5 easy steps to preparing your lawn for summer

Before rushing into any lawn care plan, determine the best approach to managing your lawn.

How much water do you have to use on the lawn over summer? Are water restrictions imposed?

Make sure your mower blades are sharp, so they don’t tear your lawn leaving it weak and vulnerable to pests.

Having sharp mower blades also means you cut a neater, healthier-looking lawn during summer.

Rake up any leaf or stick debris that could be blocking sunlight, airflow and water which are all required for your lawn to grow properly.

During summer, extra lawn debris also has a habit of promoting pests and diseases as well as ugly brown patches.

Before summer fertilising be sure you know what sort of grass variety you have, – different varieties require different fertiliser treatments and applications.

The general rule is to apply a slow release fertiliser to your lawn in early summer to enhance growth.

Most importantly once temperatures reach 30°C do not fertilise your lawn as it can chemically burn your lawn’s blades.

myhomeTURF recommends LawnPride’s selection of slow release fertilisers.

Watering your lawn during summer always depends on how much water you have and whether your region is affected by water restrictions.

Watering also depends on the variety of grass you have.

If you have a Zoysia variety such as Nara Native or Empire, then these varieties require much less water than say a Couch or Kikuyu.

Water your lawn early in the morning thoroughly for about 15 minutes, twice a week, so your lawn can absorb the moisture more effectively.

By watering your lawn thoroughly and deeply you encourage the development of strong root growth in your lawn.

If you are short of water – water only the parts of the lawn that are drying out or where you want it to stay green.

Evening watering can induce humidity to occur overnight resulting in fungal problems.

While springtime is also about removing the pesky weeds from your lawn – often these weeds continue to thrive in summer.

Dandelions and Cats Ear that have large tap roots are very likely to survive the tough dry conditions and be prevalent throughout your lawn during summer if not controlled.

The best method of removal is always by hand but ensure you remove the whole weed, including the roots.

Take care applying herbicides on your lawn during summer as some brands suggest avoiding use during hot conditions. If you are unsure about what herbicides to use on your lawn talk to your Local Garden Centre or refer to our partners at LawnPride.

Often the recommendation is to use a Weed, Feed and Green-Up Solution as it waters as it works and can be applied during the heat of summer.

During the heat of summer, it is not unusual for your lawn to slow its growth due to stress.

It is recommended that you raise the cutting height of your mower during summer to leave the grass longer which provides shade and natural cooling to the roots and soil.

Mulch mow if you can, as this helps insulate your lawn’s roots and soil during summer and reduces evaporation.

Mulch mowing returns grass clippings back to the soil but, to do it properly, you need a mulching mower.

During summer mow early or late in the day to reduce the incidence of your lawn developing burned tips.

However, if it is an exceptionally wet summer and extra growth is causing a build-up of thatch, we recommend lower the mower height to counteract this situation.

LawnPride Maintain 26-2-9 + 3.4 Fe 20kg

LawnPride Maintain Mini 26-2-9 + 3.4 Fe 20kg