Tips
Winter Lawn Care
Late winter’s an important time for solving lawn problems. If you fix and feed now, the lawn will be in good shape for the coming summer.
Removing weeds
During winter, weeds take advantage of the lawn’s weakened state to fill every possible gap. Broad-leafed (non-grass) weeds can be relatively easily controlled with the help of a selective herbicide. This is the name for a weedkiller that removes invaders without causing major damage to the lawn.
Typical examples of broad-leafed weeds are clover, dandelions, lawn daisies, cudweed and thistles. Zero Bindii & Clover Gun, which is also available in a concentrate, will take care of these. Apply either by target spotting or by spraying over the entire lawn. Many selective herbicides work well with fine-leafed grasses such as couch, but can be detrimental to broader varieties like buffalo. In broad-leafed grass lawns use Yates Zero Bindii & Broadleaf weedkiller (only available as a concentrate). It contains a herbicide called bromoxynil which is safer to use on these sensitive grasses. This product’s also a good choice for treating hard- to-kill weeds such as creeping oxalis, a pernicious ground hugging weed with tiny, clover-like leaves and small yellow flowers.
A terrific tip for applying liquid herbicides to the lawn is to use the sprinkle bar attachment that’s designed to fit the popular Hortico watering can. And you can reduce the risk of accidental contamination by keeping a separate watering can for herbicide application. As well as the popular green, Hortico watering can’s also available in bright red with the word ‘Poison’ on the side. It’s the perfect way to ensure that there are no mistakes or accidental applications onto wanted plants.
Weed ‘n’ Feed
A simple way to remove broad-leafed weeds and fertilise the lawn at the same time is by using one of the lawn weed and feed preparations. The Yates range includes hose- on and dry formulations of these products, so there’s one to suit every type of lawn. Check directions to make sure that the product is right for your grass. If you don’t know what sort of grass you have, take some samples to a horticulturist to have it identified.
Fertilising
Late August is the perfect time to feed the lawn and, these days, the availability of slow release lawn foods means this task is much easier than it used to be. Yates Lush lawn Master is a good example of these new feeds. The specially-developed technology in its formulation means that it continues to release nutrients for three months. And added soil wetters get the nutrients down to the roots where they will help with water absorption into the lawn.
While we’re on the subject of soil wetters, this is a good time to prepare the lawn for the hot weather to come by applying a liquid soil wetter such as Yates Waterwise.
Organic Dynamic Lifter Lawn Food is another option for long-term feeding. It has the added benefit of improving the soil’s organic content.
Spiking and aerating
At the end of winter, soil’s often compacted, so the lawn will benefit from a good spiking. Do this by energetically pushing a fork as far as possible vertically into the soil or, if you’re really keen, hiring a mechanical aerator.
Oversowing
Thicken tired and worn lawns by oversowing with one of the Yates Lush repair packs. These 50g packets contain enough to patch more than a three-square-metre area.
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