s Best Lawn competition, with a little time to go, what advice would you give them to get their lawn into shape?
Michael’s tips were easy to remember: spend a week or two researching renovations, do a cleanout, and stick to a program. Andrew said summer lawns start in winter so get onto soil amendments and get ready for a lawn renovation when the temperature warms up. Also, he shared this important advice: sharp mower blades will make a big difference to the quality of cut no matter what mower you are using.
Keeping your lawn in tip-top shape may be challenging and demanding, but it is also a fulfilling and rewarding job. Don’t worry about starting from scratch or having no ideas about grass, just keep researching and trying out new lawn care processes and you’re sure to get the lawn you can be proud of.
Think you have the best lawn in Brisbane? Join Brisbane’s Best Lawn 2021 competition today for a chance to win a share of over $5,000 in prizes. Enter your lawn here. Learn more about the competition on the Brisbane’s Best Lawn website.
