Many people think that tropical settings provide the perfect environment for lawns. And in many ways that is true but it is a bit more complicated than that. Yes, you can see the grass grow daily with what seems like little care but for a perfect lawn you are going to have to provide some year round maintenance on that lawn. If you don’t maintain the lawn it won’t be long before you have a jungle that needs tamed on your hands.
November to March Care
This is the best time for lawns in Australia as the weather is not just hot and humid but there are plenty of summer storms to provide water for the lawns. Leaf growth can seem to happen by the minute and can easily get out of control. To keep things under control, as well as make sure you lawn does well in the cooler months, there are some things you need to be aware of.
Summer Time Care
During these times you want to avoid fertilising the lawn. This will only encourage leaf growth at a time when it is already running rampant. And the wet weather will prevent mowing the lawn. This is the time to put lime and gypsum on the lawn. This will help condition the soil and the lime helps with pH balance. When there is a lot of rain the soil tends to become acidic very quickly which can mean unhealthy plants. You may want to do a pH test on your lawn so you know precisely how much lime your lawn needs.
Preventing Compacted Soil
Gypsum can help with compacted soil. There are many reasons soil can become compacted but often is because of building that occurred on the land or heavy traffic. When homes are build top soil is removed which can result in compacted soil that doesn’t allow water to seep deeply into the ground. Gypsum helps with that by breaking down clay. This means water can really penetrate the ground.
Take Care of Your Equipment
When the weather is really wet you also need to make sure your equipment is in good working order and ready to go. When the weather allows mowing you need to be able to take advantage of that. Keep your whipper snippers and mowers filled with the needed fuelled. Make sure your mower blades are sharp. You want to cut your lawn on a weekly basis during the summer if at all possible. This keeps the clippings down. Once winter sets in you should be able to mow every 2 -3 weeks and still have a great looking lawn.
End of the Wet Season
In April the wet season ends and now is when you want to apply that fertiliser. Use a slow release fertiliser for best results. Water the fertiliser in the ground well as this helps the leaf cover stay thing and growing throughout the cooler months. Raise your mower deck up a notch so you don’t remove as much grass. This helps keep moisture in the lawn.
Reapply the slow release fertiliser in May ahead of the winter weather. You have to do this to keep your lawn healthy and green during the mild winters the tropical conditions bring. Watch the weather as you may only need to water every two weeks instead of weekly. Don’t water every night. Deep water less often promotes deep root systems required to keep your lawn healthy.
More Tropical Lawn Care
Another good time for slow release fertiliser is August. This helps with recovery after the winter weather. Deep watering, as usual, is necessary. Lower the mower deck down again to the mowing height needed for summer care. September means spring and army worms are getting ready to attack beautiful green laws. The army moths aim for locations where the grubs will have plenty to eat and nice healthy lawns are just right for this. You will need to keep Grub Guard handy in the spring deal with these attacks and make sure your lawn stays healthy year round.
To get more advice call our team on (07) 3114 8281. You can also to pop in and order in person at our sales office on 1/243 Bradman Street, Acacia Ridge. The office opens Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm and Saturday 7am to 12pm.
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