Akers Monthly – August 2023
Winter is tough,
but Spring is coming!
Springtime is just around the corner, and this month we will start to slowly see the signs!
Daylight hours will start to increase, and colour will start appearing on shrubs, annuals, and perennials.
Let us explore how your lawn is faring with the cold conditions, and how you can help it recover
Frost vs Your Lawn
Over the last few weeks we have had some very cold mornings, bringing with it frost in some areas!
Frost forms on your lawn when the water inside the blades of grass freezes, causing the cells within the blade to rupture and turn your lawn brown and unsightly. Don’t worry though, there are steps you can take to help protect your lawn from frost damage and de-ice it safely.
When you know a frost is coming, we recommend avoiding fertilising your lawn just before it hits. This is especially important for lawns that are dormant. Warm season lawns go into dormancy specifically to conserve energy over the cool season and protect themselves from harsh conditions. By using a fertiliser (especially a high nitrogen variety) you will encourage the lawn to start growing and likely break the lawn’s dormancy, leaving it vulnerable. This is why we treat lawns in Winter with Akers Organic Based Liquid Kelp, Seaweed and Gone spray, Akers Winter Blend or Akers Certified Organic Fertiliser to work on the soil health.
If you feel the need to fertilise during winter on a warm season lawn look at winter blends, these are low in nitrogen and focus on building the soil profile ready for spring. To enquire about our Winter Blend or Certified Organic, please give us a call on 8326 3255. They are available to purchase, or we can apply these products for you as part of our Follow Up Service.
What to do if your lawn is frost affected?
- Avoid walking on your lawn when it’s frosty. The weight can break the frozen grass blades and leave unsightly marks.
- Avoid mowing or weeding your lawn when it is frosty as the blades of grass will have become brittle and can be easily damaged. Try to mow or weed your lawn once the frost has thawed.
- If you have an automated irrigation system, try to stop it watering the lawn before a frost as a wet lawn has a higher chance of experiencing frost damage.
- A light sprinkle of water (approximately 1-2 minutes only) on a frosty lawn can help melt the frost, but be cautious not to overdo it, as excessive water in cold conditions can harm your lawn.
- Allow the frost to thaw naturally. Direct sunlight will help thaw the frost out but avoid using hot water or other heat sources to de-ice your lawn.
- If your lawn has become discoloured, once it has thawed and some regrowth is showing you will be able to lightly mow the tips of the lawn off. As long as you have left the lawn a longer length through winter this should not damage the lawn further.
- To help any discolouration left by frost damage you can apply ColourGuard Plus to instantly green up your lawn.
While frost can be a challenge, with a bit of care and management, your lawn can remain healthy throughout the colder months.
ColourGuard Plus
Is your lawn looking a bit off-colour due to winter dormancy or frost? Give Lawn Solutions ColourGuard Plus a try! ColourGuard Plus is a natural grass pigment that instantly restores the colour of your lawn. Just one application can give your lawn up to three months of great colour! As an added bonus it also acts as a liquid fertiliser!
ColourGuard Plus works on all lawns in all seasons. This product is harmless to pets, your family and the environment, however, it is recommended to keep off the lawn until the pigment has dried and absorbed into the leaf. After it has completely dried give your lawn a quick water to wash off any excess pigment that didn’t get absorbed to avoid any colour transfer. If spray drifts on to a path or unintended surface wash it off immediately with hosed water to avoid staining.
This product is available in a 100ml Liquid Concentrate or 2L Ready to Use Hose On attachment.
Book in now for Spring Rejuves
If you haven’t already contacted us about Coring and/or Scarifying you lawn come spring now is the time to do so!
If your lawn is compacted, growth stunted, hydrophobic, or there’s moss evident, we would recommend coring your lawn! Give us a call to find out more and about what add-ons we can include to the service.
If your lawn is thatched, spongey, or hard to mow then scarifying is what you need. We offer free on site quotes and consultations. Click the button below to get started!
We can’t wait to help you get your lawns back up to tip-top condition after this cold, wet winter and ready for a great spring and summer.
Product of the Month
Akers Organic Based Liquid Kelp is a liquid fertiliser and growth stimulant sourced from Australian Waters. It is beneficial for lawns, gardens (not recommended for use on native plants), vegetables and fruit trees promoting healthy soil, root and plant growth.
It can be mixed with most insecticides, herbicides and fungicides.
We can also apply this to your lawn as part of our follow up service with prices starting at $65. Give us a call to book in!
Dal’s Gardening Tips
- If you haven’t pruned your roses yet, the sooner you do so the better!
- Roses that were pruned last month will start sprouting new growth so be sure to keep an eye out for Aphids as they tend to attack young shoots.
- As the day temperature begin to rise this month, start to mow the lawn a little more often just taking the tips off as this will promote the health of the new grass.
- Around the end of August Hydrangeas will start to show signs of growth and now is the time to decide if you want pink or blue flowers, or the traditional white blooms. Add dolomite to the soil for pink and aluminium sulphate if you prefer blue flowers.
- Plant cabbage, brussel sprout, carrot, celery, chives, thyme, sage, radish, parsley, onion, peas, lettuce, turnip and asparagus crowns this month.
Do you have any lawn or garden questions?
We want to hear from you!
Send us any questions or topics you want covered and they may get featured in our next Akers Monthly!
As always, thank you for your support!
Best wishes,
Dal, Jacqi and the Akers of Lawn team