Australian seasons can be unpredictable, with hot and humid summers and sometimes dry winters, it can make it hard to maintain our gardens and keep our grass green. Keeping your lawn green is easier than you think, and we have compiled an easy guide on how to keep lawn green in summer heat and during the colder winter months.
While you wait for the next edition of our contest, why not learn how to keep grass green?
Keeping your lawn green
Although it won’t happen overnight, beautiful, lush green lawn is easy to achieve. Some easy-to-follow steps to ensure you’re keeping your lawn green all year round include regular maintenance for these four aspects:
Watering
Perhaps the most obvious one but watering your lawn regularly and well so that it has all the moisture it needs is very important. It’s better to be watering every now and then and giving it a proper soaking instead of daily in short bursts and not giving it what it needs. When you water your grass less often and longer it guarantees that the roots are deeper set and will be more inclined to withstand those unexpected periods of drought or dry weather when it uses its deeper root system.
Mowing
Another factor to consider on a regular basis is mowing your lawn and the length of your grass. To make sure you have the best lawn, don’t cut your lawn too short when it’s grown for a long period of time. This is because if it’s too short you are risking the grass being burnt by the sun and the elements around it as well as damaging the grass when you cut too far down the blades. Keeping your lawn green and as healthy as possible is easy when you mow often and never cut more than 2/3 of the blade.
Fertilising
There’s no season where the added nutrients of fertiliser aren’t needed. Throughout the growing season of summer, on the onset of fall, in early spring and before it goes dormant for winter are all optimum times to give your grass a healthy does of fertiliser.
Weeding
By keeping your lawn green and healthy all year round, you are ensuring it is growing the best it can during the months you’ll be using it the most. Regular weeding is essential for a healthy lawn as no one wants their grass covered and overgrown with mushroom circles and weeds.
How to keep lawn green in summer heat
From up north where it’s hot and humid to the dry south, summertime in Australia is a challenge for both residents and for keeping your lawn green. Similar to the tips for all year round, we’ve come up with a few pointers when you’re trying to maintain healthy and lush lawns.
Tip #1
During summer months, there aren’t any rules as to how often you should be watering but if you ever are unsure you can guarantee that your grass will help you out by showing you it needs watering when it starts to appear dull or if it begins to wilt or curl up. Remember even during summer, the same thing applies where watering daily and in small amounts isn’t recommended in comparison to longer, more effective waters to help train and develop your deep root system and build it to be drought resistant. We recommend giving it a long soak two to three times per week.
Quite a few homeowners seem to water their grass at night which can lead to waterlogging and a damp, breeding environment for lawn diseases however we’d recommend against this. During summer, watering first thing and as early in the morning as possible when the weather is its coolest, with calmer winds will minimise evaporation and give the soil ample opportunity to stay hydrated and nourish your grass. There is also the advantage of the morning sun to conduct photosynthesis which will help in additionally fortifying and keeping your lawn green.
Handy hint: When it comes to how to keep lawn green in summer heat, don’t forget to empty your hose after watering as leaving it in the summer sun is damaging to both the hose and the grass as you don’t want the hot water to scold the blades of your grass.
Tip #2
The moment you see water puddling or trickling off the lawn and onto the path, driveway or gutter it shows that you’ve either over saturated your soil or you’re watering too heavily so remember to water slow and steady. Another hint for many would be to move the sprinkler to a different area or get an adjustable, oscillating one that is suitable to your lawns shape and size.
Tip #3
As we’ve already heavily emphasised how important watering your grass is, it’s also important to remember that lawns need oxygen too and aeration is key. By perforating the soil at intervals, your aerated lawn will absorb the water better and the easiest and cheapest way to do this is by pushing a garden fork into the ground at 15cm intervals throughout the entire lawn area.
Our last few handy hints for summertime maintenance:
- Mow your lawn during summer months every two to three weeks (this will vary if there is ever any rain too).
- There are many fertilisers that are specific to particular times of the year so make sure you carefully select the right one for your lawns summer nutrition as this will do wonders during this hot challenging period. Be careful not to leave lawn clippings where the lawn is thick to avoid the formation of moulds.
- A common cause for bald patches on your lawn is contributed to summer lawn pests like chafer grubs and leather jackets. If you’ve ever noticed birds pecking at your soil or grass then buying nematodes will help to alleviate your pest infested lawn.
Get in touch with Brisbane’s best lawn if you’re needing further help or advice or will need to repair some summer damage.
How to keep grass green in winter
Often during winter, as we stay indoors and there’s less sun to produce chlorophyll, the grass growth is slowed, and we tend to neglect our gardens. Similar to the harsher summer conditions, here’s some easy ways on how to keep grass green in winter:
Tip #1
Still ensure you are aerating your lawn and soil but it’s also important to check the pH levels. You can measure the acidity or alkalinity of the soil using pH testing kits.
Tip #2
Weed vigilantly as weeds flourish in weakened winter grasses and won’t stop growing or go dormant. Don’t forget to get a weed killer and spray the larger areas of your grass.
Tip #3
One of the best ways for how to keep grass green in winter is by mowing less but catching the clippings. Keep your mower on catch mode to guarantee the freshly cut blades aren’t suffocated and you’re just getting the tip of the grass so that you can try get as much sun on the grass as possible.
Bookmark our website and this blog post so you know and can ensure how to keep grass green or get in touch if you need anymore help. Don’t forget to check back often for news on when the next edition of the Brisbane’s Best Lawn contest opens so you don’t miss out on an opportunity to enter into the competition.
