Maintaining a good lawn: how do I keep my lawn looking great?

Maintaining a good lawn: how do I keep my lawn looking great?
To keep a top quality lawn all season you need to manage weeds, fertility, mowing frequency and height of cut. Here is a maintenance programme with some helpful hints.

Spring

  • Fertilise with Turfmaster Gold - very important
  • Spray weeds with a broad range weed killer such to control broadleaf weeds.
  • De-thatch if necessary and overseed bare or weak areas with the appropriate GTi Prolawn seed blend and fertilise with Turfmaster Starter.
  • Fertilise again with Turfmaster Gold just before start of summer say end of November.

Mowing

During the spring / early summer growth period mowing frequency and height of cut is very important. Mow frequently cutting 1/3 of the grass leaf at each mowing to encourage a thicker grass sward.

Summer

Watering and Dry Patches

Deep, less frequent, watering will not only assist in maintaining a beautiful green lawn but will also reduce invasion from shallow rooting grass weeds. Watering alone is often not sufficient to maintain moisture in the soil, particularly where thatch exists and on sandy soils. Even with regular watering dry areas known as dry patch, can exist, presenting problems for re-wetting. An early application (before hot conditions set in) of GTi Aquaturf G wetting agent granules will prevent the problem occurring. It also works to recover areas that have already dried out.

  • Apply GTi Aquaturf G in November/December
  • Can be used in all garden areas including pots and tubs where difficulty in re-wetting exists.

Insect Pests

Pests such as grass grub and argentine stem weevil can damage you lawn very quickly. Apply GTi Pyrifos G for grass grub and argentine stem weevil.

Autumn

Carry out one of these two

  • Fertilise with Turfmaster Gold - as important as in spring OR
  • De-thatch if necessary and overseed bare or weak areas with the appropriate GTi Prolawn seed blend and fertilise with Turfmaster Starter.

Winter

Winter is a time for little maintenance apart from mowing and insect control. Apply GTi Pyrifos G for grass grub and porina.