Author: David Harps

It is Springtime! Time to prepare your lawn for summer. The days are warming up, yet the weather is quite unpredictable. A few warm days, some cold mornings, rain and sunshine! What does all this mean for your lawn?

Lawn requires a few elements to grow. These includes water, light for photosynthesis, drainage, fertiliser and the right temperature. This is kind of obvious. Let’s dig a little deeper. What exactly change in Spring for our lawn and gardens to growth? The key thing is temperature. The temperature in the ground actually begins to increase, there is longer day light hours and the sun begins is higher in the sky. This, along with rain are the changing factors and make the ideal growing conditions.

Fertilising your lawn in Spring

It is best to wait until at least mid-spring before you fertilise your lawn. It is best to apply fertiliser when your lawn has reached that growing stage. How do I know when that time has arrived? Quite simply, it is when you notice that you need to start mowing your lawn a little more frequently that over winter. Buffalo Grass is a classic. It is very dormant over winter. You will notice that it starts to spread and grow in Spring and that is the time to apply a good fertiliser. A good fertiliser is a key element for a healthy and green lawn.

Tips for mowing your lawn in Spring

Mowing is an important aspect in keeping your lawn looking presentable and actually also encourages growth. Our recommendation is always to select the appropriate height when cutting. Generally the worst thing you can do is cut your lawn too low. This is offered referred to as “scalping your lawn”. You know if you have scalped your lawn as you would have removed most of the green, exposing the yellow undergrowth and basically cut way too low.

How to avoid Scalping your Lawn?

Set the height of your mower to what you think is the appropriate height. Give it a test run on your lawn and then stop and observe the outcome of your mow. If it is too high, lower your mower a setting, if it is too low, increase the height.

Here is another tip for setting the height of your mower. At the end of your lawn mowing, leave the height adjusted so that it is ready for next time.

Should I water my lawn in Spring?

This is weather dependent. However generally there is no need to water your lawn in Spring. Definitely not in early Spring. However towards the end of Spring, of if there is a long hot spell, watering of your lawn is a good idea. You will know if you lawn needs watering by looking at it. If it looks dry and withered, water it!

It is most important to not over water your lawn. Your lawn should not be soggy. This can result in rotted roots and slow growth. This is an important step to prepare your lawn for summer.

Spring lawn weeds

While the winter weeds in your lawn may begin to die off, the summer weeds will soon begin to sprout. The most pervasive Lawn weeds in Melbourne actually change a little each year. Weeds include Bindi weed, winter grass, dandelion, chickweed, closer, khaki, onion weed, nut grass, lambs ears, etc.

If you have laid turf or have a healthy lawn, you should seriously consider removing all weeds. You can do this by hand, and best to remove weeds before they seed. Otherwise there are a myriad of weed control herbicides which provide various levels of success.

Argus Mowing can help with your winter lawn care

If you need assistance to prepare your lawn for summer, please contact Argus Mowing. We provide expert lawn care, lawn mowing and garden maintenance in the Cheltenham, Bayside and Kingston areas. We pride ourselves on being your true local lawn care professionals near you!

Sir Walter Buffalo Grass is a popular instant turf choice in Melbourne and other places with a cool winter. Let’s explore how Sir Walter Buffalo handles a typical Melbourne Winter.

Does Sir Walter Buffalo Turn Yellow in Winter?

Short answer is yes! Sir Walter Buffalo grass will turn yellow in winter. This is becomes the growing conditions are not ideal and Sir Walter Buffalo will enter a dormant phase to conserve energy for the growing months. This is also why bare patches can appear. The lawn in preserving its energy for Spring and also the growing conditions are not ideal.

Does Sir Walter Buffalo Grass need Mowing in Winter?

Sir Walter Buffalo Grass becomes dormant in the colder months of the year. This results in the grass barely growing at all. This of course means that you don’t need to mow Sir Walter Buffalo Grass very often at all in winter. Established Sir Walter Buffalo may need a mow every 4-6 weeks to keep it tidy. Whereas grass planted the previous season may not need to be mowed at all for all for winter. There are of course many factors including the number of hours per day that the grass receives sunshine. The sun is lower in the sky in winter and depending on the structures around the grass, can result in the grass receiving only minimal direct sun.

In summary, Sir Walter Buffalo may need to be mowed every 6 weeks to keep it tidy in winter. Whereas in summer, Sir Walter Buffalo requires to be mowed every 7-14 days.

The below photo shows one of our lawn mowing clients in Cheltenham. This grass was layed in February. While it is healthy it is still establishing. This lawn has not been mowed for all of winter! The only lawn care service was to trim the edges with a whipper snipper to keep it tidy.

How to Prepare Sir Buffalo Winter in Spring

Around the middle of spring is the best time to begin fertilising your Sir Walter Buffalo lawn. The best fertilisers are the slow release types. Argus Mowing can fertilise your lawn as part of our Cheltenham Lawn Mowing Service.

