Well, the hot weather is here, and our lawns need adequate water and frequent mowing.
But are you mowing and watering your lawn right? And what about those dry patches that might be appearing?
Well, let's start with the mowing. Here are three key tips to making sure you have a great cut, every time:
1. Make sure the blades are SHARP! Blunt blades will damage and tear, leaving an unsightly lawn
2. Ensure your mower is regularly maintained and make sure that there is just the right amount of contact between the cylinder and the bed knife
3. Only remove 30% of the leaf with each cut. Removing more may scalp the lawn, sending the plant into shock and shortening the root system.
For more details on mowing, have a look at Mike’s recent piece on mowing on the Garden Gurus here.
When it comes to watering, we all know how much we are allowed to water according to the government regulations. But if your lawn still isn’t getting enough water, it could be due to a number of factors. Healthy lawns which get treated with good quality wetting agents regularly will need less water than unhealthy, poorly maintained lawns.
At the moment, with the onset of the heat, we are hearing from a lot of clients that areas of their lawns are struggling and appearing to be browning off. In the vast majority of cases this is simply because there is an issue with the reticulation.
In order to make sure that your reticulation is doing its job properly, you should conduct weekly visual inspections of your system. Make sure that there are no blockages in the nozzles, make sure the pop up section is well lubricated and that the sprinklers are covering your whole lawn. Something as small as a grain of sand can be enough to block a nozzle and start creating dry patches.
But even if water is getting to all corners of your lawn, how do you know if enough water is being applied. As a general rule of thumb, your lawn during the summer months will need approximately 20-30mm of water per week, spread out over your watering days. To check if your lawn is getting that sort of coverage, you can pick up “catch cups” from any good gardening store and test it.
So next time you see a new dead patch, don’t panic, just check your reticulation system before seeking further help. And for more summer reticulation tips, check out another of Mike’s Garden Gurus spots here.
And if you need help with auditing your reticulation system, that is one of the many services we offer at Positively Green. Head on over to www.positivelygreen.com.au to see all the different ways we can help you have the best lawn on the street.
