Essential Spring Lawn Guide: Step-by-Step
Spring is here, and your lawn is about to come out of its winter slumber. It’s the perfect time to start preparing for a lush, green yard that’ll be the envy of the neighbourhood. Here’s how to get your lawn ready for spring, step by step.
What will happen to my lawn in the next few weeks?
Expect to see your couch lawn start to green up in the next few weeks, with buffalo lawns following suit by late September. But hold your gardening horses! Now isn’t the time for maintenance tasks like top dressing. Your lawn needs to be actively growing before diving into these activities. Use this time to get your gear ready so you’re primed for action once your grass starts its spring growth spurt.
Let’s go through different grass varieties (the most common in SA, all warm-season grasses) and their different awakening times:
- Kikuyu will start stirring in early to mid-September.
- Tiftuf to follow soon after
- Couch will follow from late September.
- Buffalo will really get going by early October.
Spring Preparation: When to Start and What to Do
Step 1: Make Sure Your Equipment is Ready
Before you start your mower and trimmers, give them a quick check. Nothing says “I’m ready for spring” like a well-oiled mower with sharp blades and a whipper snipper that’s in top shape.
Step 2: Get on Top of a Possible Beetle Invasion
Beetles might have been a nuisance last season, and if so, they might be back. To keep your lawn beetle-free, use a product like Acelepryn. This powerful insecticide offers long-lasting protection and is perfect for keeping those pesky larvae at bay while still being bee friendly. You can get this life-changing product here.
Maintaining a beetle-free lawn is essential for ensuring it remains drought-tolerant during the warmer months. Want to learn more about the beettles and how they affect your lawn? Check out our Get Black Beetle Ready! blog post.
Step 3: Adjust Mowing Practices
As your lawn starts to wake up, adjust your mowing practices accordingly. Begin with a higher mower setting to avoid scalping, never cutting more than 1/3 off the leaf at a time and gradually lower it as the temperatures rise. As temperatures rise, your lawn will start to actively grow again, which means it will grow more quickly and require more frequent mowing.
Remember, a well-mowed lawn is a happy lawn!
Step 4: Fertilising – Get Ready for September
A good fertiliser program is key to a vibrant lawn. Timing is key—wait for September, when the weather starts warming up, for the best results. This allows your lawn to deplete some of its stored nutrients, leading to a healthier, more vibrant lawn.
We recommend starting with a treatment of Kelp in early September. At Akers, we have developed our own Organic-Based Liquid Kelp. This game-changing product, when applied as a foliar spray, has the potential to boost root growth, overcome nutrient deficiencies, improve drought stress and many more benefits.
We suggest following this treatment with our Akers Organic Based Soil Booster & Lawn Food which is our current product of the month and it’s 20% OFF! This is an excellent choice to kick-start your lawn’s health and ensure it’s nutrient-rich and ready for the warmer months.
The right fertiliser at the right time is the perfect recipe for a healthy lawn.
Step 5: Weed Control – Prepare for Mid-September
Spring is prime time for weeds, so be proactive. Winter grass will start to die off, so no need to treat it unless it’s bothering you, considering using a winter grass killer.
We suggest you also start thinking about pre-emergent weed control, which ideally would be applied in October-November.
For broadleaf weeds, we recommend Bow and Arrow Herbicide. This product successfully kills White Clover, Plantain, Capeweed, Cat’s Ear, Bindii, Cudweed and Creeping oxalis.
Not DIY person? That’s okay – we’re here to help. We recommend and offer a service which is a combination of liquid fertiliser and weed treatment: Seaweed and Gone, which is an exclusive and unique product to Akers of Lawn. It was purposefully designed as an all-in-one fertiliser, weed killer, and weed deterrent. To make sure Seaweed and Gone® is the right treatment for your lawn, it is recommended you start with a health assessment first to start you on the right track. You can request this for free here.
Step 6: When Can I Start Watering My Lawn?
As spring unfolds and the weather warms up, it’s crucial to manage your lawn’s watering needs effectively. Maintaining moisture in the deeper layers of soil is key. In Adelaide, a common issue is non-wetting soil, where the soil either repels water or absorbs it only superficially. This condition can hinder your lawn’s health and lead to wasted water.
To address this, use liquid wetting agents to help water penetrate deeply into the soil where your lawn’s roots need it. Apply these agents in October, with follow-ups in December and February, for optimal results. This approach helps keep your lawn healthy an reduces the need for frequent watering.
As temperatures rise, it might be tempting to water more often, but it’s better to water deeply and less frequently. This encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil, making your lawn more drought-resistant. Be sure to water early in the morning to minimize evaporation and make the most of your efforts.
Spring is the perfect time to prepare your lawn for a stunning season of growth. From checking your equipment to dealing with beetles and adjusting mowing practices, the steps in this guide and a lawn rejuvenation will set your lawn up for success. And remember, if you need any help or advice, our friendly team at Akers of Lawn is just a call or visit away.
Happy gardening, Adelaide! Let’s make this spring the greenest yet!