You should aerate the soil to assist with the growing phase of absorbing water and nutrients. Also lawn can become compact over winter due to foot traffic and water laying on the surface

Weed removal is a keen process for a healthy and good looking lawn. Be careful in selecting the the correct herbicide as you don’t want to damage or even kill your lawn! Some weeds is it best to remove by hand if managable..

Begin your lawn mowing routine. However be extra careful not to scalp or damage the lawn. If you need expert advice, contact Argus Mowing for our Lawn Care Services in Cheltenham and Bayside.

Weed Control for Sir Walter Buffalo Grass

An established Sir Water Buffalo lawn is generally pretty good at protecting its turf! It does make it somewhat difficult for weeds to penetrate and grow through. However weeds are also very nifty. The best option is a combination of hand removal with a good set of gloves and weed removal tool and also a herbicide. Argus Mowing assist in weed control as lawn care services are our main business and expertise. Our arch enemy is Oxalis.

Should I Water Sir Water Buffalo Grass in Winter?

Watering of Sir Walter Buffalo Grass is not required in winter. There is plenty of rainfall, combined with low temperatures and limited direct sun, results in no need to water. If anything, avoid watering as the ground is generally soggy which can eventually lead to root rot. We recommend only watering in Winter if the grass looks dry or in need of water.

Contact Argus Mowing for all your Lawn Mowing and Lawn Care Services

Argus Mowing have considerable experience in Sir Walter Buffalo install turf. We have transformed many backyards with instant turf. We also ensure that the correct preparation work is done before laying the instant turf. We have seen several examples of instant turf looking great after it is initially layed, only to die off considerably within several weeks. Much of the work for instant lawn is within the preparation. If you are thinking of Sir Walter Buffalo lawn in Cheltenham, give us a call.

Most types of lawn grasses will become dormant in winter. We all know that the temperate drops considerably in winter and the days are much shorter when compared with the other months. Not only are the days shorter, but also the height of the sun in the sky is much lower. This results in several limiting factors that lawn requires to grow. Lawn, like other plants, require light for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process within the lawn that converts light, oxygen and water into carbohydrates (energy). Lawn needs this energy to grow. Additionally the ground temperatures drop significantly which further stuns the growth of lawns. Read below for all your winter lawn care tips.

Do I need to mow my lawn in Winter?

The good news is that you don’t need to mow your lawn anywhere near as much as in summer. In some cases, such as lawn that is heavily shaded in winter, may only need the very occasional lawn mow over winter.

That said, there are advantages to mowing lawn in winter. It keeps the lawn neat, especially around the edges such as garden borders and pavements. Also it helps prepare the lawn for spring when you do not want your first mow to scalp the lawn.

Another factor with lawns in Melbourne is that often they are made up of a variety of lawn types, including lawn weeds. These types of lawns will become unsightly and will benefit from regular lawn mowing, albeit at a reduced frequency than in summer.

Tips for mowing your lawn in Winter

The most important tip for winter lawn mowing is not to mow the lawn too short. Adjust the mower cutting height to a little above your summer setting. This is actually similar to the other seasons, however a little more important. The reason is that scalping the lawn during this time can do much more damage as the lawn does not have the energy to recover.

Winter lawn care tips

Given the cooler temperatures and generally abundant water from rain, it is generally not necessary to water your lawn over winter. Often the soil is already damp and further watering can cause rot.

Lawn can become compacted in winter, given the combination of pooling of water and foot or other traffic. If at all possible, try to avoid traffic over the lawn. Aerating is an option to assist as it will allow drainage and air flow to the roots. Aeration is also good to do in later winter in preparation for Spring.

Winter lawn turning yellow

It is expected that warm season lawn will discolour and turn yellowish over winter. This is particularly noticeable during late winter when frosts occur. Just remember, this is part of the cycle and soon enough with proper lawn care, your lawn will be bounce back in Spring.

Do I need to fertilise my lawn in winter?

No, you do not need to fertilise your lawn in winter. Fertiliser will help your lawn grow when the conditions are right. Therefore it is best to fertilise in mid spring once your lawn has transitioned into a growing phase.

Winter lawn weeds

Common winter weeds in Melbourne include winter grass, nutgrass, oxalis, broadleaf, thistle, dandelion, chickweed, white clover and catsears, just to name a few!

Winter is often a time when weeds begin to appear, as your lawn won’t be as tight as during the warmer months to restrict weeds sprouting though. A healthy lawn requires these weeds to be removed by hand to sprayed before they seed. Otherwise the issue will re-occur the following year..

Argus Mowing can help with your winter lawn care

For more information, or your assistance in maintaining your winter lawn, please contact Argus Mowing. We provide all year round lawn care and lawn mowing in the Cheltenham, Bayside and Kingston areas. We are your true local lawn care professionals near you!