Grow a lawn you'll love

Spring is the season for lawn renovation. Follow Graham’s expert tips to revive tired turf and get your garden summer-ready.

 

Does your lawn look worse for wear after winter? Whether it’s been scorched by frost, dried out by drought or drowned by heavy rain, spring is the ideal time to act. With the right care, you can turn around compacted soil, thinning grass and an invasion of weeds, and set your lawn up for a lush summer comeback

Aerate for a lush lawn

A compacted lawn often shows signs of poor growth, such as yellowing grass, thin patches, or bare spots. Compaction happens over time, especially in high- traffic areas where the soil gets pressed down by regular use. As a result, air, water and nutrients can’t effectively penetrate the soil to reach the roots. Break up the compaction by aerating. For small lawns, use a garden fork to spike the ground and open it up. For large areas, hire a mechanical aerator that removes plugs of soil.

Remove thatch for health

When grass grows over itself and dead roots build up, it forms a thatch layer. This makes your lawn spongy and more prone to heat, drought, weeds and disease. The fix? Dethatching. Mow several times with the catcher on, lowering the blades a little each time. Remove excess leaves, runners and dead grass but don’t scalp it –leave some growth so the lawn can bounce back. Only dethatch warm-season grasses like buffalo, couch and kikuyu – not cool- season types like fescue or bent.

Tackle unsightly weeds

Weed control is an essential task to prevent lawn weeds from going to seed and spreading further. Start by removing persistent winter weeds like bindii, winter grass, dandelion and capeweed before they have a chance to set seed. Keep an eye out for emerging summer weeds such as paspalum, crabgrass and summer grass. To get ahead of the problem, consider applying pre-emergent herbicide granules, which target weeds as the germinate. Choose a weedkiller that’s safe for your lawn type – for buffalo lawns, look for products containing bromoxynil, and for hybrid couch lawns, such as Tiftuf, use products containing DSMA.

 

Topdress for an even lawn

Top dressing evens out bumps and dips, making your lawn easier to mow and maintain. For general levelling, apply a thin layer (up to 1cm) of fine sandy loam across the surface. If your lawn just needs minor surface correction, a bag of organic lawn top dressing can be applied and lightly raked over the area to smooth it out.

Fertilise to boost growth

Keep your lawn looking fresh and healthy with regular application of a good fertiliser, to encourage strong roots and thick, green grass. There are many fertilisers to choose from, so consider how much time and effort you want to invest. If you prefer a hands-off approach, a slow-release fertiliser will feed your lawn over several months with minimal input. There are also fertilisers with added pre- or post emergent herbicides, so you can control weeds and feed your lawn at the same time. If you're aiming for biodiversity, encouraging wildflowers for insect habitat, it's best to avoid using chemical fertilisers. Instead, choose an organic lawn fertiliser, which feeds the lawn gently over time and supports soil life, without harming beneficial insects. No matter the fertiliser type, always water your lawn before applying.

TOP TIP

Want a quick green-up? Old-fashioned sulphate of ammonia is 100% nitrogen and can deliver fast results but it should only be used if your lawn needs an immediate boost. Apply sparingly, as overuse can burn the grass and damage soil health in the long term.

For a well manicured look, use a lawn edger to keep your grass off paths and garden beds.