Turf Tips:
Is spring really here? Early spring lawn care
With the 1 st of September comes the first day of spring here in Australia. This week’s turf tip looks at if spring really has sprung for you and give you some early spring lawn care advice.
How can I tell if it is spring?
Our local sub-tropical climate means we don’t always have the strictest variances between the seasons. Some years the seasons can blend together a little. And the warming up of the weather as we arrive at spring isn’t strictly ruled by the date on our calendar.
The real signal for your lawn that spring has arrived is the ground temperature. When the ground starts to warm up it signals your lawn to come out of its dormant winter state and start growing. So while the day temperatures are a good spring indicator, the night temperatures are the real key as they will affect ground temperature the most. A good sign your ground temperature has risen is a sudden increase in growth of your lawn.
So if your overnight temperatures are rising to match your day temperatures it’s time to start your early spring lawn care!
Things to do now in early spring
MORE WATER: The first thing to do in early spring is to increase your watering. After reducing the amount of water you give your lawn in the winter, as the weather warms up to need to react fast to ensure your lawn gets the water it needs to start its spring.
FEED YOUR LAWN: With the ground warming up your lawn is ready to leap into growing season. And after a winter of dormancy it is HUNGRY . So now is the time to give your lawn the first feed of the season to prepare it for the lawn care to come. We would recommend you fertilise
your lawn in the next 7 to 14 days to give your lawn the best start to spring.
LAY A NEW LAWN: While our mild climate means you can lay turf all year round, the warming weather of spring makes now the perfect time to lay your new lawn. The warmer months is when your new lawn will establish the most, and while the days are getting warmer they are not too hot to be doing the work. It will also mean your new lawn will be all settled in and ready for the extra traffic and sun of summer.
Things to avoid doing in early spring
AVOID THE HEAVY WORK: While you may have waited all winter to top dress, scarify or aerate your lawn early spring is not the time to do this. All of these tasks put a heavy toll on your lawn and require it to be at its strongest. For this reason our blanket rule is to fertilise now in preparation, and then get into the heavier work in a couple of weeks when you can be sure your lawn is ready.
Every home is different, and some lawns are already growing strongly and could be ready for these tasks. If you think that might be the case you should definitely contact your local lawn care professional who will be able to tell you if they can do the work now, or if you should in fact wait a couple of weeks.
To get some more early spring advice call our team on (07) 3114 8230. 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.
For more great turf, tips keep an eye on our website and all our social media channels.
