Akers Monthly – October 2022
Spring your lawn back to health and get Summer ready!
This month we want to re-iterate the importance of getting your lawn back to health after a cold, wet winter.
Greening Up Your Lawn
This winter has been particularly long, cold, and wet and has left a lot of lawns looking lacklustre and off-colour. Did you know that one of the best ways to green up your lawn is by introducing some nitrogen and iron into it?
Nitrogen is one of the three most important nutrients that your lawn needs to keep it healthy (commonly referred to as NPK; Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium). Nitrogen helps with the forming of cell proteins that plants need to be able to grow. In lawns Nitrogen encourages growth in all areas including roots, stolons and rhizomes.
Iron strengthens lawn, improves leaf colour, kills moss and is great for reducing the impact of frost. A lawn lacking in either of these nutrients can present as yellowing.
The perfect time to reintroduce these nutrients is when temperatures start reaching the low 20s. We recommend giving your lawn a fertilise with a nitrogen-rich granular, such as our Akers Organic Based Granular Fertiliser, or use our Akers Organic Based Turf Tonic to inject both nitrogen and iron in one application.
For a high dose of iron we recommend applying Baileys Turfect Rapid Green. It contains 6% iron, alongside other nutrients that can also promote plant colour and health. It does not contain nitrogen or promote turf growth and can be applied separately to a fertiliser.
Some pre-emergent herbicides such as OxaFert and PendiPro also contain fertiliser, giving your lawn the nitrogen boost it needs, along with targeting germinating weed seeds.
Please note that it is best to wait at least 4 weeks in between applying products that contain nitrogen, as overapplication can cause leaf burn.
Follow Up Maintenance Service
Akers of Lawn offer fertilising and applications of pre-emergent herbicide as part of our seasonal Follow Up Service among other treatments. If you are interested in joining the service, please give us a call!
We Can Help Rejuvenate Your Lawn
Lawns are now starting their vigorous growing cycle after winter. Some lawns may require a de-thatch and/or core. Usually, both coring and scarifying are done together to aid in rejuvenating a lawn, along with applications of conditioners and fertilisers.
We can help rejuvenate your lawn with our range of services found here.
Coring & Scarifying
Coring and Scarifying is often done at the same time to alleviate compaction, reduce thatch, and open up the soil to promote healthier growth. The resulting lawn is then more responsive to fertiliser and watering applications.
Coring is beneficial for lawns that have either:
- Dry, hardened soil
- The lawn dehydrates quickly
- Compacted, soggy soil
- Moderate thatch layer
Scarifying is beneficial for lawns that have developed a thick, coarse, or spongy texture. If your lawn needs scarifying it may look like this:
Often the result just after a scarify doesn’t look so great, but at this time of year, with just a few weeks of sunshine it will green up beautifully. Your lawn will also be easier to mow, feel soft and even underfoot, and be healthier overall.
Over-Sowing
Over-sowing, or re-seeding is when lawn seed is applied over patchy areas throughout your lawn. It is often a different type of seed to the established lawn as shade, wear, or temperature can affect each lawn type differently. Blending lawn seed/types together can create a strong lawn that thrives all year round.
What are the benefits of over-sowing your lawn?
- Repairs thin or patchy areas
- Blends together full-sun and part-shade sections
- Improves colour and appearance during seasons when lawn is struggling
- Thickens existing lawn
- Increases resistances to pests, weeds and diseases
Re-seeding is a service we offer as part of our rejuvenation options. We also sell a variety of Seeds in different pack sizes if you are looking at doing it yourself.
Top Dressing
Spring is a great time to think about top dressing your lawn. Top dressing is the spreading of a mix of sand and organic matter, and is a great accompaniment to Coring, Scarifying or Over-sowing.
What are the benefits of top dressing your lawn?
- Levels out uneven lawn surfaces
- Increases the soil’s nutrient retention
- Increases resistances to pests and diseases
- Improves drainage
- Assists in re-growing areas
Please note we only offer top dressing as a service in accompaniment with another rejuvenation or re-seeding service. If you are looking at doing your own small patch up we can provide you with our Akers Top Dressing Mix available in 15kg bags. Be careful to never cover the entire leaf, as the lawn still needs access to the sunlight.
Pests
Don’t forget to keep an eye out for pests appearing in your lawn, as Springtime is when they are starting to get active. Check out our guides here for details on recognising common pests, weeds, and diseases, and advice on how to treat them.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to treat these pests yourself, we can come out and apply Acelepryn to your lawn as part of our follow up service. Give us a call to book in!
New Pest Control products coming soon!
Product of the Month
Akers Organic Soil Builder is a finely screened humus, the result of composted organic materials, perfect to use as a natural soil improver and plant food. The slow-release granules are low in phosphorus and ideal for all plants including acid-loving plants and natives. The best way to permanently change your soil structure, Akers Organic Soil Builder increases soil health, soil fertility, crop yield, and crop quality.
Ideal for the establishment of new garden beds, as a base for new lawns, or the build up of existing gardens.
Dal’s Gardening Tips for October
- Trim and feed Hibiscus and warm season plants to encourage growth and flowers.
- It’s been a slow start to the season due to the weather. Remove any spent flowers and apply Akers All Rounder Plant Fertiliser.
- Be careful of aphids as the weather starts to warm up.
- Compacted and waterlogged soil or lawn? Coring and conditioning will help!
- If your lawn is getting hard to mow or getting a spongy spring to it, now is a great time to scarify and thin out your lawn. This will make it easier to mow and help water penetrate through better.
Getting Your Lawn Christmas Ready
Are you entertaining this Christmas? Does your lawn need some TLC? Whether it be a rejuvenation of an existing lawn or a brand new lawn, Christmas is starting to come around fast and it’s important to plan ahead. Call now to make sure you don’t miss out on getting your lawn in tip top condition as we have a small window available and are booking out fast.
As always, thank you for your support
Best wishes,
Dal, Jacqi and the Akers of Lawn team