Get a Head Start on Spring Lawn Care

Get a Head Start on Spring Lawn Care

August has been a seriously wet and cold one here in Adelaide. We’ve had plenty of rain, some freezing mornings and then, every now and again, one of those beautiful sunny days that makes you think spring has arrived early. Our lawns have definitely noticed the change too.

After months of slower winter growth, September is when things gradually start moving again. The days are getting longer, the soil will begin to warm up and your lawn will start showing signs of life. It might not happen overnight, especially after such a cold and soggy August, but now is a good time to get outside, have a look around and see what your lawn needs. And no, you don’t need to spend the entire weekend working on it.

First, Have a Good Look at Your Lawn

Before reaching for the mower, fertiliser or anything else in the shed, simply walk around your lawn and see what winter has left behind. Are there areas that are staying wetter than others? Has the grass thinned out in shady spots? Are weeds starting to pop up? Maybe there’s a section where the kids or dog have been cutting across all winter and the soil is looking a bit compacted.

After all the rain we’ve had, these problem areas can be much easier to spot. If the ground is still really wet, leave it alone for a bit. Constantly walking over soggy lawn can compact the soil and make things harder for the grass just as it’s getting ready to grow again.

Don’t Get Too Excited With the Mower

We know what happens. You get one sunny Saturday, the grass has grown a little and suddenly it feels like mowing season again. You can definitely start mowing as growth picks up, but there’s no need to scalp the lawn.

Keep it a little higher while it’s coming out of winter and avoid taking too much leaf off in one go. Your lawn still needs plenty of green leaf to soak up sunlight and build strength for spring growth. This is also a good excuse to check the mower blades. If they’re blunt, they can tear the grass rather than giving it a clean cut, which can leave the lawn looking a bit rough around the edges.

You Probably Don’t Need the Sprinklers Just Yet

After the amount of rain Adelaide has had through August, many lawns will have more than enough moisture sitting in the soil. So before automatically turning the irrigation back on because spring is approaching, dig down a little and check.

If the soil is still damp underneath, leave the watering for another day. Too much water can be just as unhelpful as not enough, particularly when the ground is already saturated. As September warms up and we start getting longer stretches without rain, you can gradually adjust your watering to suit the conditions.

If you have an irrigation system, now is also a handy time to run it briefly and check that everything is working properly before the warmer weather arrives.

What About Fertiliser?

Spring fertilising is great for helping a lawn come back strongly after winter, but timing matters. If your lawn is still barely growing and the soil is cold and wet, there’s no rush. Give it a little time.

Once you can see fresh growth starting and the weather becomes more consistently mild, that’s when a suitable lawn fertiliser can give your grass the nutrients it needs for the growing season ahead. More isn’t better either. Follow the recommended application rate for your lawn and the product you’re using. Dumping twice as much fertiliser on the grass won’t give you twice the lawn.

The Weeds Are Waking Up Too

Unfortunately, your lawn isn’t the only thing enjoying those sunnier days. Winter and early spring weeds can quickly make themselves at home where turf has become thin or weakened. Bindii and broadleaf weeds are worth keeping an eye on now, before they get a chance to spread further.

If there are only a few weeds, pulling them out by hand can be the easiest option. For larger problems, make sure any weed treatment you use is suitable for both the weed and your particular lawn variety. Getting on top of weeds early makes life much easier later in spring.

Got Hard or Soggy Patches?

With such a wet winter, drainage and soil compaction have been pretty obvious in some Adelaide yards. If you’ve got areas where water seems to sit long after the rain has stopped, or parts of the lawn that feel hard and compacted once they dry, aeration may help.

Aerating allows more air and water to reach the root zone and gives the roots more room to grow. Just don’t attack completely waterlogged soil with a garden fork. Wait until it has drained enough to work without turning the area into mud.

Yes, You Can Still Lay Instant Lawn Now

This is something we get asked quite a bit. Do you have to wait until spring to lay instant lawn? No. Even though we’re still in the tail end of winter, instant lawn can absolutely be laid now. In fact, the cooler weather can make the installation period quite manageable because freshly laid turf isn’t dealing with the intense heat we get later in the year.

Warm season varieties may establish more slowly while temperatures are cool, and that’s perfectly normal. As the soil warms and spring growth kicks in, the lawn will become more active. The important part is getting the preparation right. Good soil preparation, correct installation and proper watering give the new turf the best opportunity to establish.

So if you’ve been putting off a new lawn because you thought you had to wait for warmer weather, you don’t necessarily need to. Getting it laid now means it can begin settling in as conditions improve, ready to take advantage of the warmer spring weather ahead.

Spring Is Nearly Here

September is a bit of a changeover month for Adelaide lawns. We’re leaving the coldest weather behind, but we’re not at full spring growth just yet. So keep things simple. Tidy up the lawn, mow when it needs it, watch the weeds, check how wet the soil is and give your grass a little time to wake up properly.

And if your old lawn has reached the point where no amount of spring love is going to bring it back, we can help with that too. The team at Instant Lawn Adelaide can help with new instant lawn, lawn repairs and ongoing lawn care, so if you’d like some advice on what would work best for your yard, give us a call or get in touch for a quote.