How to Bring Your Lawn Back to Life | Feeding, Watering and Lawn Care Tips
There's nothing quite as disheartening as watching your lawn turn from healthy, thick and green to patchy, dry and brown. Grass is resilient, so when it starts to die off, it's usually down to a combination of things.
But it also doesn't take much to bring your lawn back from its dry and patchy state. From regular mowing and watering to optimised feeding and aerating, a few lawn care basics can go a long way to keeping your lawn looking its best.
We also reached out to the experts at Lawn Solutions Australia, and they shared some of their great tips and tricks. Covering everything from balding, browning and dry grass to how to get the most out of your tools and lawn care products.
Lawn Care steps to take
Knowing where to start can help you take that first step toward a green, thick lawn. Instead of having a hundred confusing steps, here are the four main things to take care of to kickstart it all. You may need to repeat them over the course of a few weeks, but in most cases, these steps are all your lawn needs.
- Mow regularly
- Rake and aerate
- Weed and re-seed
- Feed and water
Keep on top of mowing
One of the main causes of a failing lawn is insufficient mowing or removing too much length at a time. Lawns respond best to regular mowing. If you don't have enough time in the day to slowly reduce the height of your lawn down to 1 - 2 inches over a few weeks, then a robotic lawn mower could be exactly what you need.
Automower® is the perfect way to keep lawns trimmed to perfection, running to a set schedule for a consistent appearance all the time. Able to trim around the clock, it trims grass blades when they're at their most tender, giving cleaner cuts, and even adding nutrients back to the ground from the fine clippings.
During the hot summer months, keeping your grass at around 2 inches will help to protect the roots from excessive evaporation and heat. Shorter grass may look better, but it also opens it up to frost, drought and wind. If manually mowing your lawn is more your style, aim to mow twice a week during the summer months, dropping back to once a week in the colder and drier months.
Rake and aerate
Dry Grass, dead organic matter, thatch and compacted soil can all contribute to a poorly performing lawn. Our mates at Lawn Solutions Australia recommend raking through your lawn to remove any leaves, dead grass, and loose thatch. They mention that the benefits of doing this are: it lets more sunlight, air and water in to reach the roots and provides space for young, fresh blades to grow - creating a thicker-looking lawn.
Giving the lawn a good aerating will also enable more water, air and nutrition to reach the roots, giving them everything they need to produce healthy and thick grass. Another great tip that Lawn Solutions Australia mentioned is to aerate with the use of a garden fork. Simply dig it 3 - 4 inches into the ground, then wiggle it back and forth to loosen the soil. It's a great little trick to try before buying a specialised tool, but you have to be ready to put in the time.
If dethatching by hand seems like more work than you'd like, then a motorised scarifier and dethatcher could be the solution. Able to remove matted thatch and moss from lawns, the Husqvarna S 138i can help breathe fresh life into a tired-looking lawn.
Weed and re-seed
Weeds aren't only a nuisance to look at, they also compete with lawns for nutrition, sunlight and water. The more weeds your lawn has, the worse its condition will be. If possible, try to pull as many weeds out by hand as you can. For stubborn or fast-spreading weeds, a sprayer with a weedkiller can help prevent their growth and regrowth. Be sure to dispose of roots and seed pods completely through your standard rubbish disposal method. Composting can see them being reintroduced at a later date.
For patches more than a few inches in diameter, re-seeding is the fastest way to remove them. Ensure the soil has been raked, weeded, trimmed and watered before sprinkling a generous amount of grass seed over the entire lawn. By seeding the whole lawn, you'll ensure it has an even finish - with unused seeds being washed into the ground.
Feed and water, but not too often
After you have raked and aerated, the next step is to give your lawn a helping hand with a generous feeding of fertiliser. However don't be too trigger-happy when applying your fertiliser, while it's tempting to apply more than recommended, this could actually damage your lawn. It's also a good idea to feed your lawn during spring and autumn, avoiding summer and winter peaks.
Lawn Solutions Australia suggested that once your lawn has been fertilised, giving it a good watering straight after will ensure it is delivered to the roots as required. Sometimes, this is all your lawn needs and can revive dry grass in a week or two.
Lawn care tools for every situation
Having the right tools at hand goes a long way in keeping your lawn healthy and green throughout the year. From mowing and trimming to scarifying and feeding, Husqvarna has tools for every situation.
One of the easiest ways to keep your lawn looking and feeling its best and beating unwanted dry grass, is by installing a Husqvarna Automower®. Creating a mowing schedule for daily trimming reduces the need for manual mowing. Simply set it and forget it. Whisper-quiet operation, zero exhaust emissions and smart technology mean that Automower® can run day or night, without the fear of disrupting your neighbours.
View, compare and purchase online with click and collect or visit your local authorised dealer for more.