Australian Summers are filled with endless hours of fun. From slip and slides on the lawn to entertaining friends with evening BBQ’s, our backyards are the star of the show!
Summer is also the most challenging time of year for our lawns as they face extreme heat, wind and dryness, or, if it’s a La Nina Summer, then long periods of rain. These weather variables along with increased lawn use, often leaves our lawns weakened and worn out!
Check out our top tips for getting your lawn through Summer:
1. Topdress & fertilise to build strength
Topdressing is a technique used to fill low spots and uneven areas in an existing lawn. These uneven areas occur for several reasons such as the settling of soil after installing a new lawn, uneven turf thickness, or simply from regular wear and tear.
You want your lawn to be well-fed, healthy and strong going into Summer. This will help protect the roots and soil, and make your lawn more resilient against the weather and high traffic over the Summer.
The best time to top dress is when your lawn is actively growing. Most Australian turf varieties do so in Spring and Summer.
To feed your lawn, all you need is a bag of Scotts Lawn Builder All Purpose Slow-Release Fertiliser and a Scotts Spreader.
2. Get water-wise
Lawns can dry out very quickly in Summer, but we don’t want to waste water. So, watering deeper and less frequently is key.
Watering early in the morning gives your lawn a chance to absorb the most amount of water.
To help improve your lawns ability to efficiently absorb water and disperse it evenly, apply Scotts Lawn Builder +Wetting Agent Slow Release Lawn Fertiliser.
3. Mow at the right time, in the right way
The best time to mow is early or late in the day, in order to reduce the incidence of the grass developing burned tips. How often you mow depends on the season and how much rain you’re receiving, but generally, you should mow every couple of weeks during Summer.
As we come into the warmer months don’t forget to raise the cutting height on your mower. The 1/3 rule is a good one to follow. The idea is to try not to cut off more than 1/3 of the grass each time you mow. A taller, thicker lawn helps to smother out pesky weeds. Mowing on a higher setting also encourages deeper roots, which are more able to cope with stressful dry conditions through Summer.
4. Be on weed watch
Lawn weeds are especially pesky in Summer as you want to enjoy a lush and weed-free lawn. Dandelions, cats-ears and other weeds with large tap roots are most common through the dry season. If wet, you may notice others popping up more frequently.
Find out about the 11 most common lawn weeds and how to treat them!
