The ideal landscape to stroll barefoot, relax on a warm afternoon with a good book, or entertain with friends. No one wants a parcel with dead patches and weeds as the focal point. 

Many people perform lawn maintenance in a “do-it-yourself” capacity, like starting seeds or laying sod, fertilizing, weeding, mowing, using the most beneficial products to produce a garden neighbours will envy. Please visit this website for examples of top-of-the-line lawn care products. 

Whether the space is small or large, having adequate tools, supplies, and quality products is half the battle, along with a carefully created outline of the intended garden’s outcome. The process will go more smoothly when you’re prepared ahead of the season. How can you get the perfect lawn in Australia? Check these tips here.

Let’s review some DIY lawn care tips to help produce a healthy garden of any size in the spring season. 

Sewing Lawn: DIY Projects For A Beautiful And Unique Yard 

When performing “do-it-yourself” landscaping, it’s vital to be prepared with the right tools, quality products, and necessary supplies. You will also need guidelines for what you want to accomplish at the end of the project.  

If you have dead patches or the lawn is less scraggly, sewing seeds will be a significant component of the plan to get the space thick and lush. It could be to this point due to an abundance of weeds, making it necessary to eliminate these first, along with checking the soil and the moisture level beneath the ground.  

Let’s look at a few essential DIY tips that will help you devise a plan for the spring season to beautify your garden. 

Gently rake the space 

Winter’s turbulent weather can leave twigs, leaves, and other sorts of debris strewn throughout the garden. When spring arrives, cleanup is a first step by using the most garden-friendly rake to gently clear the mess while leaving the grass intact. 

Scarifying is a technique that is often done in the fall, but in spring, it can be done gently to remove moss and thatch with a grass rake (metal). The turf will develop healthier and denser with enhanced water filtration and air circulation.  

Moss will try to invade once scarifying has occurred due to the available space. It is necessary to incorporate a control product after the scarification to dehydrate these, causing them to die away. 

Mow the lawn in a limited capacity 

For a first mow, the grass should be cut with the setting at its highest level, with this gradually being reduced as the season progresses. The idea is to cut only 1/3 of the length with each session. Avoiding damp, frosty mow sessions can prevent the soil from becoming compacted, resulting in grass damage. 

The blade of mowers should always remain sharp. Water and nutrient uptake will be better for the grass, plus it prevents turf damage. 

Handling the dead patches in the garden 

When dead patches consume the grass, these are relatively simple to remedy. Sowing more grass seed in the same species as already applied is a simple fix. A faster method can be laying new sections of turf. You’ll want to water the areas but only when necessary. 

The morning is the ideal time to water. Later in the day, the water will evaporate, and in the evenings, the water can sit on top of the soil creating an environment for fungus. 

Lawncare Products 

In the winter season, the lawn experiences numerous changes in overall health. Keeping up with maintenance and remaining prepared with adequate products is the priority. Most lawns will be dormant throughout the season or semi-dormant since most Australian grasses thrive in the heat. 

Many take that as a sign there’s no yard work in the winter, but ideally, the winter is the best time to develop your spring plans. Some lawn products and care tips for implementing during this season include the following: 

• A liquid and slow-release fertiliser with excellent Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium ratio will allow optimum health throughout the winter season

This should be applied before the grass grows dormant to ensure nutritional uptake. The potassium is crucial since it’s responsible for strengthening, allowing the grass to survive during dormancy. Products higher in potassium are the recommendation. 

You can find premium products online. Check with a local nursery or garden centre representative for suggestions or research options with potassium at higher levels. 

• Aerating is critical during the winter 

Lawns can become significantly compacted in the winter, making it necessary to pay attention for the signs and how to remedy the situation. Aerating is one of the best solutions using “aerating sandals, a garden fork, or aerating equipment based on the garden’s size.” Without adequate aeration, minimal nutrients can reach the roots and putting lawn health at risk. 

• Herbicide is critical at this stage 

Weed control at this stage will help with the growing season, bringing a fresh lawn with the best presentation. In the winter, most weeds not requiring sunlight thrive like the broadleaf variants, plus the soil temps encourage germination. Using an herbicide at this stage will control the emergence from the start keeping the garden free of weeds all winter and the grass dense in preparation for spring. If you’ll be sowing seeds at this point to thicken the lawn, you’ll want to avoid using herbicides. Click here for weed-killer ideas from the household that are natural and organic with minimal chemical ingredients. 

Final thought  

While the lawn is dormant in the winter, you should avoid mowing the grass. The garden will essentially be self-sufficient, with minimal need for a lot of maintenance during these months.  

The primary objectives are to sow seeds if the lawn needs thickening, aerate if you notice the ground is becoming compact to allow uptake of the nutrients and apply herbicide, but only if you’re not sowing seeds. With the proper preparation in the winter, you’ll come into spring with a dense, green garden that is simpler to maintain.

Photos By: Unsplash

Making your grass healthy and green throughout the year isn’t as easy as it may look. We’ve all been envious of one of our neighbors’ green lawns and we’ve asked ourselves: how do they manage to make their grass so perfect? It isn’t rocket science but it isn’t that easier either. That’s why we’ve put together this guide that will show you 8 things you should consider when hiring a lawn care company! Keep reading:

1. Ask Your Neighbors

If someone in your neighborhood is already using a local lawn care company and you’ve seen good results, as them for their contact! There is no better way to find a good company than by seeing the results yourself firsthand! Ask your neighbor some questions about the company’s lawn care plan, pricing, and customer service. Let them show you some before photos so you can see what the state of their lawn was in before, and how much it has improved using the company’s services.

