When people say ‘spring has sprung’ they’ve got to be most certainly talking about the grass. It’s like an overnight blade growth spurt on the lawn when it ticks past the last winter midnight. This year especially has been dire for our lawns, as lashings of floods, from mild to severe, have caused havoc with messy and muddy consequences. We hope for a calmer climate season as we walk into September, and start prepping for neighbour-envy level lawns. Here’s the best way to ensure an A+ patch of grass.
Clean it up
From torn up patches of grass, to weeds as they thrive in colder months and accompanying thatch (the stems, shoots and roots that, living and dead, show up between the soil and grass), winter lawns disrupt the health of your existing grass blades. This means you’re probably looking at lacklustre colours (including brown and yellow), areas of mud and slush, and grass that looks like it hasn’t grown (though may just be choking under the weeds). To start, grab a rake and try to pick up and remove as much of the unwanted weeds as possible. You may need to get the gardening gloves out to manually remove stubborn parts, or apply a weed killer where applicable (follow directions on the product to make sure you’re doing this right). Wire or metal rakes seem to work better than plastic ones, or start with a quality leaf blower like the Toro 60V Max Battery Leaf Blower.
Get fertilising
Your grass is ready for some TLC and the best way to do that is to give it some good quality fertiliser and top soil to liven it up and protect it from the potential long bouts of dry weather and harsh summer sun. Fertilisers speed up growth to, recouping what was lost over winter, and establish stronger roots. You can get a few different varieties of fertiliser, so head out to your local landscaper, green house or even Bunnings to ask about what will work best for where you live, the orientation of your lawn and the significance of the work that needs to be done to get it back up to par.
Aerate to make it great
Spring is the best time of year to aerate your lawn. Roots need water, air and nutrients to thrive, and when it compacts from weeds and other lawn debris, it hinders growth significantly. Aerating revives the flow of air to the roots, by putting holes into the soil, alleviating the compact state of the grass and soil, and allows water to reach the roots. There are a couple of ways to aerate, but the most common are to use a spike aerator, slicing aerators or core or plug aerators. It really depends on personal preference and how much aeration your lawn needs.
Mow like you mean it
Mowing is so important to a strong and healthy lawn, if it’s done right with a quality mower. We don’t spruik Toro on this front because we stock them, we stock them because they are the best in the market, from residential to large scale lawn mowing needs. When you’re looking for a quality mower that will do your lawn justice, you want one with adjustable blades, sharp blades, a smooth push or drive and an ability to manoeuvre easily, even in tight areas to ensure an even cut. Keep blade height at between 2-4cm to keep them long enough to absorb the sun’s nutrients, but not too long that you’ll have to mow every second day.
Our top picks for residential lawns are:
Toro is incredible for precise height adjustments and tight turn circles. Check out our entire Toro mower range today.
