How to improve your lawn this Spring

Many lawns across the country are suffering after a long winter. Fortunately, a little care at this time of year can see the grass flourishing again in no time, whether its weeding, feeding and/or aerating.

This week I'd love to tap into the knowledge of the Workshop community so we can all get our lawns looking great ahead of the warmer weather.

What are your top tips for improving your lawn this Spring?

And if your lawn is struggling, feel free to ask your questions below and I'm sure Workshop community members will be happy to help.

Jason

How to revive a lawn_header.jpg

Find more posts tagged with

Gardening

Lawn

Comments

Adam_W

Very timely subject @Jason, thanks for opening it up.
Also happens to be one of my favourite areas to chat about 😉

The biggest tip is to feed your lawn.
I read some research that said less than 1-in-4 home-owners ever feed their lawns. Crazy.
It's the single best thing you can do & most lawns will take less than 10-minutes to feed.
Benefits? A well-fed lawn...
- is better able to survive hot, dry summer conditions.

- has less weeds as the lawn is able to out-compete the weeds

- is better at self-repairing all that wear & tear from kids & dogs & backyard cricket.

When you feed a hose-on is easy but granular is better for a longer feed.

If you use granular don't try to hand broadcast it, you'll never spread it evenly, invest in a simple fertiliser spreader. Worth their weight in gold.
Look for more modern fertilisers such as Scotts Lawn Builder as they are slow release, feeding for months, and you can apply them when it's dry & they'll start feeding once it rains, no messing around having to water straight after applying.
You can supplement this with a hose-on seaweed like Seasol too but just use the seaweed-only version, don't double-up on feeding.

And on that topic... just stick to the recommended application rates when feeding. Doubling it will not make your lawn twice as green. With some fertilisers you'll end up burning your lawn and with any you're just wasting your money.

Quality, modern fertilisers also look after your soil - they feed the soil not just the foliage.
When your soil is healthy & happy soil micro-organisms can more easily convert nutrients from fertiliser for the grass to take up so your lawn stays greener for longer. It also means that the run-off of nutrients into the environment is reduced.
Healthy soil leads to stronger root development too so you hardier, healthier grass.
Pheeewww... there you go 🙂

MartyH

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/3510#Comment_3510

Thanks for the tips @Adam_W. Great advice.

I think I've said it here before that I often see people mowing their grass too low, especially in the warmer weather. Keeping plenty of lawn will help keep water in the soil and reduces stress on the grass leaves. And don't water too often, but when you do water deep.

I noticed yesterday that I've got to get the weeding tool out and remove some of the weeds that have popped up in the lawn recently.

Kermit

Noticed my lawn needs some TLC. Many weeds suddenly have popped up. I don't think I've ever fed it before so will follow @Adam_W's excellent advice.

Adam, what are the benefits to aerating and when do you need to do it?

Kermit

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/3514#Comment_3514

Sorry, just noticed my aerating question was a little vague. I know that its a good idea to aerate if the ground is hard and compacted from overuse. I'm just keen to know whether aerating can benefit all lawns - is it good general practice, and if so, what time of year? Thanks!

greygardener

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/63996#Comment_63996

Depends on your soil @Kermit. If you have clay soil that drains poorly then you need to do something about it. Same goes for if its compacted from foot traffic. You'll know if you have a problem as the grass will be struggling to grow.

Kermit

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/94558#Comment_94558

After feeding the lawn a couple of months ago it has looked better but I've noticed in recent weeks the weeds are going berzerk and I got a bindi prickle for the first time I can remember. Looks like the weeds and bindi liked the food, perhaps even more so than the grass.

greygardener

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/113738#Comment_113738

The idea behind feeding is it should strengthen the lawn so it can do better than the weeds. Some lawn weedkiller should help control the bindii.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/124498#Comment_124498

It's so exciting that Spring is nearly here!

Let us know if you need tips for reviving your lawn this Spring. I'm sure community members like @Adam_W would be happy to assist.

Jason

Adam_W

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/113738#Comment_113738

Hey @Kermit

Oh dear… yes, a problem with feeding a lawn if it was a bit patchy is that the weeds can get a good bit of growth on too in the empty spaces.

I’d try a Weed & Feed formulation, won’t be too much for the lawn at this stage. I’ve had good results with this one as it doesn’t stress the lawn too much as some of the older formulations can. That should take care of any bindii too.

Problem is that you need to treat bindii in autumn as it’s an annual that grows in the cooler months & then sets seed in the warm months. Those prickles are in-fact the seed so unfortunately once you’ve felt a prickle that can mean it’s too late. All the revenge attacks in the world won’t get rid of them this season...

As it’s still very early for them you may actually be able to locate the plants and remove them by hand.

Adam_W

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/131827#Comment_131827

Always @Jason 🙂

The single biggest one at this time of year is to feed. Use a good quality slow-release fertiliser & use a spreader to distribute it. You’ll get much more even coverage & avoid wastage.

Before you do that it’s a great idea to get your lawn tidy. Go over it really vigorously with a rake, preferably a spring-tined leaf rake.