2. Read Reviews Online

A good way to get instant feedback on a lawn care company is by checking the internet for reviews. I love reading reviews on a company’s Google maps page, Facebook page and even Yelp. One thing that you have to keep in mind is that people that leave reviews are either those that have had a really good experience or a very bad one. These reviews usually don’t provide the whole story, but it does give you a sneak peak of what you may be getting yourself into. Always be cautious of a lawn care company that has many negative reviews, this is a huge red flag and you could be getting yourself into hot water by using their services. Always do you due diligence and research before cashing out a lot of money on lawn care.

3. Check if They are a Licensed and Insured Company

Every professional in whatever their expertise may be, should be licensed and have proper insurance. A lawn care company that is licensed means they have dedicated many years, done courses, training seminars, and have experience in taking care of grass. This is the company you want to do business with! Another important point is to make sure that the company you are going to hire to take care of your lawn has insurance. If someone gets injured on your property you will most likely be liable, and think about a scenario when the mower chucks a rock through your window. If they do not have insurance, you will be paying up for the costs to fix it!

4. What Services do They Offer?

There are some lawn care companies that provide only certain types of lawn care, so make sure you are hiring the right one that will do the job you require. For example, some companies specialize in lawn aeration only, while others do not. There are many companies that provide shrub and tree care, if this is what you need then ask about it! Ask as many questions as you need to insure that you are hiring the right company to do the job. While you’re at it, ask the company to do an evaluation on your lawn and give you some tips on what you should do to make it look it’s best.

5. Check out Their Equipment

A professional lawn care company will have the latest equipment, and make sure it is well maintained and in working order. A professional can tell you what a difference it makes cutting grass with a sharp blade than will a dull one. Dull blades make grass look ragged and brown at the edges. A sharp blade gives a clean cut and helps preserve moisture in the grass. Ask the company how often they sharpen their mower blades and see what they tell you. A good company should sharpen their blades every 1-2 days or every 10 mowing hours.

6. Make Sure their Customer Service is Top-Notch

If you want to deal with a reliable company that will answer all of your questions and provide you with the lawn care service you deserve, make sure to pay attention to their customer service before you sign any papers and hire them. Look for companies that answer quickly to emails and calls, and make sure they are up-to-date with the latest lawn care technology. If you would like to save yourself the headache in the long run, then make sure to pay attention to the type of customer service they provide in the beginning, before your hire them.

7. Do You Need to Sign a Contract?

In the world of lawn care, contracts are very common so do not be surprised when a lawn care company asks you to sign a lengthy contract. If I would be choosing lawn care for my own home, I would see if there is a possibility to work without a contract, or at least a trial period. You don’t want to lock yourself in with a company you may not be happy with in the long run. See what they say and remember a good company that stands behind their service will always accommodate a trial period for a new customer.

8. Ask if They Use Pesticides and Chemicals

If you have pets and children in your home, this should be a major concern to you. Before choosing a local lawn care company ask them if they spray the grass or use granular. Remember that a professionally trained company that properly applies lawn care products to your lawn should be safe for your family. A company that sprays lawns excessively with various weed control products may be doing more harm than good. Companies that use granular products are usually safer and something we would personally prefer versus spraying.

Now that you know all the basics to hiring a professional lawn care company, it’s time to pick up the phone and hire a company that will take your lawn from looking ragged to looking it’s best! Lawn care professionals can and will help increase your home’s curb appeal and in return possibly increasing your home’s value!

Photos By: Freepik

As the pandemic restricted our opportunities to get out into the world and into nature, that lovely swathe of green has been so important to keeping us happy and healthy through 2020. Now that winter is drawing in, we’re going to be spending a lot less time out there and if you want to keep it looking its best, there are some important care steps that you may not have thought about. Here are a few tips to keep your yard happy until spring.

Keep An Eye On It

As a first step, this is a simple but important one: don’t neglect it. Your green space isn’t something you can just forget about until it’s warm enough to put a deckchair out there again. While it’s true that there is less active work that you need to be doing, just keep an eye out for the little things and warning signs that could mean that your turf is unhappy. Fallen leaves coating the grass isn’t just an eyesore, it’s also keeping moisture in and preventing sunlight from getting to the grass. This is why it’s also important to remove lawn furniture in the winter, and to try and keep people from walking across the grass. Damage done in the winter takes much longer to repair.

Don’t Over-Mow

Everything is moving much slower, lawn-wise, during the cold winter months so you don’t need to be out there once a week pushing the mower around. If you’re noticing some growth then a trim should be fine, but in general, just keep an eye on the weeds and treat your mower to a good clean. It’s not the most exciting gardening task, but mowers do require regular cleaning and servicing and now is the time to do it!

Think About Irrigation

Winter may not be the time when you’re thinking about how to get more water onto your property, but come spring you’re going to be out there with the hose again and thinking about how you can get better results with less effort. It’s hard to achieve consistency without a proper system in place, and a great automated irrigation system will help you provide care for your lawn whatever the weather. It’s not just for the dry summer months; an irrigation system will detect rain and moisture and react accordingly. R & L Irrigation Services offer year-round irrigation services, and their custom work means that they meet the specific seasonal needs of your area.

Don’t Over-Do It

There are treatments and fertilizers that you can put down during winter, but it’s important to remember that this is a time when the greenery is far less quick to respond, and to recover, to sudden changes and potential damage. If you do use anything, make sure that it is a gentle treatment and be sure to follow the guidelines. Also: if you’re shoveling road salted snow from the driveway, keep it off the grass. That’s going to do a lot of damage.