This will collect the obvious stuff on the surface but also strips out any dead grass etc. You’ll be amazed how much you will gather up & how much fresher the lawn will look afterwards.

Keep an eye on weeds too. You may decide that a weed & feed is the best way to feed your lawn if weeds have been a problem.

If you’ve any dead or daggy spots then aerating with a garden fork can work winders. Just drive the fork in around 3 to 5cm deep and rock it back & forth a little. Do this every 5cm or so over the worst areas. If you’ve a big area then rent an aerator for a ½-day.

After you’ve done this you can either rake some lawn top-dressing soil over or some bagged washed coarse river sand. This will fill the little holes up creating drainage and aeration channels.

Applying a hose-on seaweed tonic can be useful too as it wakes the soil microorganisms up & they are essential for efficiently converting fertiliser to plant-available nutrients. In-short, they’ll improve the efficacy of applied fertiliser but just remember that seaweed alone is not a fertiliser.

When you start mowing again don’t mow too low, keep a good few cms of leaf blade. Your grass should have good ‘foot-feel’. Nice between your toes, a little soft underfoot but not spongy or hard. And as things warm up make sure you're mulch mowing as this will help with moisture conservation.

Also, speaking of moisture… as it looks like we’re heading into a long, hot, dry spring & summer in much of the country I’d look at applying a good quality soil wetter that’s suitable for lawns so that any rain that does fall is absorbed rather than running off, and any watering you do won’t be wastful.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/136202#Comment_136202

Great advice as always @Adam_W. Many thanks for sharing your expertise.

Workshop members: feel free to post photos of your lawn if you are having any problems or need any tips on how to bring it back.

Jason

renking

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139177#Comment_139177

Ugh I wish the professional gardeners looking after our lawn would read this (it's all organized through the real estate agent I believe).

The lawn is so dry, over-run in sections and has bald patches throughout - pretty sure they mow it pretty low.

I was recently given approval to fix up the garden beds, but it got me paying more attention to the (lack of) grass...

How do I as a tenant work around years of neglect and damage without the gardeners creating more?

(I think I am the first tenant here in about 20 years who has taken any interest in the gardens/lawns) 😕

MitchellM

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141189#Comment_141189

Renking,

If it was me, next time the Gardeners are around I'd buy them a six pack of beers and have a convo about what you'd like to achieve with the garden. I am sure they are use to tenants / landlords that just want the job done as quick as possible and for as cheap as possible. This enevitably leads to them cutting corners and causing damage that otherwise could be avoided.

If you polietly ask them to leave the lawn a tad longer and use a fertiliser of your preference, they will, especially with a cold six pack in hand.

renking

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/142698#Comment_142698

That's an idea I hadn't thought of 😉

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/143763#Comment_143763

Let us know how you get on @renking. Sounds like a good strategy to me!

Let me also extend a very warm welcome to the Workshop community. We're pleased you could join us and look forward to reading about your projects and plans. I'm sure you'll get loads of helpful advice and inspiration from fellow members. Feel free to post whenever you need help or have something to share. I'd also welcome any feedback about how we can improve Workshop so it's even more useful for you.

Jason

SallyN

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/124644#Comment_124644

How often should I put granulated fertiliser on my lawn during spring? I've popped some on 2 weeks ago but it doesnt seem to have done very much.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/131836#Comment_131836

Let me tag our resident lawn care expert @Adam_W for you @SallyN, although I'm sure he would advise patience. I just gave my lawn a feed last week with Scotts Lawn Builder and recall the bag said I wouldn't need to reapply for three months.

Let me also extend a very warm welcome to the Workshop community. We're pleased you could join us and trust that you'll get lots of useful information and inspiration for your home improvement projects from our members. Please feel free to post whenever you need a hand or have something to share. I would also welcome feedback anytime about how we can improve Workshop so it's even more useful to you.

Thanks for joining in the discussion,

Jason

Adam_W

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/131836#Comment_131836

Hi @SallyN & welcome!

Most lawn foods will take a little while to activate especially if it has been dry and they haven't been watered in. They need the water to activate and for the nutrients to get down into the soil. I'm a big fan of applying a suitable soil-wetting product at feeding time as it improves both water and fertiliser penetration and reduces nutrients wastage and runoff. Basically it makes your feeding more efficient and effective.

Reapplication will always depend on the brand and it is important not to over-apply. Just check the pack carefully. If you didn’t keep the bag but you think you remember the product have a look on the Bunnings webpage as they often have label shots or product information that will tell you the reapplication rate/frequency. Just remember that over-feeding can do more harm than good, scorching the lawn and damaging the soil.
As @Jason mentioned a quality, genuine slow-release product like Lawn Builder will last for 3-months (1-season).
This is where it’s worth doing the sums on products. When you buy them they may appear good-value however they often lose that ‘benefit’ in two ways – reapplication frequency (i.e. – reapplying every month, or even every 2-weeks, instead of every 3-months) and coverage rate (i.e. weight required per square metre).
A thing not often though about with lawn foods too is their potential environmental impact.
If you are needing to apply bags of product every month or less then there is an enormous amount of nutrient wastage. It’s often described as flooding to feed – add an enormous amount of soluble nutrients to the lawn (or garden) on a regular basis and hope that the plants pick some up as they wash through.
And wash is the important word because many of these nutrients do just that, they wash through the soil and end up contaminating local waterways and bushland contributing to all manner of problems.
The type of fertilisers that require frequent reapplication can be useful if you need a quick-fix but there are better options for that too such as Extreme Green which is fast green-up (3-days!) and slow-release.
Hope this all kind of helps in some way 🙂

SallyN

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/136208#Comment_136208

Thanks Adam for helping me 🙂 I headed straight down to Bunnings today and purchased a soil wetting product and the Extreme Green. As I've only fertilised recently I'll wait until the start of summer and give it another go. As they say, patience is a virtue so I'll just have to sit tight and hope that my lawn starts looking better soon.

SallyN

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/136207#Comment_136207

Thanks Jason for the welcome. I'm so happy I've found this blog as I'm just starting to really get into gardening so I'm sure I'll have lots of questions and maybe one day, I'll even be able to provide others some answers 🙂

Adam_W

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139182#Comment_139182

My pleasure @SallyN 😀

RosieW

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141191#Comment_141191

Lots of tips here for my terrible lawn. This very dry winter has left it in a bad state - I didn't even notice it was happening.

Kiwifr33

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/142700#Comment_142700

I can only repeat keeping the mowing height high - we do ours on the top two settings on the mower and our lawn is mostly green through summer long after all the neighbours have killed theirs off.
We also never spray for anything as we hand mow and use the clippings to mulch gardens via a chicken tractor.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/143765#Comment_143765

How's everyone lawns looking this Spring? Mine is currently a little soggy from a lot of recent rain. I'm sure in no time we will all be complaining that it is too dry though!

Jason

Former_Member

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/144582#Comment_144582

My mum's Adelaide lawn was ragged - not walked on, and with sandy loam but just old. This is the growing season - winter/spring.
Raked it over to get the dead thatch out - It's that fine blueish stuff, I want to call it Santa Anna fescue? but that's probably totally wrong - it was given to us, so a bit hazy on details - 15 years ago!
So this year I raked it over and spiked it. then I bought a really fine, well rotted mulch (more like soil) and raked it evenly all over, watered, let dry, raked another lot over, mixed with cow manure(about 30% poo? to mulch), watered again. Well, grass and weeds both went gang-busters. just kept mowing the tops off the weeds until the grass was lush again (2-3 weeks), and then spot weeded throughout. Looks fab.
Having said all that, I absolutely despise lawn grasses. At my place I have ground covers, concrete, or pour in place rubber. I felt like I was doing a work of evil by reviving Mum's lawn!

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/145166#Comment_145166

I gave my lawn a weed and feed last weekend. It's amazing how much it's grown this week after some sun and rain and the feed.

Jason

Bundaboy

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/145634#Comment_145634

Tip number 1, don't have hard compacted clay soil that takes a jack hammer to break up.
Tip number 2, see tip number 1.

Moira

Hi Jason and everyone

our lawn has been too wet and, now that we’ve fixed our water problem, we want to regrow the grass. There is currently very little grass but lots of moss and dandelions. Should we spray first to kill the weeds and then top dress? There are lots of bare patches. We live in Melbourne and the area is shaded from the East and West. The area won’t get much traffic. Thank you!

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/9195#Comment_9195

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Moira. Many thanks for your question, I'd be glad to provide some advice.

It's great to have you join us and fantastic to hear you've fixed your lawns water issue. I would advise you to deal with the weed issue prior to top dressing as it is a simple process. There are a variety of selective weed killers available which can be sprayed over the area and they won't affect the grass that you will lay or sow. These products are in concentrated form and can be mixed up in a garden sprayer to be distributed over the area. Alternatively, there are products ready to use like Hortico 2L Bindii Killer Hose On which are suitable for dandelion and broadleaf weeds.

The moss can be killed by applying a mixture of 2 parts dish soap to 1 part water and spraying the moss until it is saturated. You can also physically remove the moss by skimming it and the top layer of soil off of the area. Make sure you get all the roots in the process or it will return.

Please let me know if you need further advice or had any questions.

Mitchell

fedecz

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/66864#Comment_66864

Hi there everyone, thanks for all the good tips found here,

i’d like to share an image of my small lawn with some annotations I’ve made.
Pre-COVID , I found tons of black beetles Which I treated successfully (A couple of times per instructions) as I haven’t seen any more ever since. However there are some serious patches to remind me of that. And I’ve got something else growing instead.
Three quarters of the lawn are mostly shaded during autumn-winter, which makes the soil very wet and never dries completely.
The red area is a high traffic one with us walking over there a lot, which I know doesn’t help with the situation.

by reading previous answers in this post, I’ve noted:

- weed and feed during this time of the year (never done that before)
- seasoil does not replace feed.
- slow release feed is preferable

- rake it

- don’t mown too low.

Any other advice?
cheers!!

Child